Aaron Bostrom | 

How to Save at Dillard's

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dillards
When it comes to upscale department stores, I typically do a lot of window shopping, but not a lot of actual buying. However, that’s definitely not the case with Dillard’s! Although they’re considered an upscale store that carries designer brands such as Coach, Betsey Johnson and Michael Kors, there are always bargains to be found. In fact, I rarely come out of Dillard’s empty handed! If you’re planning on hitting your nearby Dillard’s in the near future, check out these six ways to get even more for your money.

Sign up for a Dillard’s card

If you and the associates at your local Dillard’s are on a first name basis, it might be time to consider signing up for a Dillard’s credit card. Dillard’s offers two credit card options—the Dillard’s Card and the Dillard’s Elite Card. Both cards reward you with 2 points for every dollar spent at Dillard’s, which can be redeemed for a $10 reward card or a 10% off shopping pass for every 1,500 points. However, the Dillard’s Elite Card—which is issued by American Express—can be used anywhere Amex is accepted and garners even more points. With the Elite card, shoppers will also earn 2 points on gas and groceries and 1 point on everything else. The Elite card also offers free shipping on Dillards.com and free gift wrap in stores. If that’s not enough to get you interested, the Elite Card offers one additional and pretty spectacular reward. Cardholders who reach $5,000 in annual purchases will receive their choice of a travel, golf, or spa getaway! Now that’s worth shopping for!

Shop price reductions

As an avid deal-hunter, the markdown section is always the first place I look when I’m shopping. Fortunately, Dillard’s makes their markdowns, both online and in-stores, easy to shop! Online, markdowns are easy to navigate, as they’re listed as “price reductions” directly from the homepage. From there, you can choose to shop by category, and Dillard’s even lists the number of items in each department. In stores, markdowns are clearly marked and placed in each department. Although markdown schedules can vary, Dillard’s typically takes new reductions the first Monday and Tuesday of each month, making the first few days of the month the best time to shop.

Trade-in

I’ve always wished that I could gather up the old handbags collecting dust in the corner of my closet and exchange them for fabulous, brand-new bags. At Dillard’s, you can! Every year, Dillard’s offers a watch and handbag trade-in event where shoppers are able to not only get a discount on a new bag or watch, but help people in need at the same time. Simply bring in a clean, used handbag or watch and receive a discount of $15 to $50 on a new watch or bag purchase of $50 or more! The event happens twice a year—spring and fall—and all of the used handbags go to a local charity. A discount on a new bag for yourself while giving one to a woman in need…you really can’t beat that kind of shopping!

Follow on Facebook

Although I try to follow all of the stores that I love on Facebook, there are some that I pay more attention to than others, and Dillard’s is definitely one! The Dillard’s Facebook page is a great way to find the latest deals as they often post current promos, sales and gift-with-purchase offers. In the past, they’ve used Facebook to alert shoppers to deals such as 40% off all clearance merchandise, one-day-only sales and gift events for Lilly Pulitzer, Clinique, Misook and more. They also use Facebook to let customers know when cardholders receive bonus points and post dates for the trade-in event, as well as hold contests and show off new arrivals!

Get gifts

Everyone loves getting gifts, so what better time to shop than when they’re giving them away! When it comes to both clothing and beauty products, Dillard’s is one of the best places to shop because of their frequent gift-with-purchase events. Although the dates for these events vary depending on the brand, there are typically gift-with-purchase events nearly every month at Dillard’s! Although you may be tempted to purchase that new lipstick right now, waiting for these events can be well worth it, as they often feature as many as nine goodies—for free! In fact, previous gifts with purchase have included seven-piece sets from Estee Lauder, nine-piece sets from Clinique and 6-piece sets—featuring their amazing scented lip glosses—from Philosophy. These events usually require a minimum purchase of $25-$45, but the gifts are often worth as much as $120! Gift-with-purchase events in the clothing department have included Misook and Lilly Pulitzer; the gifts range from gift cards to handbags and more.

Shop clearance centers

If you’re fortunate enough to live near one of Dillard’s 19 clearance centers, consider yourself lucky! These centers don’t receive any “full-line” merchandise and instead take in all of the unsold clearance merchandise from Dillard’s stores around the country. Once these items arrive at a Dillard’s clearance center, they’re sold at significant discounts. In fact, I’ve managed to score clothing, shoes and home items for as much as 90% off at these locations! Some of my favorite finds have been Donald J. Pliner shoes for $12.00 and BCBG handbags for $14.00. In fact, I’ve even spotted cashmere sweaters for under $25! The merchandise at the clearance centers will vary from location to location, and these stores are constantly receiving new shipments from Dillard’s stores, so it’s worth checking back often! But beware, most of the Dillard’s clearance centers are quite large, and you could easily spend an entire afternoon sifting through racks—be sure to wear your walking shoes!

 

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