Kohl's clearance: markdown schedule and the yellow sticker
What shoppers and deal sites say Kohl's yellow stickers and price-tag codes mean, why there's no official markdown schedule, and where the sources disagree.
Search for a Kohl's clearance schedule and you'll find confident answers that don't match each other. Kohl's doesn't publish how its markdowns work, so everything below is reported by shoppers, employees or deal sites, and we've noted where they disagree.
What Kohl's has said
When ABC6 News asked about price-tag codes, Kohl's declined to comment, saying it considers pricing strategies proprietary. So treat any "official schedule" you see online with caution.
The yellow sticker: sources disagree
- The Krazy Coupon Lady says a yellow sticker means the item has reached the lowest price of the season, and its price won't drop again unless it gets another clearance markdown.
- Other deal sites describe yellow tags as the clearance price itself. For example, Torok Coupon Hunter wrote about an "extra 50% off yellow tag clearance" promotion that ran in January 2026, where the extra discount came off the clearance price at checkout.
Both could be true at different times or in different stores. The safe takeaway: a yellow sticker is a sign the price is already reduced. Check the register price and any current promotion before you assume how low it'll go.
Letter codes on the price display
Kohl's shelf displays sometimes show letters in the upper-right corner. Reported meanings:
- ABC6: "NM" = new markdown, "GV" = great value (price dropped for a limited time), "S" = sale.
- The Smart Wallet: "BB" = Bonus Buy, "BGH" = buy one, get one half off, "PP" = a fixed sale price rather than a percentage discount, "S" = sale for about 1-2 weeks, and a square symbol = lowest price of the season.
Neither list is confirmed by Kohl's, and they don't fully overlap.
Is there a markdown schedule?
Some timing sites publish exact markdown percentages and dates. We couldn't find any source for them from Kohl's itself, so we're not repeating them here. What's documented is that Kohl's sometimes runs extra-percent-off promotions on clearance (like the January 2026 one above). Watch for those rather than counting days.
A note on links
We don't have an approved Kohl's affiliate program, so we don't earn anything from Kohl's links here. If you're comparing prices, you can also check our Kohl's page and current Amazon deals for the same item.
More price-tag guides
See Target's markdown schedule, Home Depot price endings, Costco .97 and the asterisk, Sam's Club price endings and how to verify a deal is real.
Quick answers
What does a yellow sticker mean at Kohl's?
Sources disagree. The Krazy Coupon Lady says it marks an item that has reached its lowest price of the season and won't drop again unless it gets a clearance markdown. Other sites describe yellow tags as clearance prices. Kohl's hasn't published an official meaning.
Does Kohl's publish a clearance markdown schedule?
No. Kohl's declined to comment to ABC6 News, saying it considers pricing strategies proprietary. Any exact schedule you see online is shopper observation, not an official policy.
Does Price Bug Alerts earn a commission on Kohl's links?
No. We don't have an approved Kohl's affiliate program, so the Kohl's links in this guide aren't affiliate links.