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Labor Day sales from your couch: Where to find the best online deals

Labor Day weekend means a range of discounts on many products. But if you're looking to avoid the crowds, stay at home this year and browse the Labor Day sales from your computer. 

By Matt Ong , NerdWallet

Savvy shoppers can find聽great deals聽on Labor Day weekend, which offers a聽range of discounts聽on many products. If you鈥檙e looking to avoid the crowds, stay at home this year and browse from your computer. Retailers are offering major deals during end-of-season sales both in stores and online, with some bargains reserved only for their Internet customers.

Clothing

Stores are clearing out their summer collections to make way for fall and winter, which means lower prices for consumers. The end of August is a great time to find clearance and Labor Day sales on clothing at department stores and high-end retailers alike.

Find deals on women鈥檚, men鈥檚 and juniors clothing at聽惭补肠测鈥檚, with an extra 25% off for online shoppers and up to 40% off for kids鈥 clothing bought online.听American Eagle聽is currently offering an extra 50% off clearance merchandise, and聽Abercrombie & Fitch聽has a discount of up to 60% in stores and online, along with free shipping on all orders through Sept. 1. At聽Nordstrom, you can take advantage of a summer clearance sale in stores and online with savings up to 40% through Sept. 7. The clearance sale at聽Saks Off 5th聽coincides with its Labor Day sale, offering you an additional 40% discount off your entire order with the code LABORDAY. For a 30% sale on clearance items, shop in-store or online at聽DKNY聽through Sept. 3.

Outdoor furniture and supplies

The end of summer marks the ideal occasion to invest in next year鈥檚 backyard barbecues and summertime relaxation. Online shoppers can find great deals at聽Walmart, with patio sets from $99.听Target聽has an ongoing sale on grills and outdoor cooking supplies, including items not sold in stores. Consumers in search of a char-broil commercial series grill can purchase one at a 20% discount at聽尝辞飞别鈥檚聽, which also offers free delivery and assembly of grills priced $399 or more. Other bargain items include paint, lawn mowers and power tools.

Appliances

If you鈥檙e looking to purchase any major home appliances, you can find great Labor Day deals at 尝辞飞别鈥檚, Best Buy and Sears. Find discounts of 10% to 30% off at聽尝辞飞别鈥檚听补苍诲听Best Buy, and 40% and up at聽Sears. Free delivery is included for items over $400 at all three stores.

Mattresses

Labor Day sales are the perfect time to buy a mattress.听厂濒别别辫测鈥檚聽is currently offering a Labor Day sale through Sept. 1 with discounts up to 50%, and聽Sears聽has discounts up to 60% off. Save up to 55% atOverstock.com聽and up to 70% at聽1-800-Mattress. You can also find low-priced mattresses at聽Walmart, with additional discounts during its Labor Day sale.

Keep in mind that shipping costs can be significant for items with the bulk and weight of a mattress, so opt for in-store pick-up to save money or check the retailer鈥檚 requirements for free shipping. Mattresses over $600 qualify for free delivery at聽厂濒别别辫测鈥檚听补苍诲听Sears.听1-800-Mattress, which offers free delivery on all its items, has a limited offer of two-day delivery for purchases above $400.

Shop wisely

Beware of so-called bargains. Retailers frequently list an item at an unusually high price in order to 鈥渕ark it down鈥 鈥 to its original price 鈥 and thus trick consumers into thinking they鈥檙e snagging a great deal when they鈥檙e really paying full price. One of the benefits of online shopping is that you can quickly pull up price comparisons to determine whether you鈥檙e really getting deal or just a scam. Check the product specs to identify the same product on other sites.

Read the fine print carefully before purchasing. Some discounts apply only to store credit or gift certificates, while others require mail-in rebates. When making large purchases like appliances, keep an eye out for information about warranties and returns. Retailers may change their policies for sale items, so make sure you know the conditions of your purchase before you pay.