Hi friends. I shared this post back in 2016 and had request to share it again so here it is.  If you’re looking for great deals on clothing and home decor, you’ll definitely want to shop the Dillard’s sale.  And before you head out to shop, read my tips so you can shop it like a pro!

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THE PROS & CONS

If you haven’t ever attended the sales at Dillard’s, let me give you an overview.  Dillard’s only has a couple of sales throughout the year and their New Year’s Day sale is the biggest and baddest (in a good way).  On New Year’s Day only, all of their marked downed items are and additional 50% off.  That might not seem like a big deal but considering that most of the store in marked down this sale is awesome.

I first learned about this sale a few years ago and was amazed at the deals. I was able to score–designer handbags, boots, winter clothing, holiday tabletop and more, all at fantastic savings.

THE PROS:  Major savings on in-season items, designer styles, seasonal items and linens.  The sale also gives you the perfect opportunity to begin shopping for Christmas next year.

THE CONS:  This is where is gets crazy.  The store will be mobbed so expect a crowd, some shoving and lots of grabbing.  Specific ares of the store (handbags and shoes) even have police officers stationed in them to help control the mass of people.

SHOP THE DILLARD’S SALE LIKE A PRO:

♦  Get to the store early!!!  Call your local store today and find out what time they open and then plan to be at the store at least 30 minutes before they open.  If there’s a specific section of the store you want to shop, go to the door nearest that section.

If you want to shop handbags, I recommend you arrive at the store 1 hour before it opens.  Store in Atlanta opened at 9:00 am and the line outside the handbag dept. starting forming at 7:30 am.

♦  Wear a cross-body bag or back pack so your hands are free.  You don’t want to be carrying a handbag when your arms will be filled with items to purchase.

♦  Dress comfortably and think about wearing your running shoes because there just might be some running involved.  I’m kinda kidding but not really.  You will see people running to the handbag department so if handbags are your thing, you’ll want run, not walk.  And if you plan on buying shoes, wear a pair you can slip in and out of easily so you can try on shoes in a flash.

♦  Shop and sort later.  This is one sale where you won’t have time in most departments to look and linger.  When you see something you’re interested in, pick it up and put it in your stash and then head to a quiet corner or dressing room and take time to look through everything and sort out what you want or don’t.

The local store I shop at had large cardboard tubs available for shoppers to put items in as they shopped. This made it easy to grab the items and then look through them in more detail before you checked out.

 Here’s my recommendation for what departments to shop first:

 #1   Handbags–pick up everything you like and use the shop and sort method I outlined above.  Don’t be surprised to see women with 5, 10 or even 20 bags in their clutches in their hands.  And there will be guys shopping for handbags too.  Most of them are looking for designer labels to sell of Ebay.

#2  Shoes–many of the shoes that are marked down are in boxes so you will be picking through piles to find your style and size.  There will be sales people on hand but they won’t be much help.

FYI–because of rowdy crowds, my local Dillard’s changed the set-up for the shoe department.  The area was roped off and only a certain number of shoppers were allowed in at any given time.  Once you were give access to the shoe department, you found the shoe you wanted and took it to a sale associate to get  your size.    Shoes were no longer set out in boxes.

# 3  Seasonal departments–look for holiday dinnerware and linens along with ornaments and holiday decor.  And don’t forget to think about gift giving–hostess gifts, teachers gifts, girlfriend gifts etc.

# 4  Clothing–naturally the women’s and kid’s departments will be much for busy than the men’s so if you’re shopping for him you can do that after you shop for yourself. Don’t be surprised if you see women trying things on right there on the sales floor. Dressing rooms are hard to come by during the sale.

# 5  Jewelry–you’ll find some great deals in the jewelry department but there is usually lots of product on hand so you’ll find something you love even if this is one of the last areas you shop.

# 6 Linens and housewares–January is actually the best time to buy linens and housewares so don’t kill yourself shopping these areas since you’ll find great deals throughout the month.

My final tip for shopping the sale like a pro–take your husband along so he can  make drop-off runs to the car while you continue to shop.  Promise him a lunch date at his favorite restaurant and he’ll be in for the win.

Good luck and happy shopping!