8 Secret Shopping Strategies HomeGoods Employees Are Gatekeeping

1. There’s No Universal “Best Day” To Shop

If you’re trying to crack the code on the best day to shop, rest easy: You could have just as much luck on a Saturday as a Tuesday. HomeGoods doesn’t buy seasonally like other other retailers. Instead, new items are trucked in several times a week. “Associates put out new merchandise all throughout the week,” says Breanna Smith, a TJX employee who works at a TJMaxx with an attached HomeGoods in Kentucky.

However, it doesn’t hurt to ask the local manager at your HomeGoods when their stores’ shipments typically arrive and—most importantly—when they usually move those new arrivals from the stockroom out onto the floor, says savings expert Andrea Woroch. “These items may not make it out on the floor until the following day so get the full details and plan to shop when they do hit shelves for the best selection,” Woroch says.

Pro tip: Furniture will usually be placed out immediately upon arrival since they don’t have room to store sofas, patio furniture, desks and other large items in their back room for long, Woroch says.

2. But There is a “Best Time” To Shop

While inventory rolls in throughout the week, you’re less likely to face competition, and thus have a better selection, if you’re browse the store just after it opens. “Normally the best and least stressful time to shop is early morning on weekdays as the store isn’t as packed,” Smith says.

3. Search for the Red Stickers

While HomeGoods doesn’t do promotions like other stores, it does still have a clearance section. Red price tags indicate sale and clearance merchandise, so you’re getting an even better deal than their regularly-priced goods, Woroch says. In most cases, these items are in perfectly good condition and may even still be current for the season (i.e. clearance Halloween decor at HomeGoods before Halloween).

“HomeGoods marks down items after they’ve been in the store for a certain period of time,” she says. However waiting for something you love to go on clearance could be risky business because if it sells, it’s unlikely to be restocked.

4. Shop Different Locations And Sister Stores

Since HomeGoods buys and resells overstock merchandise from other retailers, they don’t have a set inventory of items, Woroch explains. So, if you’re looking for matching items such as throw pillows, bar stools, or a pair of table lamps, but one location doesn’t have the complete set, head to a different location. They may have what you’re looking for in stock, she says.

Woroch also recommends scoping out HomeGoods’ sister stores, like Marshalls, since they often carry the same inventory. You can even search online at TJMaxx.com and Marshalls.com. They sell home goods through their websites, and some of those are the same items you’ll find at HomeGoods.

5. Be Skeptical of the “Compare With” Sticker

When you look at a HomeGoods price tag, you’ll often see a “compare with” price that’s much higher. HomeGoods insiders on TikTok, though, debate whether the comparisons are actually accurate. One former employee (TikTok user @michelletelles98) said in a 2020 video that she was at liberty to make up the “compare with” price, and even encouraged to set it at 50 percent more than the HomeGoods price. But in the comments section, some other employees debunked the over inflated “compare with” claim, including a TikTok user who said he worked for corporate on the buying side. He said that the company took the price comparisons seriously and employees were scored on accuracy.

Regardless, you can always pull out Google and do a price comparison yourself on name brand items.

6. Ask For a Discount

The scenario: You find a chair you love but notice a slight scratch on the leg or a scuff on a piece of wall decor you fall for. If you can look past the cosmetic flaw or think you have a DIY fix for it, go ahead and ask for a discount at check out. Most times you’ll be able to score an extra 10 percent off the ticket price.

Keep in mind, you probably won’t be able to do better than 10 percent, as some TikTok supershoppers have found that is the max discount for damaged, dinged, or snagged items.

7. HomeGoods Has Its Own Makers, Too

HomeGoods buyers shop from a number of different vendors. When items are overproduced, HomeGoods swoops in and negotiates a low price to take the extra inventory off brands’ hands. But did you know that some of the items in HomeGoods are exclusive to the store?

For example, the chain works with artisans in India to craft mirrors and accent pieces, and HomeGoods also stocks soaps that are made in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Australia.

8. Don’t Bother Asking Employees to Check the Back for Inventory

HomeGoods isn’t holding any replenishment stock in a back rooms. In fact, store managers don’t even know what’s coming in until they get a peek inside the delivery truck themselves. So if you see a viral HomeGoods find on social media or are looking for something in particular, you probably won’t have much luck asking a red-vest employee to check the back for you. What you can do is look thoroughly in potential hiding places around the store—think behind throw pillows or in another section—because there’s always the chance someone hid an item there, hoping it’ll be available when they come back.

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