Labor Day weekend is one of the best times of the year to buy a grill. Retailers are clearing floor space for fall and holiday merchandise, which means outdoor cooking equipment gets marked down hard and fast. The grill aisle is about to get very quiet, and that is exactly when it pays to show up.
The clearance window opens because grills, smokers and patio furniture take up a lot of floor space through the summer. Once Labor Day passes, that space needs to turn over. Floor models, surplus stock and discontinued inventory are the first to see markdowns, and shoppers willing to be flexible on color, model year or configuration tend to find the deepest cuts.
September Buyers Aren’t Storing Grills for Spring
Of the 73% of consumers who plan to shop Labor Day sales this year, only 15% have a grill on their list. Most are heading straight for groceries and essentials. The categories getting the steepest retailer markdowns are the same ones drawing the least shopper interest.
That gap is good news for anyone actually looking for a grill. And a lot of people are already using theirs year-round. A recent nationwide survey of avid outdoor cooks found half of respondents cook with BBQ flavors multiple times a week. More than 80% do so at least monthly, and more than half own a dedicated smoker. College football is already underway, the NFL regular season kicks off September 9, and for this crowd a September grill purchase is one for next weekend, not next May.
The Markdown Window Works for Beginners Too
Not everyone heading to the grill aisle is a pitmaster. A recent survey of 5,000 Americans found 84% would grill more often if they had more opportunities, but nearly half said grilling still feels intimidating. Six in 10 have defaulted to hot dogs and hamburgers because they were too nervous to cook other proteins. Four in 10 have dropped food through the grates, and a quarter have run out of propane mid-cook.
For that group, the September clearance window is actually a low-pressure entry point. A clearance-priced gas grill or a discounted entry-level pellet smoker costs less than the same purchase in May, which makes it an easier first step for anyone still figuring out if outdoor cooking is their thing.
The Calendar Works in Grill Buyers’ Favor
Retailers still treat late summer as the major clearance period for outdoor cooking gear, even as more Americans fire up their grills well past Labor Day. The gap between the retail calendar and how people actually cook works in the buyer’s favor.
The next few weeks are when the deals and the selection overlap. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading or buying your first real smoker, this is the window. The grill aisle will be quiet. Walk right in.