Is now a bad time to buy appliances?
It's fine, not great. Pre-Black Friday discounts begin to build.
The year, best to worst
5 = best. ▶ marks this month.
Best windows
- November: Biggest dive of the year in the weeks before Black Friday.
- September: Labor Day holiday-weekend sales.
Worst windows
- None stand out.
How we know
The sale calendar. Month scores (1–5) are our judgment, based on the well-known retail patterns reported by the sources below. They're not numbers from those sources.
- Consumer Reports, Appliance Store Buying Guide: Large-appliance prices typically drop on three-day holiday weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day and take their biggest dive in the weeks before Black Friday (discounts of 25% or more possible). New laundry models usually debut in March–April; refrigerators then and in June–July.
- Consumer Reports, 'When to Get Best Deals on Appliances and TVs': In CR's 2016 pricing data, average refrigerator prices fell almost $250 from a May peak by November; average range prices were 14% lower in November than at a February high; range prices dipped with each holiday after July Fourth.
BLS CPI: Major appliances (CUUR0000SEHK01, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted).
Inputs: monthly index values from 2018-09 to 2026-09; missing months skipped: October 2025 (Data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations). Latest: 87.762 (September 2026), -2.25% vs. a year earlier.
Formula: change = 100 × (index[month] ÷ index[previous month] − 1), averaged by calendar month.
| Month | Avg change | Std dev | n | Fell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +2.07% | 1.27 | 8 | 1/8 |
| February | +0.31% | 1.62 | 8 | 3/8 |
| March | +0.70% | 1.36 | 8 | 2/8 |
| April | +0.24% | 1.70 | 8 | 3/8 |
| May | -0.21% | 1.95 | 8 | 5/8 |
| June | +0.47% | 1.37 | 8 | 4/8 |
| July | -0.76% | 1.63 | 8 | 6/8 |
| August | +0.41% | 2.07 | 8 | 5/8 |
| September | -0.34% | 1.02 | 8 | 5/8 |
| October | -0.76% | 1.81 | 7 | 5/7 |
| November | -1.66% | 1.17 | 7 | 6/7 |
| December | +0.06% | 2.04 | 8 | 4/8 |
Result: average monthly change +0.04%; the biggest average drops (or smallest rises) were in November (-1.66%), October (-0.76%), July (-0.76%). The gap between the best and worst month is 3.73 points, and the typical swing within a single month is 1.59 points. The CPI adjusts for quality and is sampled during the month, so it can miss short sale events. We show it as a cross-check; the verdict follows the sale calendar.
Last updated: page rebuilt October 26, 2026. Data status: bls: ok, last good October 26, 2026.
Shopping anyway?
FAQ
When is the best time to buy appliances?
By our ranking: November, September. See "How we know" on this page for the sources and math.
When is the worst time to buy appliances?
No month stands out as worst.
My fridge is warm right now. Should I wait?
No. Food poisoning is always A Bad Time.