Do You Understand the Optimal Times for Purchasing Travel Equipment? The Date on the Calendar Can Significantly Impact Your Wallet
Certainly, you can obtain high-quality travel equipment and renowned outdoor apparel for your adventures. The trick lies in acquiring it at the right moments, not just two days prior to your getaway.
I observe numerous individuals journeying with unreliable suitcases, bulky coats that fail to protect against the weather, and outfits that aren’t suitable for traveling with merely a carry-on. (If your carry-on is so heavy that you struggle to lift it into the overhead compartment alone, you’ve overpacked. Adjust your packing to avoid causing delays during boarding.)
Many of these travelers, if placed in REI or MEC during peak travel season, might exclaim, “These prices are too steep for me.” The reality is, you needn’t pay retail prices if you exercise patience and understand when to shop.
You don’t need to settle for such pricing to acquire decent travel equipment, backpacks, and clothing. You merely need to purchase these items during periods of low demand, when shoppers hold the advantage. This moment happens to be as I compose this — late September. Summer getaways have wrapped up, back-to-school shopping has concluded, and the weather will soon begin to cool down across much of the USA and Canada. It’s currently clearance season in retail.
This isn’t the sole opportunity for fantastic savings, however. There are multiple periods recognized as the top times to purchase travel gear. Whenever stores need to clear out the previous items to introduce new stock, significant discounts are prevalent.
Brands such as Columbia, Patagonia, and North Face release new styles at least biannually, and if you acquire the previous styles as these new ones debut, you can uncover remarkable deals. Have a look at this report on one of my preferred travel apparel brands and obtain a discount at their site: Craghoppers.
These discounts are appealing, yet not infrequent. You can uncover similar offers from many other travel clothing brands if you search for “sale” or “clearance” in their navigation, particularly during transitional seasons.
Here’s a link from the sale section at Backcountry.com. You can snag fantastic gear that’s simply last year’s shade (and possibly a few grams heavier) for a third of the original price. Or if you’re heading somewhere warm while the retailer is experiencing cold, capitalize on that!
So What Are the Optimal Times to Purchase Travel Equipment?
If you’re after the latest and trendiest times to buy travel gear, it’s when the new 800-page edition of Vogue is released in spring and fall. You’ll have access to the newest and most fashionable in “this year’s trendy shades.”
That’s also when the discounts begin to appear to eliminate current inventory. Click on these links for examples of sales occurring as I write this, as we transition into fall, shifting from warm weather gear to autumn and winter items. If you read this later, and the link redirects you to a homepage, look for a tab labeled “Outlet,” “Bargain Bin,” or “Sale.”
Explore the deals at REI
Check out the clearance section at Backcountry.com
The second major turnover occurs in the spring when jackets are slashed to rock-bottom prices to sell them and bikinis make their debut in stores. Logically, this should commence around May, yet it truly starts gearing up as early as February — peak ski season. If a winter item isn’t performing well, they’ll recognize it by that point, and discounts intensify as the spring thaw approaches.
By late March and April, both physical and online outlets will be unloading base layers, goggles, and beanies for the cost of a six-pack of craft beer.
There are also smaller key moments where deals appear abundantly, typically coinciding with shopping holidays. Labor Day triggers sales due to timing, as do Thanksgiving, Father’s Day, or President’s Day.
Purchasing Travel Apparel Direct Can Be Surprisingly Affordable
In addition to the online stores I mentioned earlier, note that many brands operate their own shops and some are quick to discount slow-selling items. This doesn’t indicate there’s anything wrong with them. Generally, it just means a new style or color is replacing the previous ones. These travel clothing brands follow a similar cycle as fashion brands and face comparable pressures to introduce new offerings each season.
Simply asserting, “Our travel shirt is incredibly popular so we’re not making any changes” doesn’t suffice for most brands, particularly if they belong to a large corporate group. To secure new orders, they must present buyers a new iteration. This might not make immediate sense, but it’s the reality. (This is