Kohl’s is a bit of an odd beast to figure out when it comes to techniques to save money. This is due to them having a lot of different savings opportunities available to shoppers and it can be overwhelming to figure them all out. A few of the more obvious tips that I’ve discussed in the past include stacking coupons at Kohl’s, using Kohl’s Cash in-conjunction with a 30% off coupon, and taking advantage of their liberal return policy. But I think it’s time to dig a little deeper and talk about some of the lesser-known Kohl’s shopping secrets that will take your Kohl’s game to the next level.

Over 60? Gotta Shop on a Wednesday

We’ve talked about senior discounts before on this blog, and Kohl’s is on the leading-edge with their generous 15% off senior discount.

Every Wednesday, all Kohl’s brick & mortar locations offer those aged 60 and above a 15% discount.

The catch is that the senior discount cannot be combined with any dollar-off discounts, including Kohl’s cash coupons, Yes2You Rewards and promotional gifts.

Be sure to ask for your 15% discount when checking out as most cashiers will not mention it unless you do first.

See Also: Kohl’s Return Policy: How It Works + Tips for Success

Learn to Crack the Kohl’s Price Tag Code

You’ll never look at one of their electronic shelf price tags the same way again.

In particular, you’ll want to focus on the letters in top Right Corner of digital shelf tag.

Here is what you need to know:

• NM = New Markdown. This means that the product will be going on clearance that night/the next day. Wait to purchase and save some money.
• S = Sale Price.
• BGH = Buy one, get one for half off.
• PP = Price Point. Language used for internal reasons to help employees place specific ad graphics and toppers on products.
• BB = Bonus buy.
• GV = Great Value. Limited time price drop, usually only lasts 1-2 days. Thanks to Ginger Allen at CBS Dallas for this tip.
• Clearance Items Tip = Clearance is usually marked every other month or so, with additional marks in between. Clearance at Kohl’s is based on quantity of the item, and can vary by color. So let’s say a shirt comes in both blue and red, but there are 25 blues vs 10 reds. The blue would go to 70/80% off while the red would go to 60 off%. Typically, everything starts at 60%, and the lowest it will ever go is 90% off. Also, most clothing items will be labeled as “Limited Quantity” before going clearance at 55-60% off. Also keep in mind, unlike many stores, Kohl’s coupon will work on clearance items unless an item is considered “Prestige”, but that typically applies only to beauty products.

Forgot Your Kohl’s Coupon? No Worries

When shopping online, it can be easy to forget to use a Kohl’s coupon code, or maybe you simply couldn’t find one at the time of your purchase.

But what happens if you get a coupon code, or realize you forgot to use one, after you’ve already completed your purchase?

Simply email Kohl’s customer service after your purchase, include your order number and coupon code, and they’ll give you credit for the coupon by refunding money to your original payment method. Pretty cool.

When shopping in-store, you can also ask for a coupon discount after-the-fact by going to the customer service desk.

Mileage may vary depending on how long ago you placed your purchase. The sooner the better.

Also, it’s worth noting that your Kohl’s Cash does expire these days, but you usually have a 48-hour grace period after the expiration date, so be sure to use it.

Score Free Shipping with In-Store Kiosk

Have you ever noticed those in-store Kohl’s kiosks?

They kinda look like a modern ATM machine and are typically found near the shoe section.

If you can’t find your size, or a particular item is out-of-stock, they’re an awesome money-saving tool as a kiosk-placed order gets you free shipping right to your doorstep.

The kiosk also allows you to shop a HUGE selection of inventory which is really handy for hard-to-find sizes, colors, and model numbers.

Get a Price Match, Then Use a Coupon

Kohl’s has a pretty user friendly price-match policy which stipulate that they’ll price-match any competitor’s in-store price as long as it’s an identical product sold in Kohl’s stores.

But what about using a Kohl’s coupon on top of the price match?

Well, if the coupon is good for no more than 15% off your total purchase, they’ll let you use it in addition to the price match.

This is for in-store shopping only.

Thanks to Kohl’s employee Arlene for passing along this great tip.

Clearance “Markdown Schedule” Tip

While I’ve talked many times about cracking the price tag code at Kohl’s and figuring out how to read those digital codes they put on their pricing signs, I have some new info to pass along.

Similar to how Target does it, Kohl’s places clearance items on a markdown schedule that usually starts at 60% off, then goes to 70%, 80% and the holy grail of 90% off the original price.

They’ll actually place the new clearance sticker right over the old one so you can visually tell how many times a product has been marked-down. See picture above.

I was told by a Kohl’s employee that they typically mark clearance items down every 14-21 days.

So if they have ample inventory of a product that is marked at 60% off, in many cases it’s worth waiting and coming back in a week or 2 and get it for less.

Related: Check out my article What Day to Shop? 12 Insider Tips on Store Markdowns.

Shop Between 3 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday

Kohl’s routinely has what they term “Power Hours” between Friday at 3 pm and Saturday at 1 pm.

During this time period they mark down hundreds of items between 10% to 30%.

A quick chat session with a Kohl’s representative confirmed these “Power Hours”.

Apparently they are most frequent during the Christmas shopping season of November and December but do pop-up throughout the year.

Keep an eye on sales/coupon flyers as they routinely post information on upcoming “Power Hours” at your local Kohl’s.

Ask the Reader: Have you ever tried any of these tips? If not, how do you save money when shopping at Kohl’s?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to hattiesburgmemory.

Kyle James( Owner/Founder )

I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)