The Little-Known Secrets Hiding in Marshalls’ Price Tags (and How They Can Save You Money!)

Scoring a good deal at Marshalls or its sister stores like T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, and Homesense is kind of a given. But apparently you can score an even better deal all by checking out the price tag on your item before heading to the checkout lane, as the trusty Marshalls tags hold some pretty useful information that can help you save even more money.

I was first turned on to this possibility when I saw a TikTok from @Mel_Aninn who said that the “type” code in the upper-right corner might give some helpful info about the product you’re looking to purchase. But I dug even further and found more information than I could have dreamed of.

“So, type 2 means that the item has a slight flaw,” the user claimed. “And type 6 means that the items were overstocked by the manufacturer and therefore sent into Winners (a Canadian-based retailer) or Marshalls to be sold and you get it at a better value, [a] better price.”

The user also said that the four-digit code near the upper-right portion of the tag or sticker signifies the date that the item arrived in store (i.e., 0925 or 1025 for September and October 2025, respectively). Other TikTokers have noted that the further out these dates are from when you’re shopping, the easier it might be to ask for additional discounts than what the sticker price is offering (and your best shot of snagging a deeper discount will be four weeks or more beyond the in-store arrival date).

Now, while I was happy to take the information in this video and run with it, I’m a reporter by trade, so I figured the best way to actually figure out if these hacks are true would be to reach out to Marshalls representatives. 

While they weren’t able to confirm anything about “type” codes on the tag, so I cannot verify whether or not the TikToker is right, they did let me know a few secrets when it comes to Marshalls shopping. 

The first hack I learned is that markdowns are indicated by price tag colors. White price tags mean the item is at regular price. Red price tags mean the item is clearance price, and yellow price tags are final clearance price. Blue tags mean that whatever you’re shopping for comes in a set, so keep an eye out for the matching piece your set might be missing. Purple is a “Runway” item — it connotes the higher-end brands that Marshalls, etc., sells. 

Also, though I know nothing about the “types” and can’t confirm or deny whether or not that’s true, January and July are apparently the best extra clearance months that the store has to offer, so if you try not to get sucked into Marshalls too often because you know you’ll randomly spend a few hundred dollars (guilty!), then try to only go in those months. And happy deals shopping!