Everything You Need to Know About the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

We are quickly approaching one of my favorite times of the year...the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, also called the NSale!  If you aren't already familiar with this sale, I am going to share why I love it so much, why you shouldn't miss it, and helpful tips for shopping the sale.  I did a poll on my Instagram Stories recently and almost all of you said you plan to shop the sale at some point, so I want to be sure I am your one-stop resource for all things relate to the NSale.  Be sure you read until the end of this post because I am sharing how you can enter to win a $600 Nordstrom gift card to shop the sale!  Before I continue, I know that this sale is not for everyone, so I promise I will also be posting other (non-NSale related) content on my social channels during that time as well.

First, I'll share why I love it so much and why you shouldn't miss it.  The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is unique because the items that are on sale are BRAND NEW and discounted only for a limited time.  The discounts are good too....generally the items are 35 - 40% off the regular retail price.  After the sale is over, the items go back to regular price.  Also, the selection is amazing, particularly on line.  There is certainly a great selection in stores, but there is always a much larger selection on Nordstrom's website.  And as always with Nordstrom, shipping and returns are free so you can always send back anything that doesn't work.

Key dates and info:

• July 9-11 - Sale items only available for Icon & Ambassador Nordstrom credit card holders.  That's me!  That means I will get to shop the sale even before Early Access!  I will be able to provide you with my top picks and fit reviews early so you will be ready to shop once the sale officially begins.  
• July 12 - The "Early Access Sale" begins at 12:30PM Eastern.  This is exclusively for Nordstrom credit card holders.  
• If you don't already have a Nordstrom card and want to shop the Early Access Sale, you can apply for one HERE. (I'm not one to advocate having a bunch of credit cards, and you can certainly wait until the 19th to shop with no card, but wanted to give you all the info!)
• Many of the most popular items often sell out in the first few days of Early Access, so if you have a card and plan to shop early, I would recommend shopping the first day or two of the sale for the best selection.
• July 19 - The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (also called the NSALE) opens to the public.  Sometimes items that sold out during Early Access will be restocked on this day, but many items are not restocked.  
• August 4 - Last day of the NSALE
• August 5 - All sale items go back to regular price

You may be thinking...what's so different about this sale and what will I find there?  As I mentioned previously, this is all NEW merchandise to the store.   Many of the items (clothing, shoes, handbags) are for the fall season so you can get an early start on your fall shopping.  They also have new summer items to purchase that you can wear now.  There is always a great selection of workout gear that is released at the Anniversary Sale as well. Also, there are new home items and tons of beauty offers only available during the sale.

To make the most of the sale, I recommend that you make a list of what you are really need before you start shopping.  It can be overwhelming looking through all the sale items if you don't know what you are looking for!  And if you aren't sure of sizing, order 2 sizes to make sure you get what you need as items tend to sell out fast. I also suggest that you check out as soon as you get something in your cart you want to purchase.  I speak from experience because there have been times I put something in my cart and when I went back to purchase it later, it was already sold out.  With Nordstrom's free shipping and return policy, you can place more than one order if needed and can always return what doesn't fit.  

When I polled you all recently on Instagram, half of you said you would be shopping Early Access with a Nordstrom card and half of you said you would be shopping the public sale.  So, I will be sure to space out my sale content throughout that time as so not bombard you with a lot all at once!  I will provide regular updates throughout the sale, including my top picks, fit reviews and notifications of any restocks.  I will be posting on Instagram, Facebook and here on the blog.  If you want to see some of my blog posts from last years NSale, you can find them HERE, HERE & HERE.

A few tips so you don't miss any of my updates:

1. Be sure you have subscribed to get all of my blog posts emailed to you. If you haven't already, click HERE to enter your email to get my blog posts sent directly in your inbox.  (Don't forget to verify your subscription!  You will get a verification email from "Feed Burner" and you will need to make sure you confirm your subscription.)  My first blog post will go live as soon as the Early Access Sale begins, so you can get a first look at all my favorite items.  
2. Follow me on Instagram!  I will be the most active on Instagram during the sale.  You can follow me by clicking HERE.  I will be doing a lot of try-on sessions with my favorite pieces so you can see them in detail and learn more about the fit of each item. 
3. Follow me on Facebook! I will be posting on Facebook throughout the sale as well.  You can follow me by clicking HERE. 

Smart Southern Style can be your one stop shop for all things related to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.  Thanks for taking the time to read this post!  If you have any questions about shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, feel free to leave them in the comments or send me an email..  Happy Shopping!