Three terms that sit side by side on the same shelf

Buying an end-of-line model usually means the manufacturer has already announced or started shipping a successor, while the previous version is still on sale, new and in its original packaging. Next to it you will often find clearance stock, meaning goods left over from a batch that a retailer did not sell, and regular stock, which is simply part of the current range. On the product page all three look almost the same, but the price is rarely a coincidence.

If you understand which of the three you are looking at, you can judge more easily why an item is cheaper than elsewhere and whether that reason matters for your own buying decision at all.

End-of-line model: the predecessor next to the new one

An end-of-line model is new goods, both technically and legally, not used or refurbished. The manufacturer has simply stopped or reduced production because a new generation is coming. For retailers, this means selling off the stock they still have before shelf space and attention shift to the new model. So the discount does not come about because something is wrong with the product, but because it has reached a different point in its life cycle.

Whether an offer really shows the current or the previous model can often only be told from the exact model or type number, not from the product name alone. How to tell such numbers apart is explained in the article Comparing model numbers: spotting variants.

Clearance stock: goods left over from a batch

Clearance stock is usually made up of items left over from a particular order quantity, a season or a promotion, without a new model behind it. A summer item in autumn, a colour that sold less well or the last pieces of a limited series typically fall into this category. The product itself has not changed, only the quantity in stock is limited and will not be reordered.

That clearly sets clearance stock apart from an end-of-line model: with clearance stock there is usually no direct successor at all, whereas an end-of-line model has one.

Regular stock as your point of comparison

Regular stock is the normal case, with no particular reason for a reduction. The price follows supply, demand and the retailer's usual pricing, not an outgoing model or a shrinking remainder. Comparing it with the price of an end-of-line model or clearance item is the best way to see what a discount is really worth, because without that reference point any percentage stays abstract.

A worked example

Say the current model of a device normally costs 329 euros. Its direct predecessor, labelled as an end-of-line model, is offered for 249 euros, and clearance stock of an older colour of the same predecessor goes for as little as 219 euros. Compared with the current model, you save 80 or 110 euros respectively. Whether that is worth it depends on whether the new features of the current model actually matter to you. If you do not need them, the predecessor at the lower price is usually the more economical choice.

Why an end-of-line model is not automatically worse

A lower price is often wrongly taken as a sign of a drawback. With a genuine end-of-line model, that is only partly true: it lacks the changes made in the successor, but those are not always relevant, for example a new colour, a slightly redesigned casing or an extra feature you would never use. The basic function of the product usually stays the same. If you know the differences between the models beforehand, you can decide for yourself whether they justify paying more for the new one.

What to check on guarantees and accessories

• Because an end-of-line model is new goods, the EU legal guarantee of at least two years applies to it just as it does to the current model. Outside the EU, for example in the UK, the US or Canada, your own country's consumer law applies instead.
• Accessories such as charging cables, spare parts or matching cases can become harder to find over time for an outgoing model, because retailers adjust their range to the new one.
• With clearance stock, it is worth checking that the original packaging and all accessories are complete, as single items from a remaining batch occasionally have something missing.

How to tell which case you are dealing with

A quick look at the product page is rarely enough. It helps more to compare the exact model number with the version the manufacturer is currently promoting, combined with a look at what is in the box. If several retailers offer the same item at a noticeably similar, lower price, that points more to a regular end-of-line model than to a one-off clearance batch at a single seller. What lies behind terms such as refurbished or open box, which are sometimes confused with clearance stock, is explained in the article Refurbished, open box and B-stock explained.

Comparing prices pays off in all three cases

In all three cases, comparing several shops shows whether the price on offer is really an advantage or whether another retailer sells the same goods at a similar or even lower price. The category overview on daily-coupons.info lets you browse suitable offers by product area instead of checking each shop page one by one. If a question comes up about how a manufacturer's warranty differs from the legal guarantee when you buy an end-of-line model, the article Warranty and legal guarantee: the difference many people mix up explains it.

Frequently asked questions

Is an end-of-line model used goods?

No. A genuine end-of-line model is new, unused goods that is simply about to be replaced by a successor. That sets it apart from used goods or from B-stock whose packaging has already been opened.

Does an end-of-line model come with the full legal guarantee?

In the EU, yes: as long as it is new goods, the legal guarantee of at least two years applies just as it would for a current model. Outside the EU, your own country's rules decide what applies.

Why is clearance stock sometimes cheaper than a comparable end-of-line model?

Clearance stock often has to leave the warehouse faster, for example because space is needed for new goods or because the quantity was small to begin with. This occasionally leads to an even lower price than for an end-of-line model, which is sold off in the normal way over a longer period.

How can I tell whether the current model is really on offer?

Most reliably from the exact model or type number, compared with the manufacturer's current details, not from the product name alone, which often stays the same across several generations.