Understanding Sales Cycles

All stores are on a 1 or 2 week sale cycle, which means every 1-2 weeks they change the items that are on sale or update their promotions. This is typically how the sales cycles work in Colorado…

Grocery Stores such as Safeway, CityMarket, and Albertsons put out new ads every Wednesday and that sale/promotion will run from Wednesday-Tuesday. On occasion Safeway runs specials that are valid only Friday, Saturday & Sunday, but those will still be advertised in the ad on Wednesday.  Also, CityMarket generally runs their sales for 2 weeks with only a few changes week to week. The grocery store ads that come in the Sunday Newspaper are only a regurgitation of the Wednesday ad. It is always best to go grocery shopping on Wednesday right after the ad comes out to ensure the shelves are still stocked with the best deals.

Drug Stores & Retail Stores such as Walgreens, Rite Aid, Target, and Walmart run their sales from Sunday-Saturday. They only produce 1 ad per week which comes out in the Sunday Newspaper. To ensure the shelves are stocked with the best deals it is best to go shopping at these stores on Sundays. Occasionally they might run a sale for select days but it will always be announced in their Sunday ad.

Specialty & Online Stores such as C28.com, Pacsun.com, Payless ShoeSource©, and other mom & pop shops do not run on a certain schedule. When I worked as a buyer in the retail industry I noticed that many of these types of shops run their sales on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday because those are the days when their sites receive the most traffic. If you like a particular store it is always best to sign-up for their email list to ensure you never miss a sale.

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View all store sales ads here!

How to Save 50% off your Grocery Bill

 

I love to coupon and save as much as possible every time I go grocery shopping.  However, I realize most people don’t have hours to dedicate to finding savings.  If you follow these basic rules you can save 50% off your grocery bill each week.

  1. Join the Club! Sign-up for your grocery store’s reward card.
  2. Sign-up for the Sunday Newspaper to start getting coupons to your doorstep. Typically it is $1 per week for the Sunday newspaper.
  3. Review the weekly Grocery Store Match-ups. Stock-up on any item that you use frequently that is at a super low price. Plan weekly dinners around the items that are on sale for the week. If something is not on sale and you don’t really need it, then don’t buy it.
  4. Create a Grocery Shopping List. Going to the store blind and hungry can lead to the unneccessary picking up of items you don’t need.
  5. Utilize the Coupon Database. Look up all the items you are planning on purchasing and print the corresponding coupons. Go to Coupon Database.
  6. Don’t be Brand Loyal. If you are willing to use whatever brand is cheapest then you have great opportunities to see huge savings. If you must be brand loyal then make sure you stock up when that brand goes on sale.