When Does Big Lots Patio Furniture Go On Sale: Timing Guide

Big Lots patio furniture goes on sale most aggressively in three windows: late May through early June (Memorial Day), early July (Fourth of July), and late August through September (end-of-season clearance). The clearance window in August and September is when prices drop the deepest, sometimes 40–60% off original tags, because stores need to clear floor space for fall merchandise. If you can wait until late summer, that is the best moment to buy. If you need furniture before the season starts, the Memorial Day sale, which ran May 24 through June 6 in 2026, is the next best window.

The Big Lots patio sale calendar, month by month

Big Lots follows a predictable seasonal rhythm for patio furniture. Knowing roughly when each promotional window opens lets you decide whether to buy now or wait for a better price.

Spring arrivals (March through April)

New patio inventory lands on the sales floor starting in late February and early March. These are full-price or lightly promoted pieces. You might see a 10–15% opening promo tied to a store-wide coupon, but the sets themselves are at their highest prices of the year. If you want the widest selection of colors and styles, this is the time to shop. If you want the lowest price, keep walking.

Memorial Day (late May through early June)

This is the biggest promotional event of the patio season at Big Lots. The 2026 Memorial Day ad ran from May 24 through June 6 and covered category-wide patio discounts with coupon eligibility on qualifying sets. A 7-piece patio dining set appeared in the May 2026 circular at $499.99, and promotional emails pushed stacking language that let shoppers apply percentage-off coupons on top of sale prices. This sale overlaps with Memorial Day events at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart, which makes it an excellent price-comparison window. You can check what a comparable set costs across all four retailers in the same week.

Fourth of July (late June through mid-July)

Big Lots typically runs a secondary patio promotion around Independence Day. Discounts are real but usually not quite as deep as Memorial Day. Think category coupons, bundle deals, and accessory promotions (cushions, umbrellas, outdoor rugs) more than steep markdowns on complete sets. This window is worth checking if you missed Memorial Day and still want something before peak summer.

Labor Day and late-summer clearance (August through September)

This is the window I personally look forward to most. Stores start clearing patio floor space in August, and by Labor Day weekend (the first Monday of September), clearance racks and clearance sections are fully stocked with remaining patio inventory. Discounts of 40–60% are common and well-documented in shopper communities and on video. The trade-off is selection: popular styles and colors sell out fast, and you are shopping from what is left. If you are flexible on color or willing to mix and match, you can furnish a full patio for a fraction of the spring price.

Presidents' Day (February)

Big Lots occasionally runs Presidents' Day promotions that include furniture broadly, and sometimes patio pieces that carried over from the prior season. Do not count on this one specifically for patio, but if you spot leftover inventory from the previous year in early spring, it can be discounted significantly.

Black Friday (late November)

Big Lots promotes Black Friday aggressively but focuses on indoor furniture, appliances, and toys during that event. Patio furniture is mostly gone from the sales floor by late November. You might find a few clearance stragglers online, but Black Friday is not a reliable window for patio purchases at Big Lots.

How Big Lots clearance actually works

Big Lots follows a staged markdown approach for seasonal merchandise like patio furniture. blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Big Lots corporate filing / investor materials (Big Lots PDF) describe the company’s seasonal merchandising and in‑store display plus boxed-stock assortment strategy that creates spring 'opening prices' and deeper clearance later in the season. The first round of clearance pricing usually appears in late July or early August when new fall merchandise starts arriving. Items get an initial clearance tag, often 20–30% off the original retail price. If they do not sell quickly, a manager markdown pushes the discount deeper, sometimes hitting 40, 50, or 60% off. In-store clearance sections, often near the back or side walls of the store, are where these pieces end up. The trick is that clearance pricing varies by store based on local inventory levels, so a set that is 30% off at one location might be 50% off at a store 10 miles away.

Clearance items at Big Lots are generally sold as-is and may be floor models, open boxes, or damaged packaging. Always inspect before you buy. Check that all hardware is present, that cushion fabric is intact, and that frame welds or connections are not cracked. A heavily discounted set with a bent frame or missing bolts is not a deal.

What Big Lots actually sells in patio furniture

Big Lots carries a solid range of outdoor furniture for a close-out and discount retailer. If you're wondering whether Big Lots sells patio furniture, they do, regularly offering dining sets, conversation sets, loungers, and accessories both in-store and online does Big Lots sell patio furniture. In a typical spring season you will find complete dining sets (usually 5-piece and 7-piece options), conversation sets and sectionals, chaise lounges, bistro tables, folding chairs, and storage solutions like deck boxes. On the accessories side, expect patio umbrellas and umbrella stands, replacement cushions, outdoor rugs, string lights, and side tables. Online inventory is generally broader than what any single store carries.

Price tiers at Big Lots tend to fall into two zones. Entry-level pieces (folding chairs, small bistro sets, individual loungers) run from roughly $30 to $150. Mid-range sets (conversation sets, 5-piece dining sets) run from $200 to $600. The 7-piece dining set featured in the May 2026 circular was priced at $499.99, which is competitive for the format. You are not getting Restoration Hardware quality, but for a budget-to-mid-range buyer, the value is real. Materials are typically powder-coated steel or aluminum frames with olefin or polyester cushion fabric, and resin or tempered glass table tops.

Shopping Big Lots: online vs. in-store and how to check stock

Big Lots operates a full omnichannel setup. Big Lots documents a vendor routing and compliance program, including ship‑from‑store and ship‑to‑store logistics, which supports expedited delivery and fulfillment for bulky items like patio furniture Big Lots Vendor Routing & Compliance Guide (Big Lots PDF). You can buy online and pick up in-store (BOPIS), use curbside pickup, order same-day delivery through Instacart, or use ship-to-store. For patio furniture, which is bulky and expensive to ship, in-store pickup is usually the smartest option. Shipping charges for large items can be significant, and per Big Lots coupon terms, delivery fees and their 'BIG Delivery' service charges are excluded from promotional coupons. That means the discount you see in the ad might not apply to the delivery fee.

To check local store stock, go to the Big Lots website or app, add a patio item to your cart or view the product page, and use the 'Check store availability' feature. Local inventory can differ dramatically from what the national website shows. I have seen items listed as available online that were completely sold out within 20 miles of my location, and vice versa. If a clearance deal matters to you, call the store directly or plan to visit in person, because online stock data for large seasonal items is not always real-time accurate.

Practical tactics to find the best prices

• Sign up for BIG Rewards and the Big Lots email list. Patio-specific coupons (such as 20% off $100+ on patio) are sent directly to subscribers and are not always posted publicly.
• Download the Big Lots app. App-exclusive deals and early-access sale notifications show up there first. You can also scan in-store barcodes to see if an item has a digital coupon attached.
• Check the weekly ad every Thursday when it resets. The Big Lots site and app both post the new circular, and patio furniture appears heavily in spring and early-summer ads.
• Visit stores in person during August and September for clearance scouting. Clearance pricing varies by location, and the best deals are found by walking the floor, not browsing online.
• Ask a store associate when the next markdown cycle is. Manager markdowns on clearance items happen on a regular schedule (often weekly), and an associate can tell you if an item is already at its final price or likely to drop further.
• Use the Big Lots app to scan clearance tags in-store. Sometimes a tag still shows the original price, but the system has already applied an additional discount that only appears at the register or when scanned.

Stacking coupons and discounts at Big Lots

Big Lots has one of the more stackable discount structures among budget retailers if you know how it works. Here is what I have confirmed from actual promotional email terms and archived ad language.

• BIG Rewards coupons can be combined with many promotional coupons. The percentage-off discount is applied first, and then accumulated rewards dollars are applied after. This is explicitly stated in BIG Rewards promotional emails.
• Online orders allow up to two promo codes per transaction, per the coupon terms. In stores, typically one coupon applies per transaction.
• Big Lots does NOT accept manufacturer coupons. Do not waste time searching for those.
• Delivery fees and BIG Delivery charges are excluded from coupon discounts. To maximize stacking, choose in-store pickup instead of delivery.
• Some patio-category coupons are sent only to BIG Rewards members. If you are not enrolled, you are likely missing targeted offers.
• Credit card rewards can stack on top of Big Lots promotions. Using a cash-back card during a sale or clearance event is an easy additional layer of savings.
• Weekly ad sale prices are separate from coupon events. When the weekly ad and a BIG Rewards coupon overlap, that is your best combined-discount moment.

Logistics, delivery, and what to know before you buy

For large patio sets, in-store pickup is almost always the better financial choice over delivery. Big Lots offers Progressive Leasing (lease-to-own) through stores and online for larger furniture purchases if you want to spread payments. Return policies for large outdoor furniture items can be limited, especially on clearance or as-is pieces, so ask before you buy. Many clearance floor models are final sale. If you are buying boxed items, open the box in the parking lot or at least check the seal and count hardware bags before leaving the store. Assembly is usually required and can range from 30 minutes to a couple of hours for a full dining set.

How Big Lots compares to other retailers on patio sale timing

Big Lots is not the only option, and knowing how competitors time their patio sales helps you decide whether to wait for a Big Lots clearance or shop elsewhere for better quality or selection. For timing at other retailers, see when does Walmart patio furniture go on sale for Walmart's typical promotional windows. Retailers like Sam's Club, Costco, Home Depot, Walmart, and Lowe's all run their own patio promotion windows, some of which overlap directly with Big Lots events. For specifics on Sam's Club timing and promotions, see our guide on when does Sam's Club patio furniture go on sale.

The honest comparison: Big Lots wins on entry-level price points and clearance depth, but if you want a set that lasts more than a couple of seasons, Home Depot, Lowe's, or Costco will generally give you better materials and more reliable customer support. If you want details on when Lowe's puts patio furniture on sale, see our guide on when does Lowe's put patio furniture on sale for Lowe's seasonal timing and clearance patterns. Sam's Club warehouse pricing is competitive for members buying mid-to-large sets. Walmart sits between Big Lots and the home-improvement stores in both price and quality. There is no single best store for everyone. It depends on your budget, how long you expect the furniture to last, and how much you value selection versus price.

When to buy vs. when to wait: a simple timeline

1. March to April: Browse for style and selection. Buy only if a specific piece you love is in stock and you cannot risk it selling out. Prices are at their peak.
2. Late May (Memorial Day week): Good time to buy if you need the furniture now and want a promotional discount plus coupon stacking. Compare Big Lots prices with Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart in the same week.
3. Early July: Secondary sale window. Reasonable for accessories (cushions, umbrellas) more than full sets.
4. August to early September: Best time to buy if selection does not matter as much as price. Clearance discounts can reach 40–60%. Visit stores in person to assess what is available and inspect condition.
5. Labor Day weekend: Final big clearance push. After this, most remaining inventory either goes to storage or is liquidated. Shop early in the weekend for the best remaining pieces.
6. October onward: Patio furniture is largely gone from Big Lots stores. Online may have overstocked items at clearance prices, but selection is minimal.