MW Memorial Day may be your last chance to get a deal on these products before tariff shortages and price hikes hit

By Nicole Lyn Pesce

Tariff fears, and warnings from retailers like Nike and Walmart about price increases, are changing the rules on what to buy over Memorial Day weekend

Read this before clicking "add to cart" this weekend.

The first of the year's major shopping events kicks off with Memorial Day, and 36% of Americans plan to shop the sales this weekend, according to WalletHub, double the 18% reported last year. But while conventional wisdom has long recommended buying into mattress deals around now - and saving the rest of your wish list for Black Friday in November - the threat of tariff-fueled price increases, combined with ongoing economic uncertainty and supply-chain concerns, has changed the rules.

"More people are now asking that question of 'what to buy, what not to buy' because of tariffs," Stephanie Carls, a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot, told MarketWatch. This has led to "precision shopping," she said, with more people trying to time their purchases to seasonal sales promos to buy something at the best price and the best time - and before the full impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs hits.

Related: Food prices are rising, except for these Memorial Day barbecue staples

All global imports to the U.S. face a new 10% tariff, while Chinese imports are temporarily 30%, down from 145% previously. The Trump administration has struck a more optimistic tone on its trade strategy, asserting that the U.S. will have trade deals in place this summer, and saying retailers won't have to raise prices. "I would expect that prices in America will be unaffected," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently said.

"What we're seeing is that shoppers are hoping to get ahead of those price increases," said Clair Tassin, a retail and ecommerce analyst at Morning Consult, who cited the uptick in retail sales in March attributed to people frontloading purchases ahead of tariffs. "It does make sense to start thinking about what to buy now, versus taking a wait-and-see approach."

Related: Is the stock market closed on Memorial Day? Are banks and the post office open?

So ahead of this Memorial Day weekend, MarketWatch spoke with several retail and consumer experts about how tariff and supply-chain fears are moving up the recommended shopping timeline for some products. Here's a breakdown of what to buy now - and what can probably still wait.

What to buy now during Memorial Day sales

Summer clothes

These include sundresses, swimsuits, shorts, sandals and other seasonal apparel. "This goes against what we normally say - that you get the best prices on clothes at the end of a season," said Carls. "Now is a great time to grab those things."

That's because companies including Walmart $(WMT)$ and Nike $(NKE)$ have warned that they are probably raising prices soon. Marshal Cohen, the chief retail advisor at Circana, said his company's consumer research has shown that people are pulling back their apparel spending right now. But they might actually want to consider taking advantage of discounts on summer clothes. "If it's seasonal, or something you need in the near term, grab it - because prices are going to go up," he said.

Plus, he noted, apparel and affordable footwear are still heavily sourced out of China. "Those are some of the things I would be most concerned about for price increases and product availability" later this year, he said.

Toys

Here's where shoppers - especially parents worrying about fulfilling their kids' holiday wish lists come December - are going to be making speculative bets. While better discounts and deals will probably show up between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as Adobe noted last fall, you run the risk of prices still being higher than what they are now - or worse, of a "must-have" or "it" toy selling out or becoming hard to find due to inventory issues as shipping-container traffic between China and the U.S. has plummeted. Already, many shoppers came up empty-handed trying to preorder Nintendo's Switch 2 console this spring.

"There will be a toy shortage" this year, Cohen said, noting a lot of toys - about 80%, by some estimates - are made in China. Mattel $(MAT)$ has already warned it plans to raise prices. "There could potentially be a disruption in supply, so a hot toy or something that your kid really wants - now is the time to buy it before scarcity of product kicks in and prices go even higher," Cohen said.

He also predicted that "Santa is going to be substituting a lot of stuff on his list."

Carls, the RetailMeNot expert, agreed. "Traditionally, the case would be you might see some toy deals, but wait," she said. "Now, you should definitely keep your eyes open. Even if it's not going to be a gift until December, start looking."

Mattresses, furniture and appliances

One thing that hasn't changed is that "Memorial Day is basically the Super Bowl for home deals," said Carls. "If it lives in your house or plugs into a wall, it's probably marked down right now."

"Memorial Day is always a good day for things like mattresses, large appliances, refrigerators, washers and dryers," agreed Chip Lupo, a writer and analyst for WalletHub. "Waiting might see [you run up against] limited inventory, because anything that's currently in stock now is free of tariffs. But once stuff starts getting imported, that's when tariffs are going to kick in."

And mattresses and furniture "are categories that could definitely be impacted by tariffs," noted Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate.

Patio furniture and grilling equipment

Outdoor home goods, including patio furniture and barbecue grills, are also a good deal right now. "This is also going to be where to look out for crossover promotions with Father's Day," which is also right around the corner, Carls said.

"If you need summer specialty items - patio furniture, barbecue grills - then you probably want to buy now," added Lupo.

What can still wait for Prime Day, Labor Day or Black Friday

Televisions

Carls recommends waiting until Black Friday to buy a new TV - or, at the earliest, Amazon's $(AMZN)$ Prime Day, which usually hits in mid-July. "There are going to be tech sales this weekend, especially on TVs and sound systems, and you are going to see some great offerings," Carls said. You might see even better ones in another month or so, though. "Prime Day is still going to be one of the best times of the year to shop tech, along with back-to-school sales," she added.

"Waiting until Labor Day or after, heading into Black Friday - that's when you'll get the best deals on TVs, electronics, laptops," agreed Lupo.

Laptops

Similarly, Prime Day in July and back-to-school shopping and Labor Day sales in late August are likely to offer even better deals on laptops, computers and related accessories just as students are looking to stock up.

If you need to replace a dead or dying computer right now, and you have the money for it, then there are still deals to be had this weekend. "But if you can wait for back-to-school [sales], I would wait," Carls said. "Or hold off until Black Friday."

Smart-home tech, headphones and other gadgets

Speakers, headphones, earbuds, fitness trackers and other small electronics and gadgets can also sit in your shopping cart or wishlist until later in the summer. "Prime Day is your best bet in small electronics, Amazon devices, smart-home gear, headphones and small appliances, as well as an excellent opportunity for gadgets and impulse buys," said Lupo from WalletHub.

Avoid panic buying. Opt for 'precision' buying.

Not everyone can afford to get a seven-month head start on their holiday shopping, or jump on big-ticket purchases right now without breaking their budgets or piling on more debt. And buyers should beware of falling into a panic-shopping or stockpiling frenzy as seen in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I wouldn't just come out and buy a whole bunch of stuff this weekend just because you think it might be pricier in the future. That can get you in trouble with credit-card debt and overspending," said Rossman at Bankrate. "But if you really do need a new car or mattress or refrigerator in the coming weeks, then maybe it does make sense to buy it now before the tariff impacts get worse."

The mantra shoppers should keep in mind, according to Carls: "This isn't panic. It's precision." In other words, make a list of what you really need or have been in the market for, and hold off buying until you see a great deal.

"Will the deals be good on Black Friday? It's too early and too uncertain to tell what is going to happen with inventory, or what retailers are going to do. It's going to be wild," said Carls. "But retailers know that they have your attention. We're probably going to see even more sales."

Read on: Thanks to cheap gas, Americans may travel in record numbers for Memorial Day - and hit pause on other economic worries

-Nicole Lyn Pesce

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May 23, 2025 06:00 ET (10:00 GMT)

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