Costco doesn't advertise most of its deepest discounts.
They sit on the shelf, marked with a price tag that tells a story if you know how to read it.
The trick is a quiet pricing code that longtime shoppers swear by.
Any item ending in .97 has been marked down by the warehouse — often at a steep discount — because it's a discontinued or seasonal product the store wants gone.
A price ending in .00 or .88 usually signals a manager's special or a final clearance.
Regular inventory almost always ends in .99.
That means the real savings aren't in the coupon book or the monthly member email.
They're scattered across the aisles, and they change constantly.
Here's where those markdowns tend to show up first.
Seasonal gear is a goldmine right now — patio furniture, grills, and summer apparel get slashed as the weather turns.
You'll also find deep cuts on holiday-adjacent items like baking supplies, candles, and gift sets once the calendar flips.
When a new model of a TV or laptop lands, the previous version often drops to a .97 tag within weeks.
The catch: stock is limited, and once it's gone, it's usually gone for good.
Timing matters more than most people realize.
Costco typically rolls out a fresh wave of markdowns on Mondays, and the best stuff moves within days.
If you spot a .97 tag on something you actually need, waiting is a gamble.
A star in the top-right corner of a price sign means the item isn't being reordered.
Combine that star with a .97 ending and you're looking at a product on its way out the door.
A few practical moves can stretch those savings further.
Check the Costco app or website before you go, since some clearance prices show up online.
Bring the member card for everyone in your household, and remember that the return policy is generous — which takes some of the risk out of trying an unfamiliar brand at a deep discount.
Don't overlook the food court and the rotisserie chicken, either.
Those aren't clearance items, but they remain some of the cheapest calories per dollar in American retail, and they quietly keep members renewing year after year.
One caution: a low price isn't a deal if you didn't need the thing.
The .97 tag is designed to trigger a "buy it now" reflex.
A $40 markdown on a $200 item you'll never use is still $160 gone. **Our take:** Costco's real value isn't the membership fee or the bulk sizes — it's knowing when the store is quietly trying to empty a shelf.
Final Thoughts
Learn the price codes, shop early in the week, and treat every star as a countdown clock.