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It feels like a long time since the last federal holiday, but thankfully, Memorial Day is right around the corner. Falling on the last Monday of May every year, the holiday commemorates US military personnel. However, the three-day weekend also sees huge discounts at a variety of stores — this is especially true of Amazon and Walmart.
Retail giant Walmart usually marks the holiday with swinging deals on a range of products. It doesn’t always have the best reputation for quality, but many of our favorite tested products — iPhones, Dyson airwraps, and Ninja air fryers — should be reduced.
I’ve covered sales events like Memorial Day for years, so I can easily spot the good deals and, importantly, the duds. To save you time and, crucially, money, I’ve collated everything you need to know about Walmart’s Memorial Day sale, from what the best deals were last year to what we can expect from this year’s shopping event. (I’ve even rounded up a few early deals.)
When do Memorial Day sales start in 2025?
This year, Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 26. The best deals are expected to run over the long weekend from Friday, May 23, but there will be plenty of early deals from May 1. Having said that, we’re already starting to see some deals trickle through in April.
Walmart’s best deals in Memorial Day sales last year
Last year, we saw big discounts on home appliances. Rollbacks were spotted on the beloved but expensive KitchenAid artisan stand mixer ($359, Walmart.com) and the Shark cordless pro stick vacuum (was $299, now $198, Walmart.com). Most importantly, there were massive drops on outdoor furniture, with more than 50 percent off classics, including Adirondack chairs.
Deals to expect this year
Recent tariffs are likely to impact Memorial Day sales. Most tech and home appliances are made in whole or in part in China, where the current rate is 145 percent since the country is currently excluded from President Trump’s 90-day pause on tariffs. As things stand, prices will likely increase at Walmart.
That said, the retailer may be less affected than other big-box retailers like Amazon. While most products sold by Walmart are made in China, I’m always surprised at how many genuinely American-made products you can find on the retailer’s website. Because these aren’t subject to tariffs, they should be available at lower prices. Nevertheless, Memorial Day usually sees deals across a few key areas.
The first is anything to do with the outdoors. If you’re working on a new project in the yard, whether it’s as small as planting some seeds or building a deck, Walmart will probably have big discounts on hand and power tools. On top of that, the retailer has plenty on offer for outdoor entertainment, too. Memorial Day tends to see Walmart’s lowest prices on large products like trampolines, hot tubs, and outdoor furniture.
Though it’s perhaps unlikely to see new tech discounts, we’re already seeing some big discounts on refurbished tech. For example, there’s already a great deal on a refurbished iPhone 14, saving you $305 (was $629.99, now $324.90, Walmart.com).
On top of that, there will probably be some discounts on home appliances, both for the kitchen and for cleaning. Last year saw lots of discounts on air fryers, and particularly popular discounts on Shark and Dyson vacuums.
It also pays off to keep an eye out for the random, and frankly, the boring. I’ve just spotted a huge discount on Calvin Klein’s eternity eau de toilette (was $76, now $31.96, Walmart.com), so we might see big savings on fragrance. On the boring side, there are savings on silicone cooking utensils (was $33.99, now $19.99, Walmart.com), so if there’s something uninspiring that you’ve been putting off buying, now might be the time.
Best deals to shop now
Apple iPhone 14, refurbished: Was $629.99, now $319, Walmart.com
iPhones have always been wincingly expensive, but one of the best ways to save is to grab a refurbished phone. These phones have had minor damage and problems fixed, so while they aren’t brand new, they work just as well. The iPhone 14 is a little out of date, sure, but it’s still a great phone. The Independent’s tech critic David Phelan found that the phone’s A15 Bionic chip is “more capable and advanced than most phone processors on the market”.
Dyson V15 detect: Was $599.99, now $399.99, Walmart.com
It might seem a lot to drop $400 on a vacuum cleaner, but it’s worth it for this model. Recently bested by more recent Dyson vacuums like the gen5detect, the V15 detect previously topped every vacuum buying guide in the country. I edited a review of the model, and the tester found that it cleaned a dog bed so thoroughly that it literally changed color back to box fresh. Armed with an over-the-top laser and particle sensor (yes, particle sensor), when it was launched, this cost $1,000. That $400 price tag still seems too high at first glance, but it’s actually a bargain for an absurdly over-engineered vacuum cleaner.
Ninja foodi 8 quart air fryer: Was $169, now $129, Walmart.com
I’ve used this air fryer dozens of times over the years. In one test kitchen that I worked in, this was the go-to. It has two independent baskets that you can sync to finish at the same time. You can roast salmon and asparagus at different temperatures and times and still have the whole meal ready at once. It’s incredibly fast, too — in fact, my only real issue with this air fryer is that it’s so powerful that it’s easy to overcook your food.
Apple Airpods Pro 2nd gen: Was $239, now $199, Walmart.com
You can also grab a big reduction on the Apple AirPods Pro, second-generation. Our tech critics love these — Apple reviewing veteran David Phelan says that setting these up is “sublimely easy” and they have sound quality to match. He found that the “noise-canceling is noticeably better than on the first-generation pro earbuds, and that was industry-leading.” They’re Apple’s most expensive in-ear headphones, so a discount like this is worth considering.