Guide to Pottery Barn White Sale: What It Is and What Shoppers Typically See Included
Sale years ago, I was genuinely confused why the navy duvet cover was 20% off.
Since then, I’ve timed more than a few big home refreshes around Pottery Barn’s White Sale, tracked prices before and during promos, and even tested the quality of some of their bestsellers over multiple seasons. If you’ve ever wondered what the White Sale actually is, when it happens, and what’s usually included (and not included), let’s break it down in a way that actually helps you plan.
What Is a “White Sale” Anyway?
Historically, a “white sale” has nothing to do with color. Back in 1878, John Wanamaker, a Philadelphia department store owner, launched a January sale on household linens—everything was literally white back then, hence the name. The idea was simple: slower retail month, big discount on essentials like sheets and towels.
Fast-forward to now: brands like Pottery Barn still use “White Sale” as a signal for discounts on bedding, bath, and sometimes related home textiles, regardless of color or pattern. So your striped duvet, blush quilt, and charcoal towels can totally be part of a White Sale.
Pottery Barn leans into that tradition—especially right after the holidays—when most of us realize our sheets are on their last leg or our towels feel like extra-large sandpaper.
When Pottery Barn Typically Runs White Sales
I’ve watched Pottery Barn’s promo patterns for a few years (yes, I’m that person who checks prices in the app before big holidays), and here’s what I keep seeing:
- Major White Sale: early January
This is usually the big one. It often kicks off right after New Year’s and runs for 1–2 weeks. Think “bedding & bath event” or “White Sale” language front and center on their homepage.
- Mini/Targeted White Sales: mid-year
Sometimes Pottery Barn will run bedding- or bath-focused promos around Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or Labor Day. They’re not always explicitly called a White Sale, but the structure is similar: bedding, bath, and soft goods at a discount.
When I’ve tracked prices, the January White Sale tends to give the most consistent and wide coverage across bedding and bath, whereas holiday weekend promos sometimes narrow in on specific categories or require higher minimums.
Caveat: Pottery Barn can (and does) change promo structures year to year. You’ll want to double-check their current offers page or email promos instead of assuming last year’s exact deal will repeat.
What Shoppers Typically See Included
This is the part I wish someone had spelled out for me from the beginning. Based on my past 3–4 years of stalking the sale and actually buying during it, here’s what you can usually expect to see included.
1. Bedding (This Is the Star of the Show)
In my experience, bedding is where White Sale shoppers get the biggest practical wins. You’ll typically see:
- Sheet sets – Percale, sateen, flannel, and linen sheets are often discounted. Some collections, especially core lines like “Classic 400-Thread-Count Percale,” tend to be included. I’ve repeatedly seen 15–25% off.
- Duvet covers & shams – Both solid and patterned, especially in cotton and linen. Neutral and classic patterns are more reliably included than super-seasonal designs.
- Quilts & coverlets – Good time to upgrade if you like that layered, hotel-bed look. When I tested one of their matelassé coverlets, it held up well over two years of constant use and frequent washing.
- Pillows & inserts – Not always everything, but frequently: Euro shams, decorative pillows, and down/alternative inserts.
One thing I started doing after a friend who works in retail planning mentioned it: I’ll note full prices in November/December, then check again during the January White Sale. That’s how I confirmed I was getting a real discount, not just a “sale” tag slapped on a raised price.
2. Bath Essentials
My first true “White Sale win” was on Pottery Barn’s Hydrocotton towels. I’d been wincing at the price for months. When they went on promo during a White Sale, I bought a full set for our main bathroom.
What I typically see included:
- Bath towels, hand towels, washcloths – Often in the mid- to higher-end lines (hydrocotton, Turkish cotton). White and neutrals are usually stocked deeper, but colors are also commonly included.
- Bath mats & rugs – Not every style, but the basic and plush lines are often part of the promo.
- Bath robes – Hit or miss, but frequently in the mix, especially in January.
If you’ve got a guest bath that’s stuck in “random-college-towels” phase, this is the time I’d refresh.
3. Select Bedroom & Bath Accessories
This part’s more variable, but I’ve seen these included in multiple White Sale cycles:
- Mattress pads & protectors
- Blankets and throws (especially bed blankets)
- Some shower curtains
What you probably won’t see heavily discounted: furniture. Beds, nightstands, dressers—those tend to fall under different promos (like “buy more, save more” or category-wide sales), not specifically the White Sale.
What’s Usually Not Included (or Only Lightly Discounted)
When I tested this during one January sale, I added a mix of bedding, décor, and furniture to cart and watched what actually got discounted.
Patterns I’ve noticed:
- New arrivals often get excluded or given a smaller discount. If it just dropped in late fall, don’t be shocked if it sits out the White Sale.
- High-demand or collaboration collections (e.g., designer collabs, limited editions) may be excluded or lightly discounted.
- Rugs, lighting, and big furniture usually fall under separate promotions.
Pottery Barn typically labels exclusions in the fine print on the promo page. It’s not fun to read, but it’ll save you the heartbreak of expecting 25% off a bed frame that’s explicitly excluded.
How Good Are the Discounts Really?
From tracking pricing and combing through Pottery Barn’s offers over time, here’s how I’d categorize it.
The Pros
- Reliable timing – You can plan larger bedding and bath purchases for January and very likely hit a White Sale window.
- Decent percentage-off – 15–25% off is common on a lot of textiles. Every now and then, there are deeper markdowns on clearance or last-season colors.
- Stacking opportunities – Sometimes you can combine:
- White Sale pricing
- Rewards or credit card offers (if you’re a Pottery Barn cardholder)
- Free shipping thresholds or occasional “free ship on bedding & bath” promos
The Cons
- Not always the absolute rock-bottom price – End-of-season clearance (especially on seasonal colors) can beat White Sale prices, but with limited sizes and colors.
- Exclusions can be annoying – That one specific duvet you fell in love with might be excluded while the rest of the collection is on promo.
- Shipping costs – If you’re not hitting free shipping thresholds or don’t have a ship-to-store option available, it can nibble away at your savings.
From a value standpoint, I’ve personally found sheets, duvet covers, and towels to be the sweet spot—higher everyday prices make the discount more meaningful, and you feel the upgrade every single day.
My Best Strategies for Shopping the Pottery Barn White Sale
These are the habits that have actually saved me money and frustration (and prevented a few impulse “how did my cart hit $700?” moments).
1. Build Your Wishlist Early
When I tested this before one January sale, I added everything I was even thinking about to my wishlist in mid-December: duvets, towels, a quilt, and a mattress pad. Once the White Sale went live, I didn’t have to browse—I just opened the wishlist and instantly saw what got discounted.
This also makes it easier to:
- Compare colors and patterns without the “sale rush” mindset
- Check what’s actually included vs excluded
- Stick to what you planned instead of panic-adding random items
2. Compare Regular vs Sale Pricing
I’ve screenshot prices or jotted them in a note a few weeks before a big promo. That’s how I’ve confirmed that White Sale prices are genuinely lower, not just a re-labeled baseline. Especially on frequently promoted items, it’s worth the 30-second check.
3. Prioritize Daily-Use Items
In my experience, the items I’ve appreciated most from a White Sale haul are the boring basics:
- That second set of really good sheets
- A mattress protector that actually fits and doesn’t sound like a tarp
- Towels that don’t fray after three washes
The designer pillow shams are fun—but the everyday upgrades are what make the sale feel worth planning around.
4. Watch for Returns & Quality
One thing I respect about Pottery Barn is that their return policy (which is clearly laid out on their site) still applies to most sale items, with some exceptions like final sale. I always:
- Wash one sheet set or towel set first before ripping off all the tags
- Check stitching, seams, and any zipper closures straight out of the box
There is some variance between lines—from my own testing, premium lines like Belgian flax linen have held up better for me over time than some lower-price basics.
Is the Pottery Barn White Sale Worth Planning Around?
If you’re just casually browsing? It’s a nice bonus.
If you’re:
- Moving
- Redoing a bedroom or guest room
- Upgrading from cheap, scratchy starter linens
…then yes, planning around the White Sale can make a very visible, very tactile upgrade more affordable.
I’ve personally used it to:
- Replace mismatched towels with two coordinated full sets (so guests stop getting the weird leftover ones)
- Upgrade from pilling, budget sheets to higher-thread-count percale that actually breathes
- Add a neutral quilt that instantly made our bed look like an intentionally styled space instead of “random comforter plus throw blanket from college”
Is Pottery Barn the cheapest option out there? Definitely not. But if you like their aesthetic and want better-quality textiles without paying full retail, the White Sale is one of the few times the math starts to feel a lot more reasonable.
Final Thought: How to Make It Actually Pay Off
My honest take: the Pottery Barn White Sale is best used strategically, not impulsively.
If you:
- Know what you need
- Track pricing a bit ahead of time
- Focus on high-impact basics you’ll use daily
…you can get high-quality, long-lasting pieces for noticeably less.
If, on the other hand, you open the site, see “White Sale,” and start clicking “Add to Cart” like a reflex—your budget will feel the hit, and the savings might not.
I recently did a small White Sale refresh—two new pillow inserts and a set of guest towels—and it’s honestly wild how much more “finished” my space feels from such simple swaps. That’s where these sales shine: they nudge you to upgrade the quiet workhorses of your home, the ones you touch every single day.
Sources
- Pottery Barn – Bedding Sale & Offers – Current promotions and typical White Sale language.
- Pottery Barn – Towels & Bath – Product lines and regular pricing for bath textiles.
- Encyclopedia Britannica – John Wanamaker – Background on the retailer credited with originating the white sale concept.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Consumer Expenditures for Furnishings and Household Equipment – Data on household spending patterns, including home textiles.
- Harvard Business School – Retail Promotions and Consumer Behavior – Research on how promotional events influence purchase timing and perceived value.
