- Frontgate's best discounts happen during predictable seasonal windows. Time your purchase right and you can save 20% to 40% on outdoor furniture.
- Their outlet site, email coupons, and financing options are underused tools that most shoppers never bother with.
- Free shipping thresholds, clearance timing, and end-of-season markdowns follow a pattern. Once you know it, you'll never pay full price again.
1. Buy Outdoor Furniture in Late Summer and Early Fall
This is the single biggest money-saving tip for Frontgate, and most people get the timing exactly wrong. They shop for patio furniture in May or June, right when demand peaks and prices are firm. Don't do that.
Frontgate starts marking down outdoor collections in late August through October. By September, you'll see 20% to 30% off current-season styles. By October, clearance markdowns hit 30% to 40% on pieces they don't want to warehouse over winter. That $5,000 conversation set you were eyeing in June? It's $3,500 in September.
The tradeoff: selection thins out as the season progresses. Popular collections in popular colors sell out first. If you need a very specific set, consider ordering in July during one of their mid-summer sales (usually 15% to 20% off) to lock in your choice. But if you're flexible on color or collection, waiting until September saves real money.
There's a second window in January and February when Frontgate clears remaining winter inventory to make room for new spring lines. The discounts can be steep (40%+ on some items), but the selection is limited to whatever didn't sell during the fall clearance.
2. Use the Frontgate Outlet (Most People Don't Know It Exists)
Frontgate operates an outlet section on their website that carries overstock, discontinued, and returned items at significant discounts. It's not hidden exactly, but they don't promote it heavily either. Look for the “Outlet” or “Last Chance” link in the site footer or navigation.
Outlet prices run 30% to 60% below retail, and the items are the same quality as full-price merchandise. The catch is that outlet inventory changes constantly and popular items disappear fast. Check it weekly if you're in the market for something specific. Some shoppers set calendar reminders to browse the outlet every Tuesday morning, which is when new markdowns tend to appear.
A few things to know about outlet purchases: return policies may be more restrictive (final sale on some items), and you won't always find matching pieces if you need a complete set. But for individual chairs, accent tables, umbrellas, or holiday decor, the outlet is legitimately the best deal at Frontgate.
3. Sign Up for Emails (and Actually Use the Welcome Coupon)
Frontgate offers a 15% off welcome coupon when you sign up for their email list. This works on most full-price items, though some exclusions apply (usually new arrivals and already-discounted merchandise). On a $4,000 furniture purchase, that's $600 in savings for typing in your email address. It takes 30 seconds.
Beyond the welcome discount, their emails are actually worth keeping (don't immediately unsubscribe like you do with most retail emails). Frontgate sends out flash sales, exclusive coupon codes, and early access to seasonal markdowns through email. Subscribers typically get notified about sales 24 to 48 hours before they go live on the website.
Pro tip: if your welcome coupon expires before you're ready to buy, sign up with a different email address. They don't cross-reference by name or mailing address. Use your work email, a spouse's email, or a secondary Gmail account. Each one gets a fresh 15% coupon.
4. Stack Free Shipping with Sale Prices
Frontgate frequently runs free shipping promotions, especially during holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day) and their major seasonal sales. On large outdoor furniture, standard shipping can cost $100 to $300, so free shipping during a sale effectively doubles your discount.
Here's how to stack it: wait for a seasonal sale (15% to 25% off) that coincides with a free shipping offer. These overlap several times a year. The Memorial Day and Labor Day sales almost always include free shipping, and those are also when outdoor furniture sees some of its best markdowns. You end up saving on the item price and the delivery cost simultaneously.
One thing to watch: “free shipping” at Frontgate usually means free standard shipping, not free white glove delivery. If you want someone to carry your new sectional into your backyard and set it up, that's still an extra $150 to $300. For small items, standard shipping is fine. For a 300-pound dining set, seriously consider paying for white glove. Your back will thank you.
5. Consider Their Financing Options for Big Purchases
Frontgate offers a Frontgate credit card through Comenity Bank. The standard APR is high (like all store cards), but the real value is in their promotional financing offers. They periodically run 12 to 18 months of 0% APR financing on purchases over a certain threshold (usually $500 to $1,000+).
If you're spending $6,000 on a patio set and can pay it off in 12 monthly installments of $500 with no interest, that's genuinely useful. It lets you buy during the best sale window without needing the full amount upfront. The key rule: pay it off before the promotional period ends. If you don't, you get hit with all the deferred interest at once, and the standard APR is brutal (typically 25% to 30%).
The card also earns rewards (typically 5% back in Frontgate rewards), which can be applied to future purchases. If you're a repeat Frontgate buyer (say, furnishing multiple outdoor spaces over a few years), the rewards add up. But if this is a one-time purchase, don't open a store card just for the rewards. The financing is the real perk.
6. Watch for Clearance on Holiday Decor
Frontgate's holiday decorations are some of their best products, but buying them at full price in October is a rookie move. Their Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, and outdoor holiday decor go on clearance in late December through January, with discounts of 40% to 60%.
A 9-foot pre-lit tree that costs $1,200 in October? It's $600 to $700 in January. Same tree, same box, same warranty. You just store it for 10 months before using it. If you have the storage space, buying holiday decor after the season is one of the easiest ways to get Frontgate quality at non-Frontgate prices.
The same logic applies to summer items bought in fall. Outdoor entertaining pieces (ice buckets, serving trays, outdoor lighting) get marked down alongside furniture in September and October. Stock up on the accessories when they're 30% to 50% off and you'll have them ready for next summer.
7. Call Before You Order (Seriously)
This is the tip that most online shoppers skip, and it's one of the most effective. Call Frontgate's sales line before placing a large order. Their phone reps have access to unadvertised discounts, bundle pricing, and sometimes coupon codes that aren't available online.
If you're buying multiple pieces (say, a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table from the same collection), ask about a bundle discount. Phone reps can sometimes knock 5% to 10% off multi-item orders that wouldn't automatically get a discount online. They can also sometimes apply expired coupon codes or match a recent sale price if an item just went back to full price.
Another reason to call: if you're on the fence about an item, tell the rep you're comparing it to a competitor. They occasionally offer a small discount to close the sale. This doesn't always work, and it depends on the rep, but it costs you nothing to ask. The worst they say is no.
You can also ask about upcoming sales. Reps won't always reveal specifics, but they'll sometimes hint that a sale is coming “very soon” and suggest you wait a few days. That kind of insider knowledge can save you hundreds.
Bonus: The Frontgate Sale Calendar at a Glance
Here's a rough timeline of when to buy what. These windows shift slightly year to year, but the pattern holds:
- January to February: Post-holiday clearance on Christmas decor (40% to 60% off). Winter clearance on remaining outdoor furniture from the previous year.
- March to April: New outdoor collections launch. Limited discounts, but email subscribers get early access and occasional 10% to 15% coupons.
- May (Memorial Day): First major sale of the season. 15% to 25% off outdoor furniture + free shipping. Good deals, but not the deepest discounts.
- July (Fourth of July): Mid-summer sale with 15% to 20% off select categories. Decent for impulse buys, not the best for planned purchases.
- August to September (Labor Day): Best all-around sale. 20% to 30% off plus free shipping. Selection is still good.
- October: End-of-season clearance begins. 30% to 40% off remaining outdoor inventory. Selection thins out.
- November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday): Sitewide sales of 20% to 30% off, including indoor items and holiday decor. One of the few times indoor categories see significant discounts.
- December: Holiday decor starts going on sale after December 25. Outdoor furniture inventory is minimal.
The Bottom Line
Frontgate is expensive, but almost nobody should be paying full price. Between seasonal sales, the outlet, email coupons, free shipping stacking, and the simple act of picking up the phone, you can consistently save 15% to 40% on most purchases. The key is patience and timing. Know the sale calendar, watch the outlet, and don't buy outdoor furniture in May just because the weather turned nice.
The biggest mistake Frontgate shoppers make is impulse buying at full price. The second biggest mistake is not knowing about the outlet. Fix those two things and you'll get premium quality without the premium sting.
Shop the calendar, check the outlet weekly, and never place a large order without calling first. Those three habits alone will save you hundreds (or thousands) at Frontgate every year.
