Memorial Day sales have already started, giving shoppers nearly two weeks to hunt for discounts before the May 26 holiday. Major retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot are competing with aggressive markdowns across patio furniture, athletic apparel, kitchen appliances, grills, mattresses, and outdoor decor, with some categories hitting 50% off.
Key Takeaways
- Memorial Day sales are live now across major retailers with discounts up to 50% off select categories.
- Early shopping gives consumers extended time to find deals on patio furniture, grills, mattresses, and athletic wear before May 26.
- Top deals include Walmart grills under $100, Amazon YETI coolers from $17 (up to 20% off), and Nectar mattresses starting at $349.
- Helix mattresses offer 27% sitewide discount with code TOMS27, while Best Buy TVs start at $69.
- Athletic apparel deals include Amazon Adidas from $6 and Carhartt from $14.
Where to Find the Best Memorial Day sales Deals Right Now
Memorial Day sales span multiple retailers, each competing with category-specific discounts. Amazon is offering up to 50% off major brands including Blink, Traeger, Adidas, and Garmin. Walmart’s patio and garden event matches that discount level, with grills available under $100 and decor starting at just $1. Best Buy has positioned itself as a destination for electronics, with TVs priced from $69 and appliances from $149.
Home Depot rounds out the major retailers with up to 50% off across outdoor and home categories. For mattress shoppers specifically, Helix is running a sitewide promotion with 27% off using code TOMS27, while Nectar mattresses start at $349 for the base model and $799 for the Nectar Premier Hybrid. These early launches mean consumers can comparison shop across platforms without waiting until the final weekend.
Standout Deals Across Key Product Categories
Outdoor entertaining is the focal point of Memorial Day sales, with grill and cooler deals driving significant traffic. Walmart’s sub-$100 grill selection appeals to budget-conscious buyers looking to upgrade for summer barbecues, while YETI coolers and tumblers on Amazon start at $17 with up to 20% off—a discount level rarely available on that brand. Athletic footwear and apparel are equally competitive: Amazon Adidas pieces drop to $6, and Carhartt apparel starts at $14.
Mattress sales represent another pillar of Memorial Day promotions. Beyond Helix and Nectar, competing brands like Saatva, Avocado, and DreamCloud are running simultaneous promotions, creating genuine choice for consumers deciding between firm, hybrid, and memory foam constructions. Retailers are framing these sales as the year’s last chance to secure major discounts on sleep products before summer price increases, though early timing suggests inventory-clearing rather than scarcity-driven urgency.
How Early Memorial Day sales Compare to Past Years
Tom’s Guide has covered Memorial Day sales for 18 years, providing perspective on deal patterns. Helix’s 2024 Memorial Day sale offered 30% off Luxe and Elite mattresses, launching on May 14—the same timing as this year’s early push. The consistency of early-bird promotions suggests retailers have standardized their approach: launch discounts two weeks before the holiday to extend the shopping window and capture deal-hunting traffic earlier in the week when site traffic is lower.
The breadth of categories this year—spanning patio furniture, appliances, athletic wear, mattresses, and electronics—indicates retailers are competing across multiple customer segments simultaneously. Rather than concentrating discounts in a single category, 2026 Memorial Day sales distribute promotions broadly, forcing consumers to choose which category offers the best value for their specific needs.
Should You Shop Memorial Day sales Now or Wait?
Shopping early offers advantages and trade-offs. Early purchasers secure inventory before popular sizes or colors sell out, particularly relevant for patio furniture and athletic apparel where selection matters. Waiting until May 26 risks missing out on limited stock, though most retailers maintain pricing through the official holiday. For high-ticket items like mattresses and TVs, the difference between early and late-holiday pricing is typically minimal—retailers lock in discount percentages rather than adjusting them closer to Memorial Day.
The deciding factor is product availability. Patio furniture and grills sell fastest as consumers prepare for summer entertaining, making early shopping logical for those categories. Mattresses and appliances move more slowly, so waiting a week or two poses minimal risk of missing better pricing.
Are Memorial Day sales prices the lowest of the year?
Memorial Day sales are among the year’s largest discount events, but not universally the lowest. Black Friday and Cyber Monday typically offer deeper percentage discounts on electronics, while mattress sales run throughout the year with comparable or occasionally better pricing. Memorial Day’s advantage is breadth—simultaneous sales across furniture, appliances, athletic wear, and outdoor gear create a rare shopping opportunity where multiple categories align. For outdoor entertaining specifically, Memorial Day sales are the primary annual event.
What categories have the best Memorial Day sales deals?
Patio furniture, grills, and outdoor decor dominate Memorial Day sales because they align with seasonal entertaining. Mattresses rank second in deal depth, with sitewide discounts of 25-30% common across major brands. Athletic apparel and footwear round out the top tier, driven by athletic brands’ annual promotional calendar. Electronics and appliances participate but with less aggressive discounting than seasonal categories.
Early Memorial Day sales are live now across major retailers, giving consumers an extended window to compare discounts and make purchasing decisions before May 26. Whether shopping for summer entertaining, upgrading sleep quality, or refreshing athletic gear, the current promotional landscape offers genuine value across multiple categories. The key is identifying which category matters most to your household and acting before inventory constraints narrow selection.
Where to Buy
Asics' running shoe sale at Amazon with up to 47% off | Amazon is taking up to 50% off lawn care, patio furniture and tools | up to 30% off grills from Weber, Traeger, Ninja and more | flash deals from $2 | deals from $9 @ Amazon
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: Tom's Guide
