Everything You Need to Know About The T.J.Maxx Yellow Tag Sale

The T.J.Maxx Yellow Tag Sale is your chance to score deep discounts on designer brands, home goods, and fashion finds!

One of the best things about shopping at T.J.Maxx is that its inventory is constantly changing. One week, you may find a great deal on luxury perfumes; the next, you could find never-before-seen designer clothing; and the following, the store may have put out its new seasonal home decor. But if there's one sales event that you'll want to visit your local T.J. Maxx — as well as your local Marshalls and HomeGoods — it's during their clearance and even more specifically, when they start their "yellow tag" sale.

The T.J.Maxx Clearance Event happens twice a year — typically in January and then again at the end of June into late July or early August. Now any clearance at T.J.Maxx is good, but waiting for the yellow tags — meaning it’s the lowest markdown an item will get — is the best!

Read on to learn all about the TJ Maxx Yellow Tag Sale, what to expect, how to plan, and best of all, all the savings you can score!

When Does the TJ Maxx Yellow Tag Sale Happen?

The T.J.Maxx Yellow Tag Sale happens twice a year. During this time, shoppers can expect savings of up to 75% or even more on a wide range of items both in-store and online.

The winter yellow tag sale starts in January once we clear the holidays (This recent January was January 8th.)  It typically laststwo weeks, but it is the more favorable of the two sales as we’re coming off Christmas shopping and they are looking to move the remaining inventory as well as continue to encourage shopping and making sales.   This is a strategic move by the company because they know that not as many people want to shop after Christmas because they just spent loads of money for the past month on presents — but they know clearances can be very tempting and it will draw shoppers in.

The summer clearance event starts at the end of June and extends to a whopping six weeks through the end of July or early August with the yellow tags making an appearance about half way through.

Remember, T.J.Maxx never “officially” announces when yellow tags hit their stores, so you have to pay close attention as you shop to spot them. BUT, you can trust that as soon as we get sight of them, we will let you know!

What is a Yellow Tag?

At T.J.Maxx, items go through several phases of clearances. The first is a red tag — the red tags indicate a clearance price. It can be adjusted numerous times as a red tag. As long as it’s red, it’s still not the lowest it can go. When items don’t sell with a red tag, especially with several markdowns, it will move to a yellowtag. The yellow tags indicate a FINAL clearance price — meaning that it’s the lowest price you’ll see for that item at T.J.Maxx. This can mean a mark down of 75% or even more.When items go from being a red to a yellow and that’s your indication that it is the very last chance for this item — one you won’t want to delay on scooping up. Rumor has it; items can go from red to yellow on a nearly daily basis, so you’ll want to keep checking back.

Does Marshalls Also Have a Yellow Tag Sale?

Yes, they do! As a store brand under the TJX parent company, Marshalls and even their sister store HomeGoods will follow the same clearance schedule and sales strategy.  They follow the same color scheme as well, so you can start to look for yellow tags in January and again during the summer for those stores as well.

What to Know Before You Shop T.J.MaxxClearance

Timing is everything!  The yellow tags only show up at the END of a clearance event.  What that means is that you’ll have six or so weeks to shop the clearance sale, but you'll only see yellow tags for the last 2 to 3 weeks of it. It’s a strategy to really clear the merchandise, which is already at a very limited availability.

For example, using the last winter clearance as a guide of reference, the red clearance tags started December 15, 2024.  The yellow clearance tags didn't show up until around the half-way point on January 8, 2025. Once the yellow tags began, new ones were added every day in stores through the end of the month.

Can I Find The Yellow Tag Final Clearance Online?

During the twice a year clearance sales at T.J.Maxx, you can shop either online or in stores. If you’re shopping in store, you can expect to see some clearance signs on aisles to guide you with both yellow and red tags in the mix. (You may have to dig a little for the yellow tags versus look for signage, as every store will be different.) The items will be clearly noted thanks to the colored tags. Online, you can shop clearance deals, but you won’t KNOW they are yellow tags.  In other words, you won't see any yellow tag or any other notation indicating that it’s a final clearance, but the price will reflect the savings. And it’s good to note that item availability might be different online than in stores. Ideally, you may want to shop both online AND in stores.

Pro Tip: When shopping online, you can get free shipping on your first order when you sign up for T.J.Maxx emails. Otherwise, shipping is free on orders of $89 or more when you use the promo code SHIP89 at the checkout.

The yellow tag event is among the best ways to save at T.J.Maxx, as well as their sister stores Marshalls and HomeGoods, (though certainly not the only way) and the closest thing these particular retailers have to a “sale” since their merchandise is priced so low from the start. Waiting for an item to hit this maximum discount can be quite a gamble, but it’s one the savviest shopper thrives on! Hope this shopper’s insight helps you score some amazing deals! Also, check when does TJ Maxx restock.

- Mary