A Complete Guide to Nordstroms Anniversary Sale

Chicago influencer Jessica Sturdy shares her top picks from Nordstroms Anniversary Sale

Here it is, my friends… The ultimate guide to Nordstroms Anniversary Sale! I combed through every single product in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale catalog so you don’t have to. Yes, all 5800 products on all 82 pages. 😅 It’s a labor of love, though, because I truly geek out over the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

Click here to skip over the details and go directly to my favorite picks!

Well, most years anyway. To be totally transparent, there have been a few years in the recent past that I wasn’t very wowed by Nordstroms Anniversary Sale merchandise. But this year, it feels like the good ol’ days! Back in college and those few years after, I used to stay up until 2am until the clock struck midnight on the West Coast. Back then, there wasn’t a digital sale preview, but instead just a Nordstrom Anniversary Catalog you got in the mail with a sneak peak of some of the merchandise.

Once everything was magically live on Nordstrom.com at 2am central, I’d basically pull an all-nighter and comb through every single product and start adding to cart. I’d narrow it down the best I could, but still spend every single dollar I’d made at my summer job in the previous two months. Old habits sure do die hard, don’t they? 😂

Anyway, enough with the time travel — let’s get back to the 2024 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! While some things have remained consistent over the years, there are a few things that have recently changed when it comes to shopping the sale.

When is the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?

Nordstroms Anniversary Sale happens every year in JULY! The tail end usually carries into August, but it always starts in July.

This year’s sale is July 15th — August 4th, with Early Access happening July 9th — July 14th.

So the sale is now open for everyone to shop!

What’s included in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?

You know how 99.9% of sales are markdowns on merchandise that’s already been on the floor, shelf, or site? That makes Nordstroms Anniversary Sale the 0.1%. Everything included in the sale is actually new-for-fall or exclusive merchandise that’s not yet been for sale yet. It’s marked down first, and then the prices go up to their regular retail price when the sale is over, if the product is still in stock. That’s why it’s called the sale of the year!

In terms of beauty, it’s a little bit different. Most of our favorite beauty brands actually create deeply discounted sets, exclusive to the Nordstrom sale. The beauty exclusives have been some of my favorite buys in the last few years when the fashion was lacking.

Historically, my favorite items to buy during the sale have been shoes, jeans, and coats!

When can I shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?

7/15 UPDATE: The sale is now open for everyone to shop!

If you aren’t sure of your status, click here to log-in to your Nordstrom account and your shopping date will be at the top of the page in the yellow bar.

Even before you’re able to shop, you can view all of the deals and save your favorite items to a Wist List. That way, checkout will be a complete breeze on the morning you’re able to hit purchase!

Personally, I’m not able to shop until Wednesday 7/11, but I’ve already built my wish list to make checkout a breeze.

Nordy Club + Cardmember Access:
Icons: July 9-14
Ambassadors: July 10-14
Influencers: July 11-14
 
Access for Everyone:
July 15-August 4

Shopping Nordstroms Anniversary Sale

I’ve broken down the sale into categories, to hopefully make shopping a bit more organized!

Women’s Fashion

Shoes

Loeffler Randall Bow Sandal in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

How cute are these bow sandals? Such a classic that you can wear now, as opposed to waiting for fall. Easy to wear style that you’ll wear for years to come!

Regularly: $250, Sale Price: $199

FYI: I go up a half size in this brand!

These CHIC woven leather ballet flats are a must-buy for fall IMO! I went with this rich mahogany color, but they’re also available in red, metallic gold, black, and even NAVY. (!!) If you’re a navy gal, you know just how hard it is to find a good navy flat. These are currently only $150, but will go up to $238 after the sale.

I was so bummed last year when I missed these leather high-top sneakers. So happy they brought them back! Currently $54, regularly $70.

  • On the athletic front, I have these Nike Metcon shoes and they’re great for training and HIIT! Regularly $120, on sale for $105

Coats & Jackets

This faux leather puffer is WATER-RESISTANT! Such a chic style with rave reviews already. I have an almost identical jacket from a few years ago, or else I’d have already bought this one. On sale for $99, will be $180 after the sale ends.

I’m obsessed with the color of this faux fur coat. I have two other coats by this brand and the quality/warmth factor is actually pretty great for the price. Currently $199, but will be $350 after the sale.

I’ve always been a fan of a good bomber jacket, but they’re definitely trending for fall and winter. I have other faux leather pieces from this brand and have been SO impressed with the quality! Currently on sale for $90, but will go up to $148 on August 4th.

Clothing

I love a one-piece that gives you a layered look! This two-in-one sweater vest is on sale for $62. Such an easy piece to throw on with jeans or trousers this fall and winter.

Accessories

I cannot believe these ruby-red Celine Triomphe sunglasses are still in stock! Not only is this the color of the moment, but these sunglasses are one of the hottest designer accessories right now, too.

I love this modern take on a chunkier statement necklace. On sale for under $25!

Beauty

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has become one of the best times to stock up on your favorite skincare and makeup products because of all of their Beauty Exclusives and jumbo value sizes. With almost all of these sets, you won’t find them anywhere else!

I’ve used this RevitaBrow product for YEARS! It makes your eyebrows grow in so nicely and it’s nice and very gentle on my sensitive skin, too.

Normally, one tube is $111, but in this case, you get TWO FOR $111. Split it with your mom, sister, or friend, or if you already use and love it, stock up!

If you missed my love note for these three U Beauty products, check out this blog post. I can’t shut up about it! All three of the products in this set are must-haves for me. If you bought them individually, it would cost you $224, but this Nordstrom-exclusive set is only $156.

I’ve used Laura Mercier’s Caviar Eyeshadow Stickers forever because they do not crease!! Rosegold (included in this trio) is my everyday color.

$99 if you bought them individually, but only $60 for this set of 3.

Men’s Fashion

I put together a very tight list with shopping picks for Dave!

Men’s Shoes

Men’s Clothing

Dave swears by Saxx underwear and there are a number of pairs included in the sale! 3-Pack Daytripper Briefs, 3-Pack Ultra Super Soft Briefs, 2-Pack Ultra Soft Relaxed Fit.

Dave’s in need of a sock refresh, so I sent him links to his favorite Bombas: 3-Pack Ankle Socks.

Dave is also in need of some new belts, so I sent him this one to order in multiple colors.

PS: If you want to see everything in one place visually (or just need one link to send to your brothers, boyfriends, and husbands), I saved everything in one place right here.

Home

Kids

I’m obviously not an expert on kids, but I’m an aunt 100x over! If you need a stroller or baby gear, a bunch of styles my girlfriends have are majorly marked down: Thule double stroller, Stokke highchair, Silver Cross strollers, and Maxi-Cosi baby swings and carseats, too.

More FAQs

What is Early Access?

‘Early Access’ has gotten kind of confusing the last few years because Nordstrom revamped their loyalty program and changed the names for everything.

The Nordy Club is Nordstrom’s rewards program. It’s free to join and you earn points on every purchase you make, using your phone number in store and your email address online.

Based on your yearly spend, you fall into tiers: Member, Influencer, Ambassador, Icon.

If you have a Nordstrom Card, you will automatically jump to the Influencer tier. Personally, I find the name of the ‘Influencer’ tier to be pretty confusing. For example, I’m in the influencer tier, but it has nothing to do with my blog or social media.

Also, only Nordstrom cardmembers can reach the Icon tier.

In the past, all Nordstrom cardholders could shop the sale during the ‘Early Access’ period, but now it’s tiered since it’s based on spend.

Nordy Club + Cardmember Access:
Icons: July 9-14
Ambassadors: July 10-14
Influencers: July 11-14
 
Access for Everyone:
July 15-August 4

Do you need to have a Nordstrom Card to shop Early Access?

The answer used to be YES, as “the card was the key.” But now the answer is yes and no. To shop on July 9th on the first day of Early Access, yes, as that’s only available to Icon members. (And you can only reach Icon with a Nordstrom Card.)

Now, you’re able to reach both Influencer and Ambassador tiers purely based on spend.

Way back in the day, I had a “Nordstrom Debit,” which has since been discontinued. I believe if you still have one, you’re still able to use it, but they no longer offer it. (Sadly, I’ve switched banks since then so I had to get rid of mine.) Anyway, the Nordstrom Debit was a card I could pay with in-store and online to earn the same points, but it was linked to my regular bank account.

I actually opened a Nordstrom Credit Card once I had more disposable income in my later 20s, but the card got compromised when my wallet got stolen when I was on Remote Year in 2018 in Medellin, Colombia. I didn’t replace the card since I was living abroad at the time and just never ended up doing so, haha.

When I log-in to my account on Nordstrom.com, it says I’m able to shop on July 11th because I’m an “Influencer Card Member.” I assume it’s because I have my ghost credit card account? Or maybe because my old Debit is still linked to my account? Who knows.

Dave does not have a Nordstrom Card, but got a flier in the mail that he can shop early on July 13th & 14th, which must be tied to spend, as the sale opens up to the public on July 15th.

See what I mean how it’s just all a little confusing now? Or maybe it’s just me and my half-in-half-out Nordstrom Card situation. Could I call Nordstrom and probably get this sorted out fairly easily? Yes. But since I’m able to just earn points with my phone number, I’ve never really pressed the issue. I’ve got enough bills to remember to pay on time! 😅 (And like I said earlier, the sale really hasn’t been that good the last few years to incentivize me to “shop early” and figure it out.)

What is the N Sale?

The N Sale or #NSale is just a shorter term for Nordstroms Anniversary Sale!

Does Nordstrom Anniversary Sale sell out?

The “hottest” items every year typically sell out before the “Public Access” even begins.

Does Nordstrom Anniversary Sale restock?

Way back when, there would be re-stocks, but I don’t think that’s been the case for a long time. Sometimes you can get lucky if people return right away!

Is Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in store?

Yes, it’s in-store and online!

Explore More of Nordstroms Anniversary Sale

If you love to reminisce in the archives as much as I do, here’s pretty much all of my Anniversary Sale content from over the years…

2023  |  2022  |  2021 + Men’s Guide  |  2020  |  2019 + At-Home Try-On + In-Store Try-On  |  2018FAQsFirst LookDressing Room Try-OnEveryone Can Shop  |  2017Shopping TipsEarly AccessWhat I BoughtStill in Stock  |  2016Early AccessEveryone  |  2015  |  2014  |  2013  |  2012

And before I started covering the sale on this blog in 2012, I actually worked at Nordstrom for the 2011 Anniversary Sale! And, as I mentioned earlier, was shopping as a loyal customer in the years before that. My mom and I used to drive ~2 hours down to St. Louis to shop on the first day of the sale!

So needless to say — If you’ve got questions, I’ve probably got answers! And I’m more than happy to try to help! xx jess

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1 Comments

  1. 7.16.24
    Sandeep said:

    I really appreciate your honest approach, especially mentioning that some deals might not be as great as they seem. Those Vince slip-on sneakers caught my eye. thanks for putting this comprehensive guide together!