If you love fashion, there’s nothing like finding designer styles at Ross Dress for Less. The off-price retailer is full of incredible finds, from discounted brand-name clothing to affordable home goods and so much more. Plus, every item is heavily discounted from its original prices (sometimes up to 60% off).
While you’re sure to score deals anytime you shop at Ross, there are so many extra ways to save. In addition to their January clearance sale, the retailer also offers great deals every day — but you have to hunt for them.
To save you all that time and effort, I’ve gone ahead and done the dirty work for you. That way, you can grab the best deals and spend even less money. Whether you’re looking for Ross furniture, clothes, kitchen items, or anything in between, these tips will help you save the most money.
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1. Buy brand-name clothing at Ross for up to 60% off.
If you’ve ever shopped at Ross stores before, you already know they host some of the best deals you’ll find on designer or brand-name goods. Every time you go to the store, you can expect to find discounts ranging from 40% to 60%, no matter when you shop.
Wait — is Ross a thrift store?
Nope. Ross isn’t a thrift store. Thrift stores sell secondhand goods (meaning stuff that’s already been used or worn). But you won’t find any used items when you’re shopping at Ross. The inventory at Ross is made up of merchandise that they’ve purchased at a deep discount from suppliers or retailers who made too much or have excess inventory.
2. Shop at Ross stores on Mondays (that’s when markdowns happen).
The secret to shopping at Ross for less? Head to the store on Mondays. This is when they do weekly markdowns, meaning you’ll have first dibs on newly added clearance items. Plus, new merchandise only ships to stores during the work week, so by the weekend, the best stuff is long gone.
3. Ask a store associate for the weekly markdown list.
Every Sunday, Ross store managers receive the weekly markdown list from headquarters. Markdowns for each department can vary from one week to another, but they are generally the same nationwide. Most departments are marked down about once per month.
To find out when Ross marks down each department, ask an associate the next time you’re at the store. Naturally, the best time to ask is on Mondays so you can get the first look at fresh discounts.
4. If you’re at least 55 years old, shop on Tuesdays for the Ross senior discount.
If you’re age 55 or older, the Ross senior discount can give you up to 10% off on Tuesdays. This is what they call their “Every Tuesday Club,” and it’s available at all store locations. To score this deal, you’ll need to sign up in-store and show a valid ID with your age displayed on it. Then you can save 10% every Tuesday!
Related: We put together the ultimate list of senior discounts (that prove getting older is awesome).
5. If something you bought gets marked down within 30 days, you can return it and buy it for less.
If you notice something you bought is marked down at a cheaper price, you can return the item you bought and buy the marked-down one. To do this, be sure to make your return within 30 days of your purchase (per the Ross return policy). From there, just buy the cheaper item to save some extra cash.
6. Look for “Irregular” price tags to save more money.
If you ever see an item with a tag that says “Irregular,” you’ve found a great deal. The irregular price tag means the item didn’t meet the original manufacturer’s strict guidelines. So the item was shipped to Ross instead.
Irregular price tags also mean you’re saving a ton on the original price. These items aren’t usually damaged or defective in any way, so don’t be scared off by the word “Irregular.”
7. Buy items for just $0.49 during the Ross clearance sale in January.
FYI, Ross has a huge clearance sale in January, where at some locations you can score items for less than $0.50 (SERIOUSLY)!
Since January marks the end of the year for Ross stores, this is when they discount tons of products to make room for new inventory. The exact dates of the sale will vary by location; some markdowns happen right after Christmas, while others take place in mid-to-late January.
I’ve seen $0.49 items on Polo, Crayola, graphic tees, and toys. So the Ross January Clearance Sale is definitely worth checking out.
Related: I can teach you how to shop the Dollar General penny list and find things for $0.01.
8. The best times to shop at Ross are in January and July.
To score the absolute best deals, I suggest doing your Ross shopping in January and July. At the end of January, you’ll find tons of deeply discounted merchandise (especially on holiday decor). On the other hand, if you shop in late July, you’ll see discounts on summer items like bathing suits, seasonal home decor, and kitchen items.
9. You can score giveaways on their Facebook page.
The Ross Facebook page is a great place to score free gift cards and find out about giveaways. I suggest checking out the page once a week to see if you can enter any giveaways. I will say that they don’t do this very often, but it is a fun perk if you win.
For example, at the beginning of December 2022, they picked 20 people to win a $100 Ross gift card if you voted on a favorite outfit they shared.
10. Sign up for Ross emails to stay in the loop on upcoming sales.
It’s very rare for Ross to run a legit sale event (since everything is on sale every day). But once in a blue moon, you might be able to find even better discounts than usual. The best way to find out about these is to sign-up for Ross email alerts. You’ll get updates on in-store events, new merchandise alerts, and (hopefully) some special sale prices.
11. You can try to negotiate the price of a damaged item.
If you find something that’s damaged or stained, try negotiating the price with the cashier. You can’t always get things for cheaper, but there’s a pretty good chance they’ll knock a few bucks off the price tag.
12. Handbags, shoes, sunglasses, hair care, and fragrances have the biggest discounts.
You’ll pay less than the original price for all items at Ross, but some items get you more savings than others. These products include handbags, shoes, sunglasses, hair products, and fragrances. Keep an eye out for these items to get the biggest bang for your buck.
13. You can place up to six items on hold each day.
If you find items at Ross that you’re not totally sure about yet, you can put up to six items on hold each day. You’ll have until the store’s closing to come back and purchase the items on hold. The only restriction to this policy is that they won’t hold clearance items for you, so you’ll have to make a game-time decision for those.
14. You have 30 days to return items to Ross for a full refund.
The Ross return policy is pretty standard. You have 30 days to return an item you bought to get a full refund. If you take it back after 30 days, you’ll only get the current selling price. To make sure you get your money back, be sure to return something before the 30 days is up and keep the original tags attached.
Ross will let you return something without a receipt, but only once. After that, you’ll only get store credit for returns.
15. If you see something you love, buy it ASAP (or you’ll lose your shot).
If you find a must-have item at Ross, be sure to buy it that day. They have a super quick inventory turnover, meaning you might never see it again if you don’t buy it then and there.
16. Ross stores in cities have better discounts than stores in suburban areas.
Ross store locations in cities have the best discounts. This is because city stores are often bigger than suburban locations, so they have more inventory to get off the shelves on a regular basis. If you know of a Ross store in a city close by, it may be worth the trip for even better deals.
17. Use the Amazon or eBay app to pull up the current selling price of any item while you shop.
If you find an item at Ross but aren’t sure you’re getting a good deal, check to see how much it costs at other stores. To do this, use either the Amazon app or the eBay app to compare the prices of an item. This way, you’ll know if you’re getting a discount or if there’s an even lower price elsewhere.
18. You can buy discounted Ross gift cards online.
Sometimes, when people get gift cards that they don’t want, they’ll list them for sale on gift card exchange sites. This is where shoppers can buy them at a discount. These sites often have Ross gift cards, so be sure to check here for cheap gift cards before you head to Ross. (Check out sites like Raise, CardBear, or Gift Card Granny for discounted gift cards).
For example, in December 2022 you could get a 15.6% discount on Ross gift cards from CardBear.
19. Ross tags will show you how much money you’re saving.
Ross has two tags on each item: the original tag with the original price and the Ross tag with the discounted price. So let’s say you want to buy a Nike shirt. You’ll be able to see the original tag and how much others have paid for it. You can then compare this to the discounted price on the Ross tag to see how much you’re saving.
Given that most Ross prices are about half the comparable value price, many of the best deals in the store don’t actually list a “comparable value.”
20. Ross online shopping doesn’t exist (yet) …
If you’re a dedicated online shopper, you should know that Ross online shopping isn’t a thing, at least not at the moment. They cycle through inventory so quickly that it’d almost be impossible to keep the Ross online site up to date. You might want to check out these other online clothing stores that offer similar markdowns.
Related: Use these 13 tips for better Marshalls online shopping.
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