Target Clearance Decoded: The 30/50/70 Pattern and the Red Sticker System

Target's clearance runs on a remarkably consistent pattern that most shoppers never notice. Once you learn the 30/50/70 ladder and the per-department markdown days, you can predict when items hit your target price.

The 30/50/70 markdown ladder

When an item goes on clearance at Target, it starts at 30% off the original price. If it doesn't sell in roughly 2 weeks, it drops to 50% off. After another 2 weeks, it hits 70% off. After that, items either get pulled to a salvage warehouse or marked further down (rarely below 90% off).

This is why "wait two weeks" is the standard Target clearance advice — items you spot at 30% off will often be 50% if you check back in 14 days. Patience pays.

Department-specific markdown days

Each Target department has a weekday when team members do their weekly clearance walk. Hitting that department on its day means you see the new markdowns first.

• Monday — Kids' clothing, accessories, electronics
• Tuesday — Women's clothing, food, toys, pets
• Wednesday — Men's clothing, garden, health & beauty
• Thursday — Lingerie, housewares, decor
• Friday — Stationery, jewelry, cosmetics

This schedule varies slightly by store but the general structure holds nationwide.

Red sticker codes (the secret language)

Target's clearance stickers have a small number in the bottom-right corner. This number is the discount tier — "30" means 30% off original, "50" means 50%, "70" means 70%. The price shown is already the discount applied, so you don't need to do math, but the code tells you which markdown tier the item is on (and therefore how many more cuts might be coming).

The last digit of the SKU on the sticker also tells you when the item was first marked down — Target rotates inventory aggressively, so newer-marked items have less time before the next cut.

What gets pulled vs. what gets deeper cuts

After 70%, Target makes a call: keep cutting prices, or pull the item. Generally:

• Apparel — usually gets pulled after 70% (sent to liquidation)
• Toys, home goods, kitchenware — often deeper cuts (90%) before pull
• Electronics — almost never goes past 70% (gets sent to TGT.tv outlet or eBay)
• Seasonal/holiday — 90% off the day after the holiday is standard

Where the deepest deals hide

The unmarked-clearance phenomenon: items that are technically on clearance but haven't been re-stickered yet. Use the Target app's barcode scanner — scan the price tag of anything in a clearance endcap. If the app price is lower than the sticker, it's an "unmarked" markdown you can grab at the app price.

Online vs. in-store

Target.com clearance updates separately from in-store clearance. Online has its own clearance section at target.com/c/sale-clearance, refreshed throughout the day. In-store clearance is usually deeper but limited to local stock.

StealAlert tracks Target's online clearance every 2 hours. Browse current Target deals →