Shopping Smart:Gymboree

I have been saying I was going to write this for ages and finally after enough people asking me here it is, a how to on how to shop at Gymboree for Walmart, or even cheaper than Walmart prices.


So who doesn't LOVE the clothes at Gymboree? They are fashonable, hold up well, resell better, and lets not forget super expensive. I have never and will never pay $40 for a pair of pajamas my 4 year old will out grow within the month. However, all of my children have Gymboree clothing and my son wore nothing but Gymboree for the first year of his life. How you ask? Well here are my tips:



1. Don't shop "in season". Gymboree lines go in and out of style quickly. Once the new line for that season comes in, the old lines are marked down and sent to the sale racks. The older the line, the better deal you will get on it. I promise your toddler does not care if the tag on his shirt says spring '09 during the spring '10 season.

2. Look ahead. Shop in bigger sizes when you find a bargain. Who cares if they can't wear it for another 2 years if you only paid $.79 for that pair of pants (yes, this has actually happened for me)! I have a general rule that I stay within 2 years unless it's just a fantastic deal. That way I dont forget what I have because its been sitting in a box for a decade waiting for my child to grow into it.

3. Shop during Gymbucks. Pretty regularly Gymboree has periods of time that you can aquire Gymbucks by spending more than $50. The key with these is to shop the clearance racks and try to hit the $50 mark as close as possible. When you spend $50 you will get a $25 Gymbuck good on a $50 purchase made in the future. If you spend $100 my suggestion is to do it in 2 transactions so that your Gymbucks are in the smallest increments possible. Check the dates carefully on your Gymbucks and be sure not to forget to spend them! Yes this does take an initial investment but, shopping the sales racks during this time can average out the clothing to less than $3 per item easily. Redeem your Gymbucks on sale items.



4. Hit several stores. Now this wont work for the Gymbucks. You have to spend the entire $50 in one store to get those, but if you are out and about and can hit more than one store it can be worth the effort. No two stores are going to have the same selection. I will list my favorites at the end of the blog.



5. Set a limit on what you are willing to spend and stick to it. I personally don't spend over $3.99 on shirts, $5.99 on pants, or $8.99 on sweaters and overalls. Setting a price limit allows me to rationally put a cute item back on the shelf, knowing that I can get a better deal on an equally cute item later. Yes, on the rare occassion I do grab something that is special and I pay a bit more (for instance I found a monkey shirt that my son wore during his monkey 1st birthday party), but for the most part I stick to it.

6. Gymboree has just issued a new loyalty card. For every $1 you spend you get a point and the points can then be traded in for a gift card. I will update this after I have had a chance to look at it a bit more.


Ok so here are just a few quick tid-bits. Feel free to post questions and I will answer them if I miss it here.

*Girls clothes are harder to find cheap. They tend to leave the racks quickly and are not marked down as much or as often as the boys clothes. You may have to increase your price limit if you dont have a boy to shop for. I just mix it in with what I purchase for my son. My girls dont have quite as much Gymboree but then again they really dont care.

*If you return an item that you used or got Gymbucks on, the store will deduct the Gymbucks from the purchase. Be sure that if you return something you replace it so that you can still use your Gymbucks.