Sales dominate the month of May, as Mother’s Day and Memorial Day team up to incentivize retailers to get buyers into their stores.

  • Memorial Day deals among best of the year
  • Jewelry deals plentiful for Mother's Day
  • Memorial Day also good for mattress, bedding deals

“So much of the appliance industry is now geared toward big holiday promotional events,” Felix Menendez of Famous Tate Appliance & Bedding Centers said.

Famous Tate customer Melissa Fields was shopping for a new kitchen and was pleased to find out that May is a good time to get deals on appliances.

“I didn’t (realize), but I’m here at a great time,” she said, laughing.

In fact, Menendez said the deals around Memorial Day are some of the best you’ll get all year.

“Washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, really the whole store is on sale,” Menendez explained.

Appliances: New Trends

If you’re wondering what’s new in appliances, black stainless steel is a slick, new feature.

“Very stylish. Very contemporary,” Menendez said.

Smart appliances that you can control with an app on your phone are also in demand.

“So you can set an oven from your desk at work. You can turn on your washing machine, set the cycle,” Menendez demonstrated on his smart phone.

Deals on Jewelry

You can thank your mom for the really good deals on jewelry in the month of May.  After Mother’s Day, retailers will be looking to clear out their inventory, following the holiday buying frenzy for mothers everywhere.  Expect markdowns of 50 percent and more.

“Oooooh, now I hadn’t thought about that one,” Fields said.

Mattresses For A Steal

Think mattresses for Memorial Day.  You’ll be able to get good deals on both the more expensive memory foam and more traditional spring mattresses.

“What they’ve done now is they’ve added layers of gel inside the memory foam, which extracts the heat from your body,” Menendez said, explaining that manufacturers have addressed a common complaint that memory foam “sleeps hot.”

And he explained how the technology for coils in spring mattress has advanced.

“Almost all (spring) beds are individually pocketed now. So the springs, as far as movement of the person sleeping next to you, you don’t feel the vibration quite as much,” Menendez demonstrated, pushing down on coils in a sample box.

Whatever your preference, expect prices to be slashed.

“On a normal day you might spend $600-700 for the type of bed you’re going to see advertised around town for $499 or $459,” he said, adding, “They definitely want you to come in store and they definitely want you to buy a bed.”

Also, be sure to ask for a comfort guarantee on a mattress.  A good reputable store will give you 30, even 60 days, to literally sleep on it, so you can make sure you made the right choice.

And don’t be timid -- negotiate! Stores are willing to throw in extras, like free delivery and/or pillows, to make those sales.

What Not to Buy

One thing to avoid buying in May is a grill.  Typically, you’ll find better deals on those around the 4th of July and Labor Day.  It’s also a good idea to wait for summer sales to buy laptops, when kids are headed back to school. For more information on things to buy and things to avoid, click here.

Enjoy all the holidays in the month of May and all the bargains!