When Is the Best Time to Buy a Refrigerator?

The month-by-month pattern

Refrigerators are the one major appliance with two model-year changeovers instead of one: spring lines typically arrive January through April, and fall lines arrive through the summer. That double changeover is why refrigerator discounting clusters around three separate windows rather than a single fall push like most other kitchen appliances — Memorial Day in May, Labor Day in September, and Black Friday/Cyber Monday in November.

Consumer Reports' own appliance pricing tracking found refrigerator prices in November running roughly $250 below their May peak on average — meaning November tends to be the cheapest month in absolute dollars, even though May often shows a deeper percentage discount off that model's original list price. Either way, the three named sale weekends are where the real movement happens; outside of them, refrigerator pricing sits close to full retail.

Why spring and summer are the weak stretch

March through August is generally the priciest run of the year, excluding the Memorial Day weekend itself. This lines up with the home-renovation and moving season — more buyers shopping at once gives retailers less reason to discount, and it's also the stretch furthest from either changeover window.

If you need a refrigerator outside the sale windows

• Ask specifically about outgoing models being cleared for either changeover — spring and fall clearance both happen even outside the named sale weekends.
• Check scratch-and-dent or open-box inventory, which can be discounted any time of year regardless of the seasonal pattern.
• Time your visit to the end of a month, when sales staff are often working toward a monthly quota.

How much to trust this pattern

Two changeover windows a year makes this a more complex pattern than most other appliances, and it's a genuine one — not every source agrees on the exact discount percentages, but the three named sale weekends themselves are well corroborated across Consumer Reports and multiple independent retail trackers. What no seasonal calendar can promise is a discount on one specific model: a popular configuration in short supply can hold its price through all three windows, while a manufacturer clearing a slow-selling line can discount it in a month that has no sale event at all.

Treat May, September, and November as the three times worth planning a purchase around, and compare the actual price against that model's own history where you can — a sale-weekend label alone doesn't guarantee it's the lowest that model will ever go.

Related guides

Shopping for more than one kitchen appliance at once? Dishwashers and ranges follow the same major sale weekends, so buying them together during Labor Day or Black Friday can be more efficient than shopping separately.