Costco's clearance stickers are showing up in odd corners of the warehouse this month, and the discounts are deeper than the usual endcap shuffle.
Shoppers across several states are reporting markdowns of 30% to 50% on seasonal, discontinued, and overstocked items, with some prices ending in .97, the chain's internal signal that a product is on its way out for good.
The catch is that none of this is advertised.
Costco doesn't publish a clearance list, doesn't email members about it, and doesn't put the deals near the front of the store.
That's why the same item can sit at full price in one warehouse and get slashed in another a few miles away.
Here's where the cuts are showing up, according to member reports and warehouse sightings. **Grocery and pantry.** Bulk coffee, protein bars, and seasonal baking supplies are moving to clearance as the year's product cycle turns over.
Kirkland Signature items get marked down less often than name brands, but when they do, the discount tends to be aggressive because there's no vendor holding the price up. **Home and seasonal.** Patio furniture, fans, grills, and anything tied to warm weather starts getting squeezed out right about now.
Large furniture pieces that take up floor space are usually the first to drop, sometimes by 40% or more. **Clothing and small appliances.** Apparel rotates fast.
If a style is discontinued, it lands on the clearance rack with a .97 tag and often disappears within days.
Blenders, air fryers, and coffee makers follow the same pattern when a new model replaces them. **How to spot the good ones.** A price ending in .97 means clearance and won't be restocked.
A price ending in .00 signals a manager markdown on an item that may still be carried.
An asterisk in the upper right corner of the sign means the item is done once it sells out.
Stack those three signals and you're looking at the best prices Costco offers.
It shows up on endcaps, in the middle aisle, near the registers, and sometimes in the back corner past the produce.
Walking the perimeter once before you start shopping catches most of it.
Markdowns tend to land early in the week as managers reset the floor, and the best items go fast.
If you see something you want at a .97 price, waiting is usually a mistake, because the next truck won't bring more.
One more thing worth knowing: Costco's return policy gives you room to buy first and decide later on most non-electronics.
That changes the math on clearance items you're unsure about, as long as you keep the receipt and packaging.
This isn't a reason to buy things you don't need.
A 50% discount on something you'd never use is still money out the door, and clearance runs on impulse by design.
The smart move is to keep a short list of what you actually buy in bulk, then check the .97 tags against it.
Clearance hunting at Costco works best as a habit, not a haul.
Final Thoughts
Scan the corners, learn the pricing codes, and let the deals come to you instead of filling a cart because the sticker was red.