For the last couple years, appliances have had major shipping delays. A combination of a bunched supply chain and a chip shortage meant shoppers were waiting up to 18 weeks for a fridge or an oven.
But the lag time between order and installation is slowly shortening, says Ray Williams, director of project administration at Curbio, a home improvement company for real estate agents. "Things are getting better," he says. "They are definitely trending in the right direction as a whole for the appliance industry."
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This comes at the perfect time, as sales on appliances are significant, says Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com: "May is a prime time to upgrade appliances."
Memorial Day sales offer 'huge' discounts
Throughout the month of May big box retailers will be heavily discounting large appliances. "Look at stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Best Buy to have the best discounts overall," Ramhold says.
At Lowe's, a Whirlpool washer is discounted from $699 to $548 until May 11. At Home Depot, a Samsung refrigerator is discounted from $3,199 to $2,878. And at Best Buy, a Samsung washer is discounted from $854.99 to $709.99.
Historically, Memorial Day weekend can net some good savings.
"Many stores will have Memorial Day sales with huge discounts on major appliances like stoves, refrigerators, washers, dryers, and more," Ramhold says. "We routinely see discounts in the realm of at least 35% to 40% off, but higher discounts are also possible around 50% off select models depending on where you shop."
This year, due to inflation, Ramhold says you might not see discounts as significant as in years past, but you should "still expect to see discounts worth shopping."
The supply chain still has 'many issues'
Some appliances could be delivered in as little as five days, says Williams of Curbio, but it's still "hit or miss."
There are still "many issues that span many supply chains," says Scott Grawe, chair of the department of supply chain management at Iowa State University. If you see a good deal, act now, he says.
"If a shopper finds a good deal on an appliance that meets their needs, it's best to go ahead and jump on it," he says. "Waiting for the Memorial Day sale may put you in line with many others who will be waiting months for some products to arrive."
The article "‘May is Prime Time to Upgrade Appliances’: Where to Find the Best Deals on Washers, Dryers, and More″ was originally published on Grow (CNBC + Acorns).
