Best Time to Buy a Grill: Clearance Timing and Holiday Sales (2026)

The best time to buy a grill is late August through October, when clearance discounts reach up to 40-75% at major retailers. This guide covers every major sale event from Memorial Day to Black Friday, plus retailer-specific timing and coupon stacking strategies.

The right time to buy a grill can cut hundreds of dollars off the price. Shop in March and you’ll pay full retail. Buy the exact same model in September and you might walk out with 40% off. This guide tracks the full calendar of grill sale events, retailer clearance patterns, and a few angles most buying guides completely miss.

Our team monitors deals across thousands of stores year-round, and the pattern for grills is more predictable than most seasonal categories. Those price swings are real, and the timing windows are tighter than you’d expect.

Quick Answer: The Best Time to Buy a Grill

Late summer through early fall is the single best window for the deepest grill discounts. We’re talking August through October. Retailers clear seasonal inventory hard during this stretch, and you can expect 30-50% off major brands by Labor Day. A secondary window runs from Black Friday through January for whatever is still sitting on shelves.

The worst time to buy is March through June. Demand is at its peak, new models have just hit store floors, and retailers have zero motivation to cut prices. You’re competing with everyone who waited out the winter.

Here’s a quick reference:

Holiday Sale Events: When Each One Actually Delivers

Not all holiday grill sales are equal. Memorial Day gets most of the press, but it’s one of the weaker windows for real discounts. The events that deliver the most savings come after the season ends, when retailers need floor space back fast.

The US BBQ Grill Market was valued at USD 3.35 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 4.81 billion by 2030, growing at a 6.27% CAGR. That’s a lot of grills to sell, which is exactly why clearance windows get aggressive when demand drops off.

Memorial Day Grill Sales (Late May)

Memorial Day is primarily a bundle event, not a price-cut event. Retailers package the grill with a cover, a tool set, or a propane tank and call it a deal. The grill itself usually sees a modest 20-25% discount at big-box stores. Walmart portable and charcoal models can hit 40-50% off. That’s a real discount. But gas grills and pellet smokers at this point are still considered new spring inventory, so discounts are shallow.

Best for: buyers who need a grill before the summer kicks off and don’t want to wait.

Father’s Day Grill Deals (June)

Here’s something most buying guides skip entirely: Father’s Day is a major grill gifting occasion and retailers know it. Home Depot and Lowe’s often run Father’s Day-specific promotions with bundle offers on mid-range gas grills and accessories. The pricing can actually be better than Memorial Day on specific models, because retailers are motivated to move through gift-season inventory.

What most guides miss is that Father’s Day falls right when new spring models have been on shelves for a few weeks, so some prior-model stock starts getting nudged lower. Not clearance territory, but better than May.

Post-4th of July Clearance (July-August)

After Independence Day, demand drops noticeably, and that’s when real markdowns begin. Expect 10-20% off current models at retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s. For discontinued models and display units, it can go 20-50% off. This is the first window where the discounting feels substantial rather than cosmetic.

Watch for Home Depot and Lowe’s to start rotating their floor displays toward fall merchandise. When the grills start getting pushed to the back of the outdoor section, clearance pricing is close behind.

Labor Day Grill Sales (September)

Labor Day weekend is the official opening bell for major grill clearance season. Popular Mechanics found up to 40% off Weber, Traeger, and Nexgrill during Labor Day 2025, and that tracks with what we see across the stores we monitor. Both in-store and online deals are strong here. Online often has better model selection by this point since physical floor space is limited.

One thing to plan for: a grill you buy in September is going on the porch until next spring. If storage space is tight, factor that in.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Grill Deals (November)

Black Friday can rival Labor Day for specific categories. Business Insider tracked up to 30% off Traeger, Blackstone, and Weber models on Black Friday 2025. Cyber Monday tends to be stronger for online-native brands like Traeger’s smart grill lineup. Selection is thinner than Labor Day (the best floor models are long gone), but if you missed the fall window, Black Friday is your second-best shot.

Amazon Prime Day Grill Deals (July)

Amazon Prime Day (typically mid-July) doesn’t get enough credit as a grill deal event. Weber and Traeger regularly discount their top models by hundreds of dollars, and other retailers like Walmart and Target run competing sales the same week. It’s one of the few times before the official clearance season when premium pellet smokers and smart grills see real price cuts. If you have your eye on a specific connected grill model, Prime Day is often the best in-season price you’ll find.

The Sweet Spot: Late Summer to Fall (August-October)

August through October is the sweet spot. You get solid selection before the best models sell out, and discounts that keep deepening as the weeks pass. Consumer Reports points to this as the primary savings period for grills. Retailers at both ends of the market go hard on clearance to free up floor space before the holiday season.

The strategy here is to show up on Labor Day for the widest selection and watch through October as prices fall further. Even premium brands like Weber see markdowns as last year’s models phase out. Floor models start appearing in late September, which brings a separate negotiation opportunity (more on that below).

Winter Clearance: November Through January

After Black Friday, the remaining grill inventory moves into deep clearance at physical stores. Brick-and-mortar retailers are desperate to clear floor space before spring merchandise arrives. You’ll find the fewest model options during this window, but you’ll see aggressive discounts on whatever remains.

Good for flexible shoppers who care more about the price than a specific brand or color. Less ideal if you need a particular model or size.

Retailer-by-Retailer: When Each Store Runs Its Best Grill Sales

Every major retailer operates on a slightly different clearance schedule, and the discount depth varies a lot by where you shop. Knowing which store to target in which month is half the battle.

Home Depot Grill Sales

Home Depot runs its biggest grill events during Spring Black Friday (March-April), the 4th of July weekend, and its September clearance push. The 4th of July deals are often better than Memorial Day. The holiday falls later in the season, when Home Depot is already thinking about moving summer stock. Final clearance can reach 60% off.

The insider tip worth knowing: yellow clearance price tags ending in .03 signal final markdown at Home Depot. That price won’t go lower. It’s a “buy now or it’s gone” signal. You can check current Home Depot coupons at DontPayFull to stack an additional discount on top of those clearance prices.

Lowe’s Grill Sales

Lowe’s runs SpringFest in March-April and hits its most aggressive clearance around Labor Day. End-of-season discounts on Char-Broil and Pit Boss brands can reach 75% off. That’s about as steep as grill discounts get anywhere.

Like Home Depot, Lowe’s runs competing events during major holiday weekends. Checking both stores on the same day during Labor Day or 4th of July weekend is worth the extra 15 minutes. Lowe’s coupon codes can often be applied on top of sale pricing.

Walmart and Costco Grill Deals

Walmart’s strongest timing for grills is around Memorial Day and the weeks leading up to July 4th. Charcoal grills start under $30, and Blackstone griddle models regularly see meaningful discounts. You can check current Walmart promo codes to stack an extra discount on top. Good for budget buyers.

Costco works differently. The best time to buy is February-March when new inventory arrives. Weber Genesis models often come in below MSRP. Costco doesn’t run traditional holiday sales, so the calendar matters less than the price tag itself. A tag ending in .97 means manager markdown. That item won’t be restocked once it sells. That’s your signal.

Weber and Traeger Direct Sales

Weber rarely offers deep discounts directly on its own site. The March “Thaw Out” event runs around 20% off, and Labor Day and Black Friday can push up to 40% off. Weber’s newsletter signup typically comes with a 10% welcome code, and the ID.me verification for military and first responders unlocks 10-15% off. Not huge, but it stacks with sales.

Traeger and Pit Boss pellet grills hit their best prices on Black Friday. Flagship models can drop by hundreds of dollars. Buying direct versus a big-box retailer usually means the same price. But direct purchases sometimes include extras like covers or starter pellets that don’t come with the retail version.

Floor Models and Open-Box Grills: A Hidden Savings Strategy

Floor models are assembled, displayed grills that have sat on the showroom floor all season. Retailers typically discount them 10-20% off the already-clearance price when they reset for spring. The best window to ask is late September. Store managers want those units gone before the new planogram rolls out.

The key word is “ask.” Store staff have real motivation to move those units. Negotiate. Check for cosmetic scratches and missing hardware, test the burners, and confirm the manufacturer warranty still applies. It usually does.

Open-box units from Amazon or Best Buy can be a solid source of savings with the added protection of return windows. They’re worth checking if you don’t need to physically inspect the unit before buying.

When NOT to Buy a Grill

March through June is the worst time to shop for a grill. Demand is highest. New models just arrived. Retailers have zero pressure to cut prices. The tricky part: the volume of grill “deals” listed in May and June is actually high. Most are bundle offers that look like discounts but aren’t real price cuts on the grill itself.

The one exception: if you need a grill right now for a specific event, Memorial Day bundle offers are the best you’ll get during peak season. Patience can save real money, buying in October versus April on the same model could mean a difference of $150-300 on a mid-range gas grill.

How to Stack Savings: Coupons, Cashback, and Clearance Timing

Here’s the angle most seasonal timing guides leave out: you don’t have to choose between a coupon and a sale. The two stack.

Tracking deals across thousands of stores, a pattern keeps showing up with seasonal purchases like grills: shoppers grab the clearance price and stop there. But active promo codes for Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, and Amazon often work on top of sale pricing. Stack a clearance discount with a valid store coupon code, and you’ve got compound savings.

The math gets interesting in September. A grill marked down 40% from MSRP, with a 10% promo code applied, and then routed through a cashback portal, can end up 50%+ off original retail. That’s not a theoretical scenario. From the deals we’ve verified this season, the late August through September window is when clearance pricing AND active coupon codes are simultaneously available.

For tracking specific models over time, DontPayFull price alerts let you set a target price on a specific Weber or Traeger model and get notified when it drops. That saves the manual work of checking multiple retailer pages repeatedly.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do grills go on sale?

Grills go on sale in waves throughout the year. The biggest waves are Memorial Day (late May), the 4th of July weekend, Labor Day (September), and Black Friday. The deepest discounts happen in the late summer to fall window from August through October, when retailers clear seasonal inventory before transitioning to holiday merchandise.

Are grills cheaper after Labor Day?

Yes. Labor Day marks the start of the most aggressive grill clearance season. Popular Mechanics tracked up to 40% off Weber, Traeger, and Nexgrill during the Labor Day sales period, and discounts can deepen further through October as remaining inventory gets marked down again.

Do grills go on sale for Memorial Day?

They do, but the savings are more modest than the marketing suggests. Big-box stores typically offer 20-25% off gas grills and 40-50% off portable models. Most of what’s called a “Memorial Day deal” is a bundle (grill plus accessories) rather than a true price cut on the grill itself.

When do Weber grills go on sale?

Weber’s best sale windows are the March “Thaw Out” event (roughly 20% off), Labor Day (up to 40% off), and Black Friday (up to 40% off). Weber’s newsletter signup typically includes a 10% welcome code. Military and first responder discounts via ID.me verification run 10-15% off and can stack with seasonal sales.

Are grills cheaper in the winter?

Yes, especially at physical stores. The period from November through January sees deep clearance on remaining inventory as retailers make room for spring merchandise. The tradeoff is selection: the best models and color options sell out during the Labor Day and Black Friday windows, so winter clearance is best for shoppers who are flexible on model and brand.

When do pellet grills go on sale?

Pellet grills see their best discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when online-native brands like Traeger run some of their deepest annual promotions. Amazon Prime Day (mid-July) is also a strong window specifically for pellet and smart grill models. Labor Day brings solid in-store deals on pellet grills too.

Do grills go on sale after the 4th of July?

The post-4th of July window (roughly mid-July through mid-August) is when real clearance starts. Expect 10-20% off current models and 20-50% off display units and discontinued models. This period leads into the Labor Day sales push, so if you spot a deal in late July, it’s worth taking before the best floor models sell out.

Sources

1. Yahoo Finance/ResearchAndMarkets.com: US BBQ Grill Market Report: US outdoor grill market size and growth projections (2024-2030)
2. Popular Mechanics: Labor Day Grill Sales 2025: Documented discount depths of up to 40% off on major brands during Labor Day
3. Consumer Reports: Best Grill Deals and Sales: Seasonal grill purchasing guidance and clearance timing
4. Business Insider: Black Friday Grill Deals 2025: Up to 30% off Traeger, Blackstone, Weber during Black Friday 2025
5. CNET: Last Chance July 4th Grill Deals: Post-July 4th clearance timing and pricing for major grill retailers

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