Once a year the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale comes around. It is my absolute favorite sale of the entire year. I have a unique perspective because not only do I LOVE to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, but I also have the inside scoop as a former Nordstrom Employee.
There really is no other sale like the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. For those of you who don’t know, I worked at Nordstrom before having Michael. I have worked the sale for the last 4 years, and this is my first year taking a break in stores, to give you guys the absolute best coverage here that I possibly can. Believe it or not, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale brings in higher sales than CHRISTMAS. Let’s be honest, the sale feels a bit like Christmas in July because the deals are so incredible.
If you aren’t familiar with the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, let’s give you a quick run down. Nordstrom partners with top brands and designers to bring brand new styles at discounted prices. The items use to be only Fall and Winter styles, but over the last 2 years they have started incorporating a few more summer pieces into the mix as well. After the sale, all prices go back up to regular price. Nothing on sale is old, which I love! You are getting first picks on clothing, handbags, shoes, baby gear, makeup, and accessories for the whole family for next season. Today I’m sharing 9 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Tips You Need to Know to make the best out of the sale and to get your hands on the items you want. (Number 7 and 9 are my favorite tips!)
9 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Tips You Need to Know
1. Shop Here First
You are going to see a TON of different sale roundups, however there are really no other anniversary sale roundups like mine. That may be a bold statement, but year after year my readers email me to tell me that and thank me! It is the best compliment and makes all of the time spent covering the sale SO worth it! Here’s why: I have access to try everything on before the sale actually starts. I try on every single pair of jeans for you guys, since it can sometimes be difficult to tell from a photo how something fits. I have special PDF’s with every single item in the entire sale… not just the catalog items! Plus, I have a good idea of which items will sell out, and how the restocking system works in stores and online. I have been shopping this sale for 6 years now, and even prior to being a Nordstrom employee, I lived for this sale! And to make things even better the past 2 years I have partnered with several brands who are a part of the sale. They have already sent me inventory, which I will be testing out and sharing my thoughts on the blog and trying on for you over on Instagram Stories!
You guys can trust me to share the best of the best Nordstrom Anniversary sale picks. I typically pull an all nighter when the clock strikes midnight in order to get things ready for you, and have already started preparing content for the sale! It really is like Christmas in July, and I get so excited just thinking about it! Products I am sharing with you are actual things that I love, rather than just trying to get you to buy anything and everything on the sale.
I will also be sharing daily outfits created from #NSale purchases on my Instagram and the Liketoknow.it app! (If you follow me on Instagram but my posts don’t always show up in your feed, liking or commenting on my last 5 images will help to get my photos showing up in your feed again!
2. Get Early Access to the Sale
Early Access for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is July 12-19th for Nordstrom card holders only. Public sale starts on July 21, and I will be doing a round up of the top items that are still available when the public sale starts. (Not everything is restocked for the public sale). You can learn more about the Nordstrom card options here. If you sign up for the credit card, you will be able to shop the sale during Early Access in special roped off areas throughout the store. (Only cardholders are able to enter.) You will also receive $40 in the mail for signing up when you shop with Nordstrom the day your card is approved. I have the Nordstrom Retail card and I love it! Theres nothing like getting points that turn into free money to use in the store! In fact, I have $20 that I’m applying towards my Nordstrom order! My Nordstrom card is the ONLY credit card I own besides my beloved American Express. I’ve never been much for having multiple credit cards, but the benefits of the Nordstrom Card are impossible to pass up!
3. Know Your Dates
4. Get to know the catalog!
Although there is a lot more to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale than just the catalog, the catalog gives you a good idea of what trends will be in style in the upcoming seasons. Call me a Nordstrom nerd, but this is definitely one catalog worth studying! I don’t even want to admit to you guys how many times I look through the catalog before the sale even starts! This year I’m seeing a lot of vintage inspired items, lots of lavender (obsessed!) and western vibes, which is a nice break from the leather overload I have seen the past few years! Items in the catalog tend to sell out a little faster than the other items. Have you checked out the catalog yet?! Click here to view the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2019 catalog!
5. Make a list of what you NEED & Do your homework
The Nordstrom Anniversary sale can sometimes feel a little bit overwhelming. This is the time to get those items that you need at a discounted price, so go in to it with a game plan. It might sound funny to “do your homework” before the sale starts, but it makes such a big difference! Circle the items you want in the catalog, make a checklist of what you will be looking for in the sale this year. I make a wishlist every single year after I do a solid closet clean out. If I didn’t touch a Fall or Winter item last season, it gets taken out of my closet to sell, donate, or to hand down to my sister. I will be sharing a shopping checklist before July 11th in order to show you guys the essentials and basics that I look for each year to refresh my wardrobe!
6. Shop Online & Don’t Let it Sell Out
You guys, shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale can sometimes feel like Black Friday. Some people love the rush, but I have to say that online has a higher stocked inventory compared to any store you walk in to. Sometimes a store will literally get ONE handbag that was featured in the catalog. You may think you are going to be ambitious and be the first one when the doors open to run and grab it. The truth is that the stylists grab it for their customers and it is no where to be found. To be honest, when I was working in the stores before early access even started, many highly coveted items were sold out because they bring in Level 4 clients (the big spenders) the day before early access even starts! While you were in stores searching for the item you wanted, guess what…The purse sold out ONLINE. The only difference is that 40 people online were able to get their hands on it. Stores do not carry every single item from the catalog, but guess what… online has it all.
Other benefits to shopping online are that you can receive free returns. Grab it while you can, try it on, and decide later. I personally find it much easier to scroll through the sale online rather than thumbing through sales racks but I still always make a stop into the stores to shop the actual sale as well.
7. Use the “Shop Your Store” Feature
I’ll admit that shopping the sale in stores CAN be super fun, especially because it can be nice to have instant gratification walking out with all of your purchases in hand. But here’s a BIG tip for those of you who prefer shopping in stores. It’s a little trick that most people don’t know about. It isn’t really advertised, but you can actually buy something online for in store pick up. Below the “Add to Cart” button on Nordstrom.com, there is a little tiny button marked “find a location near you” enter your zip code and selet your store, then select “Buy and Pick-up.” Try it with an item here.)
Some people may have appointments to shop in stores, which is when this really comes in handy. You don’t need to try everything on, and sometimes (every time) the store and fitting rooms can be chaos during the sale. I love to use this feature for basics that I am restocking up on, kids clothing & shoes, baby gear, makeup, and basics for the husband. Really anything that requires no trying on or that I already know my sizing in, I pick up in the store without the hassle of trying to find it and lug it around the store as I shop for other items. I can guarantee you shopping for yourself in stores will be a little hectic and take longer than planned. Why not have the rest of your purchases perfectly packaged at the concierge desk waiting for you!? They typically start fulfilling these orders 1-2 hours before the store opens, so it’s another great option to get your hands on something that might otherwise be gone!
8. Get Top Picks Straight to Your Inbox
Full disclosure, you guys will be seeing LOTS of different breakdowns of the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. They will be divided up in categories such as What’s Actually in my Cart, Top Items that will sell out this year, 50 Finds Under $50, Atheisure Wear, Best of Beauty, Designer items worth splurging on, Best Baby Gear, etc. You can get these all straight to your inbox by subscribing here.
