Presidents' Day 2026: Why the Best Costco Deals Are Actually Tomorrow

Key Takeaways

• The Tuesday Shift: Because Presidents' Day (Feb 16) is a federal holiday, Costco's corporate "Markdown Monday" schedule has slid to Tuesday, Feb 17. This delays about 15-20% of clearance inventory flows.
• Reading the Tags: Prices ending in .97 signal corporate clearance; .00 means a manager-specific markdown that exists only at your local warehouse.
• The 30-Day Hard Stop: The price adjustment window is now automated. As of 2026, the CRM system instantly rejects requests made on day 31.
• The Online Wall: You cannot match Costco.com deals in the warehouse. Online prices average 31% higher to cover shipping (Consumer Reports, 2025).

George W. Bush spent this Presidents' Day reflecting on the legacy of George Washington in a widely shared essay. He praised the first president for ensuring stability. It is a touching tribute. But for Costco members, the holiday brings a different kind of instability: it breaks the sacred "Markdown Monday" schedule.

If you walked into your local warehouse today hoping to find those legendary corporate markdowns, you likely walked out empty-handed. Because today is a federal holiday, the entire clearance machine has stalled.

Here is why tomorrow morning—Tuesday, February 17—is actually the most important shopping window of the month, and how you can spot the deals before they disappear.

The "Markdown Tuesday" Phenomenon

If you shop here often, you know the rhythm. The second, third, and fourth Mondays of the month are usually when corporate headquarters pushes clearance updates to the warehouse floors. But warehouse logistics pause for no one, not even George Washington.

Tracking data from Costco97 and Save Money in Winnipeg (2025) shows a reliable pattern: when a federal holiday falls on a Monday, the clearance updates slide by 24 hours. That means the fresh batch of deep discounts—often on unsold furniture, electronics, and seasonal stock—won't hit the floor until the doors roll up tomorrow, Tuesday, February 17. This shift fits Costco's operational need to keep inventory moving; they have to maintain sales per square foot of roughly $1,800 (MMCG, 2025).

This creates a narrow opening. Most casual shoppers visited over the long weekend. The store will be quieter tomorrow morning, yet the inventory of clearance items will be at its peak. If you want to track price drops, your eyes are the best tool you have tomorrow—provided you know what to look for.

Decoding the Secret Language of Tags

A price tag at Costco is more than a number. It is a code that tells you the item's future. When you scan the aisles tomorrow, you need to tell the difference between a local deal and a company-wide clearance event. That distinction tells you whether to buy now or wait.

The .97 Code (Corporate Clearance) — This is the one you want. A price ending in .97 indicates a corporate-wide clearance deal where the price has been slashed to clear inventory across the region. These items rarely drop further—they are priced to move immediately and free up pallet space.

The .00 Code (Manager Markdown) — These are rarer and more volatile. The '.00' price ending (e.g., $5.00) confirms a 'Manager Markdown' specific to that warehouse, often used for floor models or last-unit inventory (Reddit r/Costco, 2025). If you see a high-end blender for $40.00, that price exists only in that specific building. You will not find it at the Costco ten miles away.

The .88 Code (Manager Return/Display) — Often overlooked, prices ending in .88 usually signify a returned item or a display model sold "as is." While risky, these can offer discounts of 50% or more off the original sticker price.

Marie Clark, Editor at CostContessa, puts it simply: "If you see an item marked down and its price ends in .97 or in an even .00... then you know it's on clearance. That is your signal to buy immediately, because inventory is usually limited to what is on the pallet."

The Strict 30-Day Adjustment Rule

Maybe you bought a 65-inch TV for the Super Bowl earlier this month, and you see it drop in price tomorrow. Can you get your money back? Yes, but the window is tighter than many members realize.

Costco's official price adjustment window remains 30 days. In the past, a lenient manager might have overridden this for a purchase made 32 or 33 days ago. That flexibility is gone. As of January 2026, the Krazy Coupon Lady notes that requests made on day 31 are now automatically rejected by the system. This automation ensures the policy is consistent across all 600+ U.S. warehouse locations.

The automation makes manual tracking dangerous. If you rely on memory and miss the window by 24 hours, the system locks you out of your refund. This is why many members are turning to automatic savings tools like CostRefund to monitor these timelines for them.

"Price matching happens before you buy... Price adjustments apply after a purchase, when an item you already bought drops in price and the retailer offers a partial refund," says Samantha Gordon, Deals Editor at Consumer Reports. At Costco, that refund is generous, but the deadline is absolute.

Online vs. Warehouse: The Wall Between Worlds

New members often hit a wall when they see a deal on Costco.com and try to claim it at the customer service desk. It doesn't work.

Online and in-store price adjustments are completely separate; you cannot get a warehouse refund for a Costco.com purchase, nor vice-versa (Costco Customer Service, 2026). The inventories are distinct. In fact, Consumer Reports (2025) found that online prices for same-day delivery were approximately 31% higher than in-store prices. That markup covers the shipping and handling.

If you file a Costco online price adjustment form, do not expect it to honor a lower price you saw on a warehouse shelf. The warehouse price reflects the "cash and carry" model—no shipping included. The online price includes shipping and handling, which is why it is almost always higher, even on sale goods.

Why Tracking Matters

Costco operates on tight margins—an average gross margin of just 11.12% in FY2025, compared to the 25-50% retail standard (ElectroIQ, 2026). When prices do drop, they drop significantly, but briefly.

With 76 million paid members competing for the same inventory, luck is a bad strategy. Whether you scan receipts manually or use a service to do it for you, the key is vigilance. Tomorrow's "Markdown Tuesday" is a perfect test case: thousands of items will drop in price at 10:00 AM. If you bought any of them in the last 29 days, you are owed money. If you didn't, it is the best time to buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use an app to scan Costco receipts for price drops? Yes. Services like CostRefund allow you to scan your receipts and automatically track purchases against daily price changes. Since Costco does not price match competitors, these tools focus strictly on internal Costco price drops, ensuring you don't miss the 30-day window. Data suggests automated tracking can recover an average of $150–$200 per year for frequent shoppers.

Q: Does Costco do price adjustments after 30 days if I speak to a manager? No. The system is hard-coded to reject adjustments after 30 days. While managers have discretion on returns, price adjustments are now strictly automated. The "Day 31" lockout is a hard rule in the 2026 CRM update.

Q: What is the best day of the week to find clearance deals at Costco? Typically, the second, third, and fourth Mondays of the month are "Markdown Mondays." But when a Monday falls on a holiday (like Presidents' Day), this schedule shifts to Tuesday morning. Wednesday is generally the best day to shop if you want to avoid crowds while inventory is still fresh.

Q: Can I get a price adjustment for a manager special (.00 price)? It depends. Because .00 prices are specific to a single location (often to clear floor models), you can only get a price adjustment if you bought the item at that specific warehouse and there is still stock remaining at the lower price. If the item is sold out, the adjustment is usually denied.

Q: Why are Costco online prices higher than in-store? Online prices include shipping and handling fees, which are not broken out separately. Research indicates online items are marked up by ~20-30% to cover logistics. You are paying for the convenience of delivery, whereas the warehouse price is strictly "cash and carry."