Presidents' Day sales: Look for new deals throughout the weekend

Ah, Presidents' Day. A national holiday commemorating George Washington's birthday, the first President of the United States. Federal and local governments get the day off, schools, post offices, and banks are closed, and we shop for mattresses and appliances.

That's right, on Monday, February 18, we honor our founding father by partaking in fantastic sales on everything from mattresses to dishwashers, TVs, and apparel.

Mattress Sales Have Already Begun

The origins of mattresses being particular to Presidents' Day are difficult to verify. No one really knows how it got started. "George Washington slept here" may be one inspiration for big mattress sales, but the best explanation is a simple one. "It takes two people to make the decision of buying a mattress," says Sarah DuBois, spokeswoman for Sleep Number. "Since many have President's Day off of work, it's a great opportunity for two people to shop together."

Nothing needs the approval of both parties more than a mattress purchase.

For President's Day, all beds are on sale at Sleep Number, including up to 50% off the Sleep Number iLE bed plus a free comforter and 18-month financing. Sears' Mattress Closeout Event offers 50% to 60% off mattresses, with free delivery and haul away on many mattresses. Macy's has $100 off some Tempur-Pedic mattresses and up to half off some closeout models, making it possible to nab a Sertapedic Queen Mattress Set for just $247 (a low by $228). Overstock has 10% off already discounted memory foam models. 

Also be sure to check local chains for mattress deals. In every market surveyed by dealnews, these stores had up to 50% off name-brand mattresses or were offering incentives in the form of financing, free box springs, and accessories. Mattresses are among the most difficult products to buy online, since comfort is subjective and manufacturers make products exclusively for individual retail accounts. It's rare to find the exact model or item at two places, making mattresses nearly impossible to "showroom." Thus, event driven sales like Presidents' Day offer some of the best opportunities to save in this category.

Home Goods, Appliances, and Consumer Electronics Also Shine

Home goods get lots of Presidents' Day deals from the likes of Macy's, Kohl's, and Overstock. JCPenney has returned to hosting sales and currently takes 10% to 15% off blinds, while the Lowe's Presidents' Day sale is focused on the bathroom with discounts on vanities, lighting, faucets, and commodes for those of you planning to freshen up an outdated bath. This weekend is also a good time to purchase big-ticket items like appliances. Sears, for example, takes up to 30% off a variety of appliances.

In the market for consumer electronics? Presidents' Day is a big event across all electronics retailers. Jon Abt, of Abt Electronics, confirms storewide sales on appliances, mattresses, bedding, fitness, and furniture. Hhgregg has 30% off appliances and electronics plus $20, $40, and $100 off select tablets, notebook computers, and cameras.

Meanwhile, Best Buy's Presidents' Day sales schedule keeps evolving. Currently though there's 10% to 25% off major appliances with varying perks including free delivery and discounted installation, as well as various deals on notebook computers including a Toshiba Satellite Intel Core i3 2.5GHz 15.6" LED-Backlit Laptop with 4GB memory and 500GB hard drive for $349.99 (a low by $105). That just so happens to be among the least expensive Toshiba 16" laptops with an i3 processor we've seen.

But don't expect all of Best Buy's deals to linger through the weekend, as a spokeswoman for the retailer noted that many of the offerings were good only through Saturday, February 16, including several steep discounts on laptops. The retailer is also experimenting with daily deals this weekend too.

Clothe Thyself With Apparel Deals

February is a traditionally slow time for apparel stores, and the discounts typically reflect that. Winter items are slashed to clearance prices, "resort" or vacation wear boasts hefty discounts prior to Spring vacations, and stores are really just biding their time until warmer weather spurs shoppers to seek out Capri pants and light weight trench coats. Good deals are found throughout the month as retailers are focused on mainly getting rid of old inventory. Current inventory will also see discounts, though. For example, the Gap is offering 30% off sitewide and up to 40% off in-store on select items, while Old Navy has 15% online purchases (20% off if using an Old Navy credit card).

Surprisingly, discount chain Target is opting out of Presidents' Day event sales. A Target spokeswoman tells dealnews that the chain won't stray from the types of products featured in its regular weekly ad, but there's been a big emphasis on electronics at Target of late so we expect this category to get some extra attention.

Many sales have already begun, but keep in mind that several stores may add additional items to their promotions as Monday draws closer. Be sure to check dealnews throughout the weekend for these deals.

Laura Heller is a contributor to dealnews.com, where this article first appeared.