Labor Day weekend is about to deliver some of the strongest grill markdowns of the year. Many shoppers heading out that weekend are far more focused on groceries and essentials than outdoor cooking equipment, even as grills get cleared off retail floors at steep discounts. Few shoppers have a grill on their list, which means the ones who do are walking into favorable buying conditions.
Grills and smokers tend to occupy prime retail floor space through the summer months, and much of that inventory needs to move before stores rotate into fall and holiday merchandise. The seasonal turnover typically creates favorable clearance conditions around Labor Day, particularly for leftover and discontinued models, though timing and selection vary by retailer and region. Floor models, surplus stock and discontinued inventory become more likely to see markdowns once the holiday passes, and shoppers willing to be flexible on color, configuration or model year find the deepest cuts.
Of the 73% of consumers who plan to shop Labor Day sales this year, 42% said they are prioritizing groceries and essentials. Clothing and footwear came in at 26%, seasonal clearance of summer items at 26% and health and wellness products at 21%. Grills came in at just 15%, and outdoor furniture and patio items sit even lower at 13%. The categories drawing the steepest retailer markdowns are the same ones attracting the fewest shoppers.
September buyers are not storing grills for spring
The old logic behind end-of-summer grill clearance followed a familiar cultural script. Grilling started around Memorial Day, peaked on the Fourth of July and wound down by Labor Day. Buying a grill in September meant buying something you would cover and forget until the following May. Retail pricing calendars followed that assumption, and they still do. But the people most likely to take advantage of the September window are the same people who stopped following that calendar a long time ago.
A recent nationwide survey of avid outdoor cooks found that half of respondents cook with BBQ flavors multiple times a week. More than 80% do so at least monthly. And more than half rely on a dedicated smoker. Many of those cooks are investing in fully equipped outdoor setups that go well beyond a basic gas grill, adding pellet grills, vertical smokers, flat tops and even pizza ovens to their backyard lineups. Nearly 80% customize their cooks with multiple rubs, sauces and seasoning combinations, with smoke-forward profiles like hickory and mesquite ranking highest among survey respondents.
For this group, a grill bought in September won’t go into storage. College football is already underway, and the NFL regular season is just days away. In much of the country, cooler evenings make long hours tending a smoker more comfortable, and the backyard becomes a better place to cook as the summer heat fades.
Many pellet grills and kamado-style cookers can hold steady temperatures in cooler conditions, though wind and extreme cold affect performance. Year-round outdoor cooking has taken hold among dedicated pitmasters, and a September purchase for this crowd is one for next weekend.
The markdown window works for beginners, too
Experienced outdoor cooks are not the only ones who benefit from the September window. A recent survey found that 84% would grill more often if they had more opportunities, but nearly half admitted that grilling still feels intimidating. Six in 10 said they have defaulted to hot dogs and hamburgers for guests because they were too nervous to cook other meats properly. Four in 10 have dropped food through the grates, and a quarter have run out of propane mid-cook.
These are people who have been thinking about grilling but haven’t committed to the equipment. The September markdown window lowers the cost of entry for a first real grill, and it takes some of the financial sting out of experimenting. A clearance-priced gas grill or a discounted entry-level pellet smoker is an easier first step than a full-price purchase in May, especially for someone still figuring out whether outdoor cooking will become a regular part of their routine.
The calendar works in grill buyers’ favor
Retailers still treat late summer as a major clearance period for outdoor cooking equipment, even as dedicated outdoor cooks use grills and smokers well beyond summer. That disconnect between when grills get discounted and when committed outdoor cooks actually use them creates favorable conditions for anyone shopping with intention rather than impulse. The people walking past the grill aisle this Labor Day are not the ones who will be smoking brisket in October.
The next few weeks are when the calendar and the budget line up for anyone weighing an upgrade or thinking about a first real smoker. The grill aisle will be quiet, and that is exactly why it is worth visiting.
Jennifer Allen is a retired professional chef and long-time writer. Her work appears in dozens of publications, including MSN, Yahoo, The Washington Post and The Seattle Times. These days, she’s busy in the kitchen developing recipes and traveling the world, and you can find all her best creations at Cook What You Love.