Are Costco TVs on clearance?

A new TV is a major investment, one that can easily run into the thousands of dollars if you buy a large OLED or want to future-proof your multimedia experience by opting for 8 K resolution. Given their price, the last thing you want is to splurge on your dream TV and end up with crushing buyer’s remorse when it goes on sale a few weeks after you bought it. Given how volatile the TV market is and how often manufacturers and retailers offer dramatically discounted prices, this type of sales FOMO is a legitimate concern. Probably, shopping at a good price is how you became a Costco member.

Costco tends to offer competitive prices on new electronics, especially TVs. Still, you may have heard of the legendary clearance sale where certain models can be had at increasingly deeper discounts. The truth is that these sales do exist, even if they’re rare, and they may not offer the enticing savings you expect.

The reality is that you can find clearance TVs at Costco if you know what to look for and have access to the right tools. First, it’s important to note the difference between a sale and a liquidation. Sales often take place on TVs during Black Friday, the Super Bowl, and other major events. Liquidation sales differ from regular sales because they depend on inventory levels, popularity, and the manager’s discretion. This means that a TV on sale in one location may be listed at full retail price in another location. You can recognize a Costco clearance item by special in-store signage and prices ending in “0.97”.

A good time to look for clearance sales is when the newest models in a series start rolling out. If the OLED you’ve been eyeing for a year or two is replaced by a new iteration of the same series, there’s a good chance Costco will give any remaining inventory the lower clearance price. Another good opportunity is when display models are moved upstairs for sale. They still have the same warranty coverage and protection plans as standard models, including the generous policy that leads to many TV returns, but can often be had for a fraction of the price. If you’re interested in a specific TV, ask a manager when a display model might go on sale.

There are websites dedicated to finding bargains at retailers, such as Costco. 97 is a useful tool for Costco shoppers. The site is a user-driven price tracker for Costco sales, which is essential because, as mentioned above, clearance prices are often available at only one store. When users spot a clearance item in the wild, they can submit the price to the site so it appears to other local users. Costco. 97 also allows users to comment on existing deal posts to confirm they’re still available (or share them when they’re sold out). The site is not affiliated with Costco, but it does offer a weekly newsletter. However, its usefulness can be hit-or-miss because it includes deals from around the country rather than ones specific to your area.

Price trackers can also help compare a sale price to MSRP or previous sale prices if you’re unsure. Glass It offers a Costco-specific tracker that lets you monitor individual items. You might also consider a tool like Price Lasso, which we’ve previously recommended for tracking tech deals at Costco, because it lets you filter for a specific item and receive price drop alerts from multiple retailers, including Costco.