When is the Kate Spade surprise sale?

Kate Spade's surprise sales are offered to their online customers only, and they are the deepest sales on Kate Spade goods, not counting coupons.

Kate Spade New York has long been known for its handbags, but the brand has taken off in the past few years, becoming popular for women's and girls' dresses, footwear, and more. In spite of the "New York" in the name, the brand has an almost British vibe — which isn't hurt by their big fan Pippa Middleton.

Fortunately for the rest of us, DealNews has all the secrets of Kate Spade's Surprise Sales, so you can look your best without raiding the royal treasury.

What's a Surprise Sale?

Kate Spade's Surprise Sales are offered to their online customers only, and they are the deepest sales on Kate Spade goods, not counting coupons. You can expect discounts of up to 75% off, meaning most purchases will be considered "final sale." (Kate Spade doesn't take returns on items purchased at a discount of 50% or more.)

One downside to Surprise Sales: Unlike Kate Spade's usual sales, no-minimum free shipping is uncommon. Still, shipping only adds $5 if you aren't over the minimum, so it isn't a big problem.

When Are the Surprise Sales?

Kate Spade offers a handful of Surprise Sales a year. While dates aren't set, they seem to be more common in the first few and last few months of the year, and more sparse in the summer months. A few times you're likely to spot one: mid-February, mid-March, late May, late September, and mid-December. To get a heads-up when the sale launches, sign up for Kate Spade's email list or set up a DealNews Alert.

Surprise Sales last one to five days, but it behooves you to hit the sales early, even the longer ones. Stock is limited and the hottest items tend to get snatched up quickly.

How Else Can I Save?

Kate Spade does occasionally offer coupons, and DealNews will always report on the latest. What kinds of discounts can you expect? Either a 25% off sale or 25% off sitewide are most likely.

Of note: While Kate Spade doesn't usually have coupons active during Surprise Sales, they sometimes offer a coupon directly after a Surprise Sale "officially" ends, while leaving Surprise Sale-level discounts active. While you can't count on it, it's worth looking for!

However, you can count on awesome Cyber Monday deals. For the past two years, Kate Spade has offered a coupon for an extra 30% off on Cyber Monday, and that coupon has stacked with sale items for the absolute best deals of the year.

This article originally appeared on Dealnews.com.