Do Costco TVs Go On Clearance?

A new television is a major investment, one that can easily run into the thousands of dollars if you're shopping for a big OLED or want to future proof your media experience by investing in 8K. Given how pricey they are, the last thing you want is to splurge on your dream TV and end up with crushing buyer's remorse when it goes on sale a few weeks after you bought it. Given how volatile the TV market is and how often manufacturers and retailers offer deeply slashed prices, that kind of sale FOMO is a valid concern. Shopping for a good price is probably how you ended up becoming a Costco member in the first place.

Costco tends to offer competitive rates on new electronics — particularly TVs — but you may have heard of the mythical clearance sale where some models can be had at ever deeper discounts. The truth is that these clearance sales do exist, though they're rare, and they may not offer the eye-watering savings you've been led to expect. 

The reality is, you can find TVs on clearance at Costco if you know what to look for and have access to the right tools. First, it's important to note the difference between a sale and clearance. Sales frequently happen on TVs around Black Friday, the Super Bowl, and other big events. Clearance sales are distinct from regular sales because they're dependent on inventory, popularity, and manager discretion. This means a TV on sale at one location may be listed at full retail price at another location. You can tell a Costco clearance sale item by special in-store signage and with prices that have a ".97" at the end of it.

A good time to look for clearance sales is when the newer models in a series start to roll out. If the OLED you've been eyeing for the last year or two is being replaced by a new iteration in the same series, there's a good chance Costco will give any remaining inventory the lower clearance price. Another good opportunity is when display models are moved to the floor to sell. They still receive the same warranty coverage and protection plans as standard models, including the generous policy that leads to so many TV returns, but can often be had for a fraction of the price. If there's a specific TV you're interested in, ask a manager when they think a display model may be on sale.

There are websites dedicated to hunt down great deals at retailers, and one helpful tool for Costco shoppers is Costco.97. The site is basically a user-driven price tracker for Costco sales, which is critical because, as mentioned above, clearance pricing is often only available at a single store. When users spot an item on clearance in the wild, they can submit the rate to the site, so it shows up for other local users. Costco.97 also allows users to comment on existing deal posts to affirm they're still available (or share when they've sold out). The site is not affiliated with Costco, but it does have a weekly newsletter, although its utility may be hit or miss due to the inclusion of deals from around the country and not necessarily specific to your region.

Price trackers can also be helpful for comparing a sale price to the MSRP or previous sales marks if you're wavering. Glass It offers a Costco specific tracker where you can monitor individual items. You may also want to consider a tool like Price Lasso, which we've recommended before for tracking tech deals at Costco, since it lets you filter a specific item and then get price drop alerts across a number of retailers, Costco included.