January Sales 2027
January 1, 2027 - January 31, 2027
About January Sales 2027
January Sales 2027 is Friday 1 January 2027 and runs through the month. The January Sales traditionally begin on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, with most UK retailers now launching their winter sale on 26 December and extending it into the first weeks of January.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Thursday 1 January to Saturday 31 January 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday 1 January to Sunday 31 January 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday 1 January to Monday 31 January 2028 |
What is the January Sales?
The January Sales are the UK’s traditional post Christmas clearance period, when retailers reduce prices to move seasonal stock and bring in shoppers during the quietest weeks of the year. The custom dates back to the department stores of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, and for decades the sight of queues outside Harrods, Selfridges and Next on Boxing Day morning has marked the start of the sale season. Since the mid 2010s the sales have increasingly moved online and started earlier, with many retailers going live on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.
Consumer spending on Boxing Day and in the first week of January remains substantial. The British Retail Consortium and Barclays both track post Christmas spending, and the British Retail Consortium reports that December and January together account for the largest share of annual non food sales. Furniture, homeware, electricals, fashion and travel are the categories that lean most heavily on the January Sales, and holiday companies run their biggest booking promotions in the first two weeks of the year.
Why it matters for marketers and organisations
Retailers plan the January Sales as the final act of the Christmas trading period, clearing stock before spring ranges arrive and using deep discounts to hit year end targets. Travel operators, gyms and subscription businesses treat early January as their strongest acquisition window because of New Year resolutions. For charities, the sales are a prompt for decluttering and donations to shops. The key angle is value with restraint: shoppers are budget conscious after Christmas, so clear pricing, easy returns and finance options matter more than volume of messaging.
Ideas: how to mark the January Sales
- Launch your sale on Boxing Day online and in store, with a second markdown in the second week of January.
- Publish a buying guide that shows what is genuinely cheaper in January, such as sofas, mattresses and winter coats.
- Offer a January only bundle or loyalty bonus rather than blanket discounts to protect margins.
- Run a declutter and donate campaign with a charity shop partner for unwanted gifts.
- Promote no rush delivery or click and collect to manage returns and courier capacity.
- Time a New Year wellbeing or fitness offer to the first Monday of the year.
- Extend returns deadlines for Christmas gifts to the end of January and say so clearly.
- Share honest pricing history on sale items to build trust and comply with consumer law.
Key facts
- Boxing Day, 26 December, is the traditional launch day for winter sales in the UK.
- Many large retailers including Next have run their Boxing Day sale from early morning on 26 December since the 1990s.
- Under UK consumer law, a was price must be genuine and the Competition and Markets Authority has taken action over misleading reference pricing.
- Statutory rights allow 14 days to cancel most online orders under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
- The first Monday of January is often dubbed Blue Monday by travel marketers, though the term has no scientific basis.
Frequently asked questions
When is the January Sales 2028?
The January Sales 2028 run from Saturday 1 January 2028 through the month, with most retailers launching on Boxing Day, Sunday 26 December 2027. Expect the deepest online discounts in the first week and further reductions in mid January.
Are the January Sales better than Black Friday?
It depends on the category. Black Friday tends to favour electronics and beauty, while the January Sales offer larger reductions on furniture, homeware, winter clothing and holidays. January is also better for clearance of Christmas gift sets.
Can I return sale items?
Yes. Your statutory rights are the same whether an item was bought on sale or at full price, and most retailers extend their goodwill returns window for gifts bought in December.
Published 28 August 2026: dates checked for 2026 to 2028.
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