How to Score a Good Deal at HomeGoods

I’m sitting in a waiting room waiting for my doctor’s appointment and all I can think about is when I get out of here I’m going straight to one of my favorite places on earth: HomeGoods! Heck, I even bought TJ Maxx stock because I love the store so much.

And God knows I’m not alone in my love for HomeGoods. I dream of the day when I get to go and the store isn’t packed.

If you love the store as much as I do (or even on a normal, healthy, don’t plan doctor’s appointments around your ability to go to HomeGoods, level) you’ll appreciate these tips on how to score a good deal at HomeGoods.

1) Know HomeGoods is always replenishing their shelves. I once asked a cashier if there was a specific day they receive new merchandise and she laughed. She went on to tell me they receive deliveries up to five times a week! That means new merchandise is constantly being rolled out. However, don’t expect employees to know what’s coming on a truck beforehand.

2) Check for clearance items. Now that we know there’s always something new awaiting us, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you to always check out the clearance sections. If you’re looking to get a great deal look for the little red tags.

Clearance isles are usually marked clearly but sometimes the clearance section is tucked on end caps facing the walls of the store. Make sure to always do a quick loop of the perimeter to make sure you’re not missing anything!

One of the clearance sections at my local HomeGoods

3) Look for damaged items. Another key to scoring a discount is to make sure you always check for damage. If the item you’re interested in is unfortunately broken, ripped, stained, scratched, etc make sure to ask a manager for a discount. They’ll usually take 10% off with no hassle (although maybe not if the item is already on clearance). For majorly damaged goods, the manager may take up to 20% off.

The broken merchandise will always be my biggest gripe about HomeGoods. Nothing is worse than finding an item you love only to find that it’s broken. But sometimes it’s not so bad. Especially with furniture my first thought is can I fix this? Ok, I’ll admit, it’s more likely can my boyfriend or dad fix this? But I have to do all the painting. Neither can paint to save their lives. My point is, sometimes an item is easily salvageable with a little elbow grease. Other times, that nasty scratch can be turned to the wall.

I bought this metal and glass console table for $49, marked down from $100. Why was it marked down so much? It had a tiny chip on one of the corners. Not big enough to bother me at all. You can barely see it! And since the table was in my price range because of that chip - I'll deal.

My $49 table!

4) Don't forget about TJ Maxx & Marshalls. If your HomeGoods is anything like my local store, it’s wedged somewhere between a Marshalls and a TJ Maxx. I think I’ve lucked out to get all three in the same area but I often see at least one or the other near a HomeGoods.

A few years ago I was on the hunt for counter height stools for my kitchen island. I would always find something I liked but there would never be three of them. I needed three because two wouldn’t be enough and four would be too crowded. One day (probably about day 487 of the counter stool search) I happened to be in a different city and decided to check out HomeGoods. They had two of the stools that I loved but no third. I finally decided that two was going to have to do. I told you, I loved them and they were so reasonably priced!

Quick side note: I’ll be the first to admit that I have been shocked at some HomeGoods prices over the years. For every amazing deal I get there’s always an item I think they marked at $700 for a joke.

Ok, back to my stools. So I had two loaded up in the back of the car when I stopped at Marshalls. I wasn’t looking for it, I never in a million years would have expected to find a third but once I reached their home section I saw the lonely teal stool waiting to come home with me. I excitedly ran over and scooped it up but had to stop for a second on my way to the register. It was marked almost twice what the HomeGoods stools cost me! So off to find a manager I went. Once I found one she explained that some items come with little guidance and the store decides the price based on their other products. The manager marked the stool down to the HomeGoods price and I was on my way home with my impossible to find stools and a big ol’ grin on my face!

So two morals to my story: 1) If you find something you love at HomeGoods that needs a mate, is broken or was scooped up by someone else don’t be discouraged - just calmly drive yourself to the nearest TJ Maxx or Marshalls and check out what they have. 2) If that item is more expensive at the other store, it’s worth a shot mentioning it to the manager.

I told you my barstools were pretty cool! Excuse the dark photos - my kitchen isn't so peach IRL

5) Know the markdown schedule. I’ve often been curious about the markdown schedule. Just when does that item you’ve been covering go on sale? If you’re brave enough to walk away and press your luck the item will still be there when you return, that is. According to Apartment Therapy, HomeGoods marks down items every three months. How can you tell when your item is due for a markdown? There’s a date right on the price sticker! It’ll be formatted like 0119 for January 2019.

6) Skip HomeGoods on traditional sales weekends. One final bit of wisdom from me: don’t count on HomeGoods participating in any sort of sales. Even Black Friday is a bust. They’ll be open but they rely on their already discounted prices to be enough to bring shoppers in. I’ll admit even though I know they won’t be offering any special sale, I still drag my mom to HomeGoods year after year on our Black Friday outings. She just doesn’t get it but we always end up with a HomeGoods bag in the trunk.

Let me know what the best thing you’ve ever bought at HomeGoods was. I’m dying to know if anyone has had better luck talking a manager down on clearance prices!