What to buy — and what not to buy — during Labor Day sales

Flickr/Amelia Wells

Labor Day is approaching, and stores are set to close out the summer with some of their hottest deals on apparel, electronics, and shoes. Since our crystal ball is out of commission (fingers crossed for some Labor Day sales on mystical soothsaying items!), we're looking to last year's sales to see what we can expect to save this year.

Check out our predictions below, and consider signing up for the DealNews Select Newsletter to get the best sales delivered to your inbox.

Hot summer clothing clearance sales

Take advantage of the huge range of apparel sales on offer during the holiday weekend, as stores clear their stock for the season. Last year, clothing sales made up nearly a third (or 28%) of all Labor Day discounts. That's down slightly from 35% in 2014, but you can still expect strong clothing sales again this year.

Last year, clothing sales made up nearly a third of all Labor Day discounts.

The cream of last year's crop came from Sperry, which offered its best discount to date (which has only been matched since, never beaten). Nike also had a great showing, with its discount being second only to its Cyber Monday sale. Lord & Taylor had its best-ever clearance sale, taking up to 85% off, with a stacking coupon that took another 25% off. You can also expect strong sales from stores like Uniqlo, Dick's Sporting Goods, and REI.

Swimwear prices take a dive

If your swimwear took a beating this summer, then Labor Day will be the ideal time to upgrade for the coming year. Keep an eye on Speedo, as the brand's Labor Day sale last year was their best of the year. (A coupon took an extra 25% off sitewide, including sale items which were already up to half off.)

More generally, stores like JCPenney and Kohl's are likely to cut up to an extra 25% off their clearance swimwear selection with coupons throughout the next month.

Also, if you you can't wait for cheap women's swimwear, Victoria's Secret is already offering up to 70% off its soon-to-be-discontinued swim line. Those price cuts will likely become stronger during the holiday weekend.

Shoes run the game

Our data shows that shoe deals had an uptick over the Labor Day period, accounting for about a fourth of all our apparel deals. You can expect strong discounts on running shoes from the likes of Nike, Reebok, and PUMA, as well as sales from Sperry. But it was 6pm that led the field last year, offering shoes from brands like ASICS and Fila from $14.99.

For those of a dressier persuasion, we saw stores like Cole Haan, Kenneth Cole, and Men's Wearhouse take as much as 70% off, while department stores like Target dropped prices on shoes to as low as $1.98.