Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2018: Everything You Need to Know

Happy Saturday, everyone!

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but things have been rather CRAY in the Schoop house the last few weeks! From being out of town every weekend to cleaning, organizing, and nesting like crazy–it’s been hard to actually sit down and put my feet up, let alone write!

I have some content that I have slowly built up, so I should be back normal on Monday, but I wanted to pop on over before then and get you all excited about one of my most favorite sales that’s coming up….

THE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE!!! *cue confetti*

The sale kind of snuck up on me, this year, because winter seemed to last until May and it feels like summer just started…and I’m pretty sure you all have heard by now because every blogger and their mother (literally) is talking about it, but the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is coming up in a few days! I know I talk about it every year, but it really is one of my favorites sales of the year as it features ALL NEW items for fall and winter at marked down prices. Every year, I like to stock up on sweaters, boots, handbags, and other staples I know I will get a lot of wear out of. Y’all know that fall is my main squeeze, so it’s no surprise that this sale is my FAVE!

To help you navigate the sale, I created a main page that will be frequently updated with my sale favorites, style guides, and more. I’ll break my favorites into sections on shoes (lots of ankle booties and OTK boots!!), beauty picks, maternity must-haves, and more. I’ve placed a Nordstrom Anniversary Sale tab at the top of the blog for easy access, so make sure to bookmark that page and come back and check out all the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale updates!

If you have never shopped the sale before, or are looking for some strategies to make the most out of your budget, let’s take a look at some of the most commonly asked questions below:

**And if you are a seasoned NSALE-pro, you can skip on down to see some of my favorites from the sneak peek catalogue!**

frequently asked questions

what is the nordstrom anniversary sale?

Once a year, Nordstrom has a sale in July where they release their Fall and Winter items at majorly discounted prices. Where most items are released at full-price and then are marked down later, the Anniversary sale does the opposite: items are released at marked-down prices, and then go up to normal retail prices after the sale ends.

It’s one of the best times to shop for fall basics like denim, boots, sweaters, etc., as well as designer pieces from Burberry, Tory Burch and others, that will be on major sale! Most items will be marked down at least 25% from their retail price–this sale really is better than Black Friday!

when is the nordstrom anniversary sale?

Nordstrom debit and credit card holders can access the sale online and in stores from July 12th-19th (see below on how you can get early access!), and then the sale will be open to the public from July 20st-August 5th.

how do i shop the sale?

There are a couple ways different ways to shop the sale: online, and in-store. I have shopped the sale both online and in-store.

Online: You can shop the sale from this link once the sale goes live, but for now, you can check out the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale catalog and start making a plan for what you’d like to purchase! Once the sale goes live, I highly recommend shopping often, as new items will be added to the sale each day, and highly sought-after pieces will sell out and be restocked. The great thing about shopping online is that Nordstrom offers free shippingand returns, no minimum purchase requirement!
In-store: If you have a Nordstrom store nearby, you can pop on in and check out the sale starting on July 21st, or if you’re a cardholder, you will have early access in-store as well!

What I recommend doing, and I’ve heard this recommendation from some of my blogger friends, is to do a combination of the two; purchase your items online, and pick them up in-store. That way you beat the crowds, and can pick up most, if not all, of your purchases that same day!

what is early access?

Early access to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is exclusively for credit card or debit card holders to shop the sale from July 12th-19th, before the sale goes live to the public. It’s the best way to shop the sale, as you are almost guaranteed to snag the pieces you want before they are sold out (and believe me, they sell out FAST and are sometimes never restocked!)

You can sign in online and use your card to shop the sale early, or present it in-store to be given early access to the sales!

how do i get a nordstrom card?

You can apply here for a Nordstrom Visa card, and once approved, can begin shopping right away. Being a cardmember has lots of perks such as earning 2 points for every dollar you spend (with some days offering triple points!), and those points are turned into Nordstrom Notes to be spent on future purchases! You can check out the full list of benefits here.

what if i don’t want the card but still want to shop the sale?

I completely understand not wanting another piece of plastic to keep track of! You can still shop the Anniversary Sale both online and in-stores, but will have to wait until it is open to the public from July 20st-August 5th.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved shopping last year’s sale–I purchased the coveted Tory Burch riding boots for way under normal retail price (they were my most-worn pair of boots, last year!), as well as a cashmere wrap and my favorite pair of denim ever! This year, I will be looking to replace my grey ankle booties, and possibly add a pair of tan suede boots to my rotation. Think I can convince the Hubs I need another pair?? 😉

My Sneak Peek Favorites

The sneak peek catalogue that Nordstrom released is, as every year, slightly unimpressive, but there are always WAY more items that will be on-sale, once the sale goes live. However, there are a handful of pieces I have got my eye on, like this TOPSHOP cardigan–I can’t decide if I like the pink or forest green better! And of course I might have to snag another cashmere wrap or poncho. I can’t wait to see what colors are offered!

There are so many more pieces that will go live on Thursday, I cannot wait to shop the sale! Don’t forget to bookmark the main Nordstrom Anniversary Sale page for up-to-date sale info, and follow along on Instagram for more!

Before I go, I want to know what kinds of items YOU would like to see covered! Are you looking to add to your sweater collection? Wanting to replace your favorite grey ankle booties? Building up your preppy fall basics? Let me know what you would like to see, and I will focus my attention on bringing you the things you want most. 🙂

Stay Classy!