Best Time to Buy Patio Furniture 2020: Month-by-Month Guide

The best time to buy patio furniture is late summer through early fall, specifically August through October, when end-of-season clearance markdowns routinely hit 40% to 70% off. If selection matters more than price, aim for March through early May when new inventory is fresh and full sets are still available. In 2020 specifically, COVID-related factory shutdowns and ocean freight chaos scrambled the usual schedule, spring arrivals were delayed, clearance windows shifted, and some stores never fully restocked. So if you shopped in 2020 and came away frustrated, that was not a normal year.

How 2020 changed the usual playbook

In a typical year, the buying calendar below holds pretty reliably. But 2020 broke the cycle in two ways. First, factory closures in Asia during the spring pushed many spring assortments weeks or even months late. A CEPR analysis, “The causal effects and policy implications of global supply chain disruptions, CEPR (analysis of COVID-era port/container impacts and timing),” documents that 2020 COVID-19 factory shutdowns and subsequent ocean freight and container dislocations produced uneven arrival timings and container-equipment shortages that delayed spring assortments and constrained allocations for import-reliant categories such as furniture The causal effects and policy implications of global supply chain disruptions — CEPR (analysis of COVID-era port/container impacts and timing). Second, container shortages and port congestion meant some retailers had limited inventory right when demand peaked. Wayfair noted the strain on its supply chain publicly during its Q2 2020 earnings call, and it showed, popular sets sold out, restocks never materialized, and clearance timing was compressed or skipped entirely at some retailers. By 2021 through 2022 the situation actually worsened before it improved. If you are shopping now, the good news is supply chains have largely normalized. The same core timing strategy, buy early for selection, buy late for price, is back to being reliable advice.

Month-by-month buying calendar

Here is how I think about every month of the year when it comes to outdoor furniture. The goal is matching your priority (selection vs. savings) to the right window.

Holiday sales and clearance windows worth planning around

Not all sale events are created equal. These are the windows I actually put on my calendar every year.

Memorial Day (late May)

This is the single biggest patio furniture sale event of the year. Home Depot, Wayfair, Walmart, Costco, and Target all run promotions. Discounts of 20% to 49% on select sets are well-documented in retail coverage. The big advantage here is that inventory is still strong, you can actually find complete matching sets and get a deal. This is the window I recommend to most people, because it threads the needle between price and selection better than any other time of year.

Fourth of July (early July)

Solid promotional event, though less universal than Memorial Day. Retailers that still have strong inventory after Memorial Day tend to push harder on 4th of July discounts to clear space. Good for sets that did not sell out in May. Expect 20% to 40% off in competitive categories.

Labor Day (early September)

This is where the clearance story really starts. Labor Day sits right at the start of end-of-season markdown cycles, so you get a promotional event layered on top of clearance pricing. That combination can push discounts to 40%–60% or more at retailers actively clearing inventory. The catch is selection: the good stuff is picked over by now. If you want a complete dining set, you may find only partial sets or scattered pieces. Individual chairs, chaise lounges, and single accent pieces are often the best finds here.

Presidents Day (mid-February)

An underrated window. Some retailers use Presidents Day to kick off their spring lineup early, and a few run promotions on carryover inventory from the prior year. You will not find the widest selection, but if you catch a retailer moving out old stock to make room for new arrivals, the savings can be meaningful, sometimes 30% to 50% on prior-season styles.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (late November)

Patio furniture has become a legitimate Black Friday category online, even though brick-and-mortar stores have almost no floor inventory left by then. Wayfair, Amazon, and Overstock (now Bed Bath and Beyond) typically run outdoor furniture deals as part of their broader home sales. These are often on next-year inventory or warehouse overstock, so styles may be limited. Still worth checking if you are flexible on style and buying for a future season.

End-of-season clearance (August through October)

This is not a single event, it is a rolling window that is honestly more valuable than any individual holiday sale. Retailers including Home Depot, Lowe's, Big Lots, and Target progressively mark down remaining seasonal stock starting in August. The deepest prices (think 50%–70% off) tend to show up in late September and October, but by then you are shopping whatever is left. My approach: check weekly starting in mid-August, move fast when you find something in your preferred style, and do not wait for an even better deal that may not come.

When new inventory arrives and how new lines roll out

Most major retailers receive their first patio shipments in February and March, with floor sets assembled and online listings activated between March and May. If you’re asking when does patio furniture come out, most retailers start stocking lines in February–March, with peak availability from late March through mid-May. The very best selection, including matching collections with all the pieces in stock, is typically available from late March through mid-May. After Memorial Day, reorders on popular SKUs become unpredictable, if something sells out, it may not come back that season. New styles and designer collections at specialty retailers like Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel also tend to debut in March and April, aligned with their spring catalogs.

Warehouse clubs like Costco operate on a slightly different model. Seasonal patio furniture arrives in waves from March through June, is sold in limited allocations, and when it is gone, it is often gone for good. Costco frequently retires specific models after a single season, so if you are eyeing a Costco set, waiting for a restock the following spring is a gamble. For online marketplaces like Amazon, price-tracking tools such as Keepa and CamelCamelCamel confirm the pattern clearly: prices spike in spring as demand rises, then come down in late summer and again around major sale events.

Store-by-store timing and tactics: Costco

Costco brings in patio furniture as part of its seasonal merchandise cycle, typically starting in March and running through June. Sets tend to be grouped into a handful of curated options, you will not find 40 different collections, but the ones they carry are usually well-priced for the quality. The key thing to know: once a set sells out, restocks are rare and an identical model rarely returns the following year.

Clearance at Costco happens in August and September, when seasonal items get marked down to move before the holiday merchandise takes over floor space. Those clearance prices can be genuinely exceptional. I have seen complete 5-piece conversation sets hit 40%–50% off during Costco's seasonal clearance. One practical advantage at Costco: they have a famously liberal return policy on most merchandise, which takes some of the risk out of buying a big-ticket furniture set you have not been able to fully test in your space.

• Shop in March–April for best selection at Costco — popular sets sell out by June
• Check Costco.com in addition to the warehouse floor; some online exclusives differ from in-store inventory
• Sign up for restock notification services or use tools like PageCrawl to catch restocked SKUs
• August–September Costco clearance is worth a weekly check if you missed the spring window
• Costco's return policy significantly reduces risk on large furniture purchases

Store-by-store timing and tactics: Walmart

Walmart runs a wide range of outdoor furniture across price points, from entry-level resin sets under $200 to mid-range metal and wicker collections. Spring floor sets arrive in March, with online inventory expanding significantly through April. Walmart runs dedicated patio promotions around Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day just like the other major chains.

One tactic that works particularly well at Walmart is using BrickSeek, an inventory checker that accesses SKU-level data for Walmart stores. You can use it to find clearance-priced patio furniture at nearby locations that might not be prominently advertised. Walmart store managers have some discretion on markdown timing, and clearance prices on patio furniture can vary significantly from store to store even within the same city. This means a quick BrickSeek check before driving anywhere can save you a wasted trip or, better yet, reveal a deal at a location you would not have otherwise visited.

• New spring inventory appears on Walmart.com in March, often before it hits stores
• Use BrickSeek to find store-level clearance prices that are not reflected on the main Walmart website
• Walmart's online patio selection is broader than what most stores carry in-store
• Check for free store pickup options when buying online to avoid shipping fees on large sets
• Labor Day weekend tends to be Walmart's most aggressive patio clearance push

Store-by-store timing and tactics: Home Depot

Home Depot is one of the most reliable places to shop patio furniture across the full seasonal cycle. Their outdoor living section starts expanding in late February or early March, floor sets are assembled and fully stocked by April, and they run promotions on every major holiday weekend through Labor Day. Their Memorial Day patio sale is consistently one of the broadest in the market, covering furniture, grills, and outdoor accessories.

The Home Depot's price match policy and the ability to negotiate on floor models (especially at the end of the season when stores want to reclaim floor space) are genuinely useful. Ask about display model discounts in August and September, an assembled floor model with minor wear can be a smart buy at 30% or more off retail. Like Walmart, BrickSeek supports Home Depot SKU lookups, so you can check local store-level inventory and clearance pricing before you go.

• Home Depot's Memorial Day patio sale typically offers the broadest in-store and online selection combined with real discounts
• Spring Pro and contractor weekends occasionally include outdoor furniture in the deal mix
• Ask about display model pricing in August — stores are motivated to clear floor space
• Home Depot's website lets you check in-store availability by zip code, which saves time when hunting clearance
• BrickSeek works for Home Depot SKUs and can surface clearance prices before they show up prominently online

Store-by-store timing and tactics: Big Lots and discount chains

Big Lots is one of the most underrated spots for patio furniture deals, especially if you are not locked into a specific brand or style. They carry a rotating mix of overstock and closeout merchandise, which means the selection is less predictable than Home Depot or Walmart but the prices are often lower. New outdoor furniture typically hits Big Lots stores in March and April, with quantities that are genuinely limited compared to big-box competitors.

The clearance story at Big Lots is aggressive. They move fast on seasonal merchandise, and end-of-season markdowns can hit 50%–70% off on remaining sets. Big Lots also runs periodic storewide discount events (usually tied to Big Rewards members) that stack on top of clearance prices. BrickSeek supports Big Lots inventory lookups, which matters here more than at most chains because their inventory is store-specific and inconsistent, a great set at one location may simply not exist at another.

Other discount chains worth mentioning: Tuesday Morning (where it still operates), Ollie's Bargain Outlet, and HomeGoods/HomeSense all periodically carry patio furniture at below-market prices. These are opportunistic rather than planned purchases, you cannot rely on finding a specific style, but if you are flexible, these channels can deliver serious value. Check frequently during April through June when they tend to receive seasonal overstock from other retailers.

• Join Big Lots Rewards before shopping — member discounts can stack with clearance prices
• Use BrickSeek to check Big Lots store inventory by SKU; stock varies significantly by location
• Big Lots clearance in August–September can reach 50%–70% off — worth checking weekly
• Ollie's and HomeGoods are worth a visit in spring if you are flexible on style
• Big Lots' online inventory is often different from what is in stores, so check both

Sets vs. individual pieces: timing is not the same

If you need a complete matching patio set, spring is non-negotiable for selection. By August, you might find two chairs from a dining set with no table, or a sofa frame with the cushions already sold separately. Matching collections fragment as the season progresses. Shop March through May if you need a coordinated look.

For individual pieces, the math is different. A single Adirondack chair, a replacement umbrella, or a set of outdoor throw pillows can be found at clearance prices well into October. Cushions and fabric accessories in particular get deeply discounted late in the season because retailers need to move them before they take up winter storage space. I have picked up replacement cushion sets for 60%–70% off in late September at Home Depot and Target. If you just need to refresh an existing setup rather than buy something new, waiting pays off.

Shopping used and secondhand: timing matters here too

Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist follow the same seasonal rhythm as retail, with a twist. Spring brings the highest prices on used patio furniture as buyers flood the market. Fall and winter bring the best prices because sellers want to get rid of things before cold weather arrives and storage becomes a problem. If you are open to secondhand, September through November is the window to watch, you will find the most motivated sellers and the deepest discounts on gently used sets, sometimes at 50%–80% below original retail. There is also a small group of resellers who deliberately buy retail clearance in the fall and flip it in the spring, so you occasionally see near-new items with original tags on Facebook Marketplace in March or April at inflated prices. Do not let that catch you off guard, check original retail prices before making any secondhand offers.

Practical buying checklist before you pull the trigger

Timing is only part of the equation. Here are the things I check before buying any patio set, regardless of the time of year.

1. Measure your space: note the exact dimensions of your patio or deck, including clearance needed for chair pull-out around tables
2. Check material durability for your climate: aluminum and teak handle moisture and UV well; wrought iron is heavy and durable but can rust if the coating chips; resin wicker is low-maintenance but can fade in intense sun
3. Confirm cushion inclusion: many sets are priced without cushions, which can add $100–$400 to the real cost
4. Check shipping and assembly requirements: large sets can have significant delivery fees online, and some sets require substantial assembly time
5. Look up the warranty: most mid-range outdoor furniture carries a 1- to 3-year limited warranty; premium brands often cover 5+ years on frames
6. For in-store purchases, ask about floor model discounts: assembled display pieces at the end of season are fair game for negotiation
7. For Costco and warehouse clubs, note the return window and policy before buying — this is especially valuable for large-ticket purchases
8. If buying online, check the seller's return policy on large items specifically — some marketplace sellers have restocking fees or refuse returns on assembled furniture
9. Use price-tracking tools (Keepa for Amazon, BrickSeek for Walmart/Home Depot/Target) to verify you are actually getting a deal and not a manufactured markdown

How 2023 differed from the usual pattern

By 2023, ocean freight rates had dropped significantly from the 2021–2022 peaks and port wait times improved, which helped normalize spring inventory arrivals. However, inflation kept retail prices elevated compared to pre-2020 levels, and many retailers shifted away from broad deep-discount promotions toward more targeted sales tied to loyalty programs and email lists. The headline Memorial Day percentages looked similar to prior years, but the base prices were higher, so the real-dollar savings were sometimes thinner than the promotional messaging suggested. The seasonal timing calendar stayed broadly intact in 2023, but savvy shoppers who compared prices to prior-year baselines (rather than the inflated asking price) got better deals. Price-tracking tools became more valuable precisely because of this dynamic. For a deeper look, see our guide on best time to buy patio furniture 2023.

Quick comparison: buy early vs. buy late

My honest recommendation: if you have flexibility, the September Labor Day window is the best single moment to buy patio furniture at the lowest price. For a deeper guide on timing and the best windows to shop, see our article on when to buy patio furniture. If you have a specific set in mind or need everything to match, buy in April or early May and take advantage of Memorial Day promotions. That trade-off between selection and savings is the core of every patio furniture buying decision, in 2020 or any other year.