The Costco Sports and Outdoor Clearance Strategy 2026: How to Save 30-75% on Kayaks, Grills and Summer Gear
The best time to find Costco clearance is early on a weekday morning — Tuesday through Thursday — right when the warehouse opens, before crowds pick over fresh markdowns. The biggest seasonal clearance windows are January (post-holiday) and late summer (August through September).
For outdoor sporting goods specifically — kayaks, paddleboards, patio furniture, grills, pool supplies, camping equipment, and summer sporting gear — the August through September window is the most dramatically financially rewarding clearance opportunity in the entire Costco annual calendar. The member who understands this window, knows the signals that identify the deepest markdowns, and acts with the specific timing discipline that clearance shopping requires can acquire next summer's outdoor gear at 30 to 75 percent below what it will cost when it returns to the shelf next March.
This is not a minor discount. A kayak that sells for $499 in May sells for $249 to $299 in September. A pellet grill that sells for $999 in April has a $100 manufacturer coupon available through August and may receive manager markdowns on top of that through September. The patio furniture set that represented a full-price premium purchase in June becomes the clearance find that makes August one of the best outdoor shopping months of the year.
This guide covers the complete Costco outdoor clearance strategy for 2026 — the categories generating the deepest markdowns, the specific signals that identify the best clearance pricing, the timing and day-of-week strategies that maximize what is available, and the critical buy-now-or-miss-it discipline that the clearance system demands.
Why August and September Are Costco's Outdoor Clearance Months
The mechanics of Costco's outdoor clearance are straightforward when understood against the warehouse's operational model: Costco needs floor space for the next season's merchandise, and the floor space currently occupied by kayaks, grills, and pool supplies needs to transition to fall merchandise — Halloween candy, back-to-school supplies, and the early Christmas merchandise that begins arriving at some locations as early as late September.
Costco clears space aggressively when seasons change — this is when the deepest discounts appear. The warehouse cannot hold summer merchandise past the operational window because the floor plan is pre-allocated for the incoming seasonal merchandise. Items that have not sold by the clearance deadline receive the markdown that creates urgency — not as customer generosity, but as operational necessity.
The members who benefit most from this operational reality are the ones who understand two things: what the clearance signals look like, and that acting on clearance pricing requires immediate decision-making rather than the deliberation that full-price merchandise allows.
The Clearance Signals: How to Identify the Deepest Markdowns
The .97 price ending — the most important clearance signal at Costco
The single most important piece of Costco clearance intelligence is the meaning of the .97 price ending. A Costco item priced at $X.97 — $499.97, $149.97, $29.97 — is in final clearance status. The .97 ending is the manager's markdown signal: this item will not be reordered when it sells through, and the price will not go lower at this location.
The .97 ending communicates two specific pieces of commercially actionable information: buy it now at the .97 price, or lose it permanently. The member who sees a .97-ending item they want and decides to come back next week will almost certainly find the item gone, because the .97 price creates immediate purchase motivation for every member who understands what it means.
The .97 ending appears on outdoor sporting goods in August and September with increasing frequency as the clearance cycle accelerates. Kayaks, grills, patio furniture, camping gear, and pool equipment that appeared at round-number pricing in the spring begin showing .97 endings in late August as the floor-clearing urgency intensifies.
The asterisk (*) on the Costco price tag
A small asterisk in the upper-right corner of the Costco price tag communicates that the item will not be restocked once it sells through. The asterisk is the warehouse's permanent discontinuation signal — it applies to items being removed from the assortment permanently, not simply items that are temporarily out of stock.
For outdoor seasonal items, the asterisk communicates the same urgency as the .97 ending: this specific configuration will not return to the assortment at this location. Buy it at the current price, or find it elsewhere at full price next season.
Manufacturer coupons stacked on already-discounted items
The most sophisticated clearance value at Costco appears when the warehouse's own markdown is combined with a manufacturer coupon from the monthly savings book. The 6-burner outdoor gas grill that was recently available with a $100 manufacturer coupon through August 17 represents the specific combination of institutional warehouse discount and manufacturer contribution that produces the most aggressive effective pricing available.
Members who purchase during the overlap of a manufacturer coupon feature and a warehouse clearance markdown capture the additive savings of both mechanisms on a single purchase — the best available pricing in the entire outdoor gear category.
The Outdoor Categories Generating the Best August-September Clearance
Kayaks and Paddleboards: The Category With the Most Dramatic Markdowns
Costco's limited kayak selection arrives in May and typically sells out of the most popular configurations by July. However, remaining inventory in August through September sees aggressive markdowns to clear floor space for fall merchandise. The specific Pelican kayak configurations that remain in late August — typically the less popular colors or the configurations that did not generate the fastest early-season sell-through — receive markdowns of 30 to 50 percent below the May pricing.
The kayak clearance buying strategy: the member who is flexible on color and configuration can capture the most aggressive clearance pricing on a kayak that is functionally identical to the sold-through spring inventory at a fraction of the cost. Store the kayak through the fall and winter, and use it from spring through next summer — the same product, purchased at the end-of-season price.
Paddleboards follow the same clearance pattern: spring arrival at full price, August through September inventory at 30 to 50 percent markdown for the configurations that remain. For entry-level recreational paddleboarding — the flatwater, calm conditions paddling that Costco's beginner-oriented boards serve well — the August clearance price is the most financially rational entry point available.
Grills and Outdoor Cooking: The Most Significant Dollar-Amount Markdowns
Grills and outdoor cooking equipment receive clearance markdowns in August as the outdoor cooking season winds down. The dollar amounts of the markdowns in this category are the largest of any outdoor clearance category, because the grill's higher base price amplifies the percentage discount into hundreds of dollars in absolute savings.
A pellet grill that sold for $999 in April with a 14 percent manufacturer coupon available through late August — the combination producing an effective price of $899 with full-feature premium pellet cooking capability — may receive additional manager markdowns of $50 to $150 on top of the manufacturer coupon as September approaches and the floor space deadline intensifies.
The large 6-burner outdoor gas grill — a discontinued item at some locations with a $100 manufacturer coupon through August 17 and high warehouse inventory that may lead to deeper markdowns or potential price negotiation with staff — is the specific clearance opportunity that communicates the August outdoor cooking window at its most financially compelling.
The grill clearance buying logic: the member who has been planning a grill upgrade can save $150 to $400 by purchasing in August versus purchasing in March at the new season's full price. The grill does not know what month it is — it works identically from March through August and beyond. The only thing that changes with September purchase is the price.
Pool and Water Supplies: The Aggressive Clearance Category
Pool supplies, inflatable pool and beach accessories, water guns, pool chemicals, and the complete range of warm-weather water recreation gear receive the most aggressive percentage-basis markdowns in August and September — because the operational urgency to clear floor space coincides with the most complete elimination of remaining member demand.
A member who purchases pool chemicals in August at 40 to 50 percent below spring pricing for the following summer captures the full utility of the product at clearance pricing, because chlorine and pool care chemicals store effectively through the winter without degradation. Pool toys and accessories that are flexible on style and color can be purchased at clearance pricing for next summer's use.
Patio Furniture: The Big-Ticket Clearance
Patio furniture clearance typically happens in August through September, with discounts of 30 to 50 percent off. Patio furniture bought in March costs 40 to 50 percent more than the same patio furniture bought in August. The member whose patio furniture needs are not immediate — who can wait until the following spring to put the new furniture outside — captures the most significant dollar savings available in the outdoor category from a single clearance purchase.
The storage consideration: patio furniture purchases require somewhere to store the pieces through the fall and winter. A garage, a basement, or a covered storage area protects the furniture through the off-season and allows the August purchase to translate into spring enjoyment without weather damage during storage.
Fitness Equipment: The Post-Summer Clearance
The August and September clearance window catches any fitness equipment that did not sell through during the summer peak demand period. Exercise bikes, rowing machines, treadmills not already cleared in the post-New Year peak window, and outdoor fitness equipment receive clearance markdowns during the late summer seasonal transition.
The Timing Strategy: When and How to Shop the Clearance
The best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
New coupon books start on Wednesdays at Costco. Shelves are restocked throughout the week. Clearance markdowns appear most frequently in the early part of the week, as the warehouse team processes the previous weekend's sell-through and marks down the items that need to clear.
By late afternoon on weekends — especially Sunday afternoons — many of the best clearance items are already picked over. The member who shops clearance on Tuesday or Wednesday morning is seeing a more complete selection of newly marked-down items than the weekend afternoon shopper who is seeing what remains after the week's clearance shopping is done.
The best time of day: 11 AM on a weekday
Clearance markdowns happen overnight or before the warehouse opens. By late afternoon, especially on weekends, many of the best clearance items are already picked over. The member who arrives at 11 AM on a weekday — after the opening rush but before the midday crowd — finds the freshest available clearance selection with the lowest competition for the best items.
The act-now discipline
The most common clearance shopping mistake is deliberation. The member who finds a .97-ending kayak at 40 percent off the spring price and decides to think about it overnight will typically find the kayak gone the next morning — because every other clearance-aware member who encounters the same .97 pricing has the same purchase motivation.
The deliberation that is appropriate for full-price merchandise — comparing options, considering alternatives, sleeping on the decision — is not appropriate for clearance merchandise. The .97 ending and the asterisk communicate finality. The appropriate response to a genuinely wanted clearance item at a price the household can afford is immediate purchase.
The one-year-ahead mentality
The clearance strategy's most powerful commercial dimension is the willingness to buy for next season rather than the current season. The kayak purchased in August for use starting in May has the same paddling utility as the kayak purchased in May at full price — and it costs 30 to 50 percent less.
The member who adopts the one-year-ahead outdoor purchasing mentality — systematically buying next summer's gear at this summer's clearance pricing — captures the August-September clearance window as a planned annual purchasing event rather than an opportunistic discovery. This mentality applied consistently across multiple outdoor gear categories can generate $300 to $800 in annual outdoor equipment savings that compounds year over year.
The Complete August-September Clearance Calendar
August through mid-September: Kayaks, paddleboards, pool supplies, camping gear, patio furniture, and grills receive initial clearance markdowns of 20 to 30 percent. First .97 endings appear on slower-moving configurations.
Mid-September: Clearance markdowns intensify as the floor transition deadline approaches. .97 endings appear more broadly.
Manufacturer coupons on remaining inventory may extend or increase.
Late September: Final clearance. The deepest available discounts — 40 to 75 percent below spring pricing on remaining inventory. The item that is still on the floor in late September is there because it has not found a buyer at any of the previous price points. For the member who has been patient and whose preferences align with what remains, late September represents the most aggressive pricing of the entire outdoor clearance cycle.
At MOJO Sales & Branding, we understand every dimension of the Costco member experience — from the outdoor clearance strategy that turns August into one of the year's best shopping months to the roadshow brands that create the discovery moments that make every warehouse visit genuinely exciting. Contact us at 732.433.7873 or Susan@MOJOSalesandBranding.com.
Costco Outdoor Clearance 2026 — Complete Quick Reference:
Category | Peak Clearance Window | Typical Markdown | Buy-Now Signal |
Kayaks and paddleboards | August–September | 30–50% off spring price | .97 ending, asterisk |
Grills and outdoor cooking | August–September | $100–$400 off | Manufacturer coupon + manager markdown |
Pool and water supplies | August–September | 30–50% off | .97 ending — chemicals store all winter |
Patio furniture | August–September | 30–50% off | .97 ending + asterisk — buy for next spring |
Camping gear | August–September | 30–50% off | .97 ending |
Fitness equipment | September | 20–40% off | .97 ending |
The two clearance signals:.97 price ending = manager's markdown, final clearance, no restockingAsterisk (*) on price tag = will not be restocked in assortment
Best clearance shopping time: Tuesday–Thursday, arrive at 11 AM
The one-year-ahead rule: Buy next summer's gear at this summer's clearance price
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