HomeGoods Shopping Secrets You Never Knew You Needed

HomeGoods may just be the closest thing we have to a nationwide, brick-and-mortar flea market. Why? The product selection is constantly changing. You cant access items online, meaning every time you step foot in a store you dont know what youre going to get. And the offerings vary from shop to shop. Couple a diverse array of products with prices generally so low that theyre almost (almost!) unbelievable, and its no surprise that HomeGoods continues to be one of our favorite places to shop.

Shoppers love the treasure hunt experience they get each time they visit, since our high-quality merchandise is ever-changing, explains Joanna Howarth, public relations manager at HomeGoods, who works closely with buyers and store managers daily and is a great litmus test for knowing whats new in the store and how to best navigate it. Our recommendation is to come in and explore! Be open to finding more than you originally intended. You might be looking for a pumpkin dish towel and leave with an entire fall tablescape for your dining room.

Shes right. Its been known to happen.

Are you a fellow HomeGoodsphile? Ahead, a comprehensive guide to making the most of your next trip to the storefrom shopping tips to the best things to look out for to everything in between.

Avoid the weekends if you can

As is the case with most retailers, Saturday and Sunday are the busiest days. Instead, Marcy Blum (president of event-planning company Marcy Blum Associates and HomeGoods style expert) recommends visiting weekday mornings. That way, you beat the weekend crowd and shoppers coming in on their lunch breaks or after work.


Jenny Reimold is a Nashville-based interior designer, fellow HomeGoods style expert, and professional delivery truck stalker. Sort of.

Find out what days the HomeGoods trucks deliver new products to the store and plan to be there a few hours afterward, she suggests. I know every store is different, but for example, at my favorite local HomeGoods, trucks are unloaded Wednesday and Saturday mornings. I try to arrive around 10:30 a.m., after the store associates have had time to unload, to have fresh pickings of what is being placed on the shelves. Reimold also cops to occasionally pulling things directly off the loading carts as they are being arranged on shelvesand honestly, we admire that level of dedication to scoring the perfect deal.

Dont wait on a purchase

If you see something you like, scoop it up right away! It wont be long before another savvy shopper drops that perfect pillow in her own cart, continues Reimold. Buying something on the spot without thinking it through might feel counterintuitiveespecially if its a larger piece of furniturebut passing on an item in a place where the products steadily rotate isnt a great idea. As Howarth points out, HomeGoods generally doesnt run large-scale promotions or offer coupons (everything is already 20 to 60 percent less than department store prices), so theres no point in waiting it out and hoping for a lower price.

But do take a lap

While you shouldnt necessarily leave anything and expect to find it there a few weeks later, Blum does recommend taking a lap of the whole place before really going in to hunt for certain pieces. I usually do an overview tour of the entire store before I get down to specifics of what I am looking for, she says. This may have potentially dangerous consequences for your credit card once you discover a range of Technicolor dinnerware you just have to have, but it might also jog your memory and help you remember that, yes, you did need a new skilletand this one happens to be under $50.

If you see something you like, scoop it up right away! It wont be long before another savvy shopper drops it in her own cart.Jenny Reimold

Commit to not committing

Because the best HomeGoods shopping practice is buy now, think later, youll be pleased to know the store actually has a pretty fantastic return policy. Buy what you love and test things out at home, recommends Reimold. I usually will purchase everything that inspires me as soon as I spot it and bring it all home to see what looks ideal in my space. I keep what works and sometimes find something even more inspiring on my return trip! You have 30 days to return products with a HomeGoods receipt, so no purchase has to be a commitment unless you want it to be.

Keep a lookout for the red tags

Per Howarth, most stores have a clearance section where you can find additional savingsbut theres a way to save even more, and thats by looking for the coveted red sticker. It indicates a severe markdown, is frequently only found on one lone item, and might just mean that theres a blemish on the item in question.


Download the app

If you can spare the gigabytes, its worth it. The HomeGoods app is basically a virtual community for the store: You can see what others at your local outlet have found when they post images online and follow your nearest HomeGoods to receive a taste of the newest products as soon as they hit shelves. Howarth is a fan of using the app as inspiration, checking out what others are finding to kick-start her own design projects.

See more insider shopping secrets for your favorite stores:
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