As most of you know, I’m all about trying to shop when you have the best potential to find deals…and if that also happens to be when the store is crowded…WIN-WIN. Am I right? So I spent most of an entire day walking into stores and striking up a conversation with dozens of employees at 8 of the biggest “box stores” in the country. And I must say, what I learned was pretty darn amazing and will definitely change the way you shop moving forward, let’s get into it.
Costco
Best window to shop: I had several employees tell me that Tuesday mornings when they open, or an hour before they close, is the best time to shop.
Why it works: Weekends and Fridays are a mess, like yeah, no kidding. But employees told me Monday is when many local businesses and restaurants stock-up. Wednesday is when their coupon book drops, causing an influx of shoppers…this leaves Tuesday.
What to scout: Look for prices ending in .97 = Markdown. Or an asterisk (*) = not coming back, .00/.88 = manager special/odd lot.
What to ask Costco Employees: “Know of any .97 cent price drop today? Anything with an asterisk moving to a manager cart?”
If you only go ONCE: Make it first thing Tuesday morning.
PRO TIP: MAKE THE NFL YOUR FRIEND
If you’re not a football fan, always go to Costco when your local NFL team is playing. Or “nearest” NFL team at least.
For me, my closest team is the 49ers even though they play 4 hours away. If I hit my local Costco when the Niners are playing (typically on a Sunday), I basically have the warehouse to myself.
The same can be said for any big college football teams (typically on a Saturday) near you.
TJ Maxx
Best window to shop: Tuesday or Wednesday right after they open (9-10 a.m.)
Why it works: I was told by 3 different TJM employees that clearance markdowns (red and yellow clearance stickers) typically happen on Monday and Tuesday. Plus, it takes until Monday afternoon for all weekend returns to get back on the sales floor.
This creates a perfect storm for Tuesday or Wednesday to be your best days to shop, right when the store opens if you can swing it.
What to scout: Save money at TJ Maxx by checking those end-of-aisle clearance racks and the back-wall endcaps. My wife is also a huge fan of checking out the clearance “beauty bins” near the registers.
Take a close look at clothing that you’re interested in buying and look for ANY tiny flaw like a snag, loose thread, or even a scuffed box or packaging.
When you spot an imperfection, don’t hesitate to ask for a small “damage discount” at checkout. Employees will usually give you at least 10% off, I’ve even scored 20% off when the imperfection was bad enough.
What to ask: “Which mornings do you usually roll out red stickers?” Always ask at your store as they might have a slightly different markdown schedule.
If you only go once: Try to go on a Tuesday between 9 – 10 a.m.
Target
Best window to shop: Thursday…late morning, early evening.
Why it works: I had 2 different Target employees tell me that without question Thursday is the best time to shop.
I asked an assistant manager if it was smart to shop early in the morning to look for new deals, and surprisingly, she told me that Target almost NEVER has new merchandise or markdowns out at opening, so you’ll want to wait.
Specifically, she told me that late morning or early evening is the sweet spot as new stuff is out and it hasn’t been picked over.
What to scout: Make sure to check endcaps on every aisle (home, toys, beauty, baby) that face the back of the store. This is where you can find the best clearance items. Also, be sure to snoop around “Guest Services” as this is where you’ll find “as-is/open-box” electronics. Don’t neglect small appliance deals on promo endcaps as well.
What to ask: “When do you usually add stuff to clearance? Any drops today in small appliances?”
If you only go once: Make it a Thursday at 3 p.m.
Walmart
Best window to shop: Wednesday from 6 to 9 a.m.
Why it works: Overnight teams finish their “mod resets” on Wednesday mornings (this is when shelves get reset with new products or discontinued products). Also, I had an employee (Thanks Tim!) tell me that returns from the weekend all hit the floor, and department managers re-sticker yellow clearance in most departments.
What to scout: Always check the back of the store yellow-tag endcaps, especially in home, toys, and hardware.
Also, similar to Target, I had an employee tell me to check near Customer Service desk for possible deals on open-box returns that you can snag for cheap. Tim told me to ask an employee if they have any if none are visible. He said they often have some in carts behind the counter that you can score a deal on.
What to ask: “Are you doing any mod resets this morning? Which aisles are getting yellow tags?”
If you only go once: Make it Wednesday, 7:30–8:30 a.m.
PRO TIP: GROCERY SHOP LATER IN THE DAY AT WALMART
If you’re going to Walmart to mainly grocery shop, you’ll want to go around 8:30 or 9 p.m. any night of the week.
I had a couple different employees tell me that by going late you’ll find that all the grocery markdowns for the next day will be done.
I was told that meats and bagged produce that expire the following day will get “clearanced” out for a quick sale around 8 pm.
You can typically score 30-50% off this stuff, depending on how much inventory they need to get rid of. This makes for the perfect window to grab it cheap and either cook it or toss it in the freezer if you have the space.
See Also: 9 Smart Ways to Save BIG at Walmart
Lowe’s
Best window to shop: Wednesday from opening until 10 a.m.
Why it works: I was told by a Lowe’s assistant manager that they tend to get a lot of new inventory early in the week and it’s usually out by Tuesday.
Plus, he told me that clearance markdowns tend to happen early in the week, making Wednesday the best day to find new deals. Also, he said departments do their As-Is deals, dinged boxes/packaging, and promo displays first thing in the morning, so wait a couple hours after opening (6 a.m. is when Lowe’s opens during the week).
What to scout: I had 2 employees tell me to always start at the back of the store in “The Back Aisle” clearance section. They said this is where the best deals hide.
Also, comb over the appliance “as-is” aisle, look for scratch-and-dent grills, mis-tinted paint, and especially clearance endcaps in lighting and seasonal.
What to ask: “Any freight issues or displays coming down today? I’m happy take a box-ding unit if you can give me deal.”
If you only go once: Make it a Wednesday at 8 a.m.
PRO TIP: FOLLOW THE YELLOW “CLEARANCE” BRICK ROAD
The manager I spoke with told me that Lowe’s clearance follows this markdown schedule: starts at 10% off, then goes to 30%, 35%, 50%, 60%, 75%, and then the rare 90% off.
He also said they tend to mark stuff down weekly and typically early in the week. He also emphasized that “not everything gets marked down every week”, it depends on the sell through rate of the item.
I was also surprised that he told me that each store gets a certain amount of what he called “markdown money” each week that they’re are expected to use. These are “funds” that are supposed to be used to offer deals on clearance, as-is, floor models, and slightly damaged items to get them out of the store.
So use this knowledge to your advantage and DO NOT be afraid to negotiate a deal, especially when buying multiple items that you know they want to get rid of.
Best Buy
Best window to shop: Tuesday or Wednesday, 10–11 a.m.
Why it works: Thanks to current employee, Elena, at my local Best Buy for talking to me for a solid 10 minutes and answering all my questions. She told me that weekend returns get processed on Monday, and open-box/clearance gets reticketed by mid-week mornings, making Tuesday and Wednesday morning the best time to come in.
She also said that on Tuesday and Wednesday the floor is quiet and associates have time to check the back and actually pull fresh markdowns if you ask.
What to scout: The Open-Box/Outlet section (filter by “Excellent” or “Satisfactory”), clearance endcaps in TVs, laptops, and small appliances, “go-backs” carts near Geek Squad, and Magnolia floor models with missing remotes/stands (these are an easy discount).
Elena also told me to use the Best Buy app and pull up any items product page and tap Buying Options to see hidden in-store open-box for that exact SKU.
Surprisingly, she even told me to ask for bundle deals (like a TV + a mount/soundbar = 15% Off) and remember to always price match on identical SKUs.
What to ask: After taking to Elena I’m never not going ask the following questions, “Do you have any new open-box TVs or laptops from the weekend returns? When do you usually re-ticket open-box? Also, any floor models about to be retired that you guys want to get rid of?”
If you only go once: Make it a Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Ross Dress for Less
Best window to shop: Monday afternoons.
Why it works: This one comes from blog reader Kylie who was in charge of clearance items at her Ross store. She told me, “I was head of clearance at Ross and MONDAY is the day we only do markdowns.”
So she said to always try and shop on a Monday afternoon and they’ll typically be done with their new markdowns and you’ll score first dibs.
What to scout: Ever notice those rolling restock carts parked right in the aisle at Ross? Start peeking in them cuz they often contain new or returned items that employees have yet to update, meaning they haven’t printed the regular or clearance price tag for it, so you’re getting FIRST DIBS.
What to ask: Just to be sure, always check your store by asking the following, “What mornings do you usually do markdowns? Any fresh clearance racks or return carts I can look through today?”
If you only go once: Make it a Monday right after lunch. Unless you’re 55 years of age or older, then you’ll want to shop on a Tuesday and score an extra 10% off with their senior discount.
The Home Depot
Best window to shop: Monday around lunch time.
Why it works: Ted at my local HD said that his store is dead Monday morning and the majority of shoppers are Pros who don’t need much help.
He also told me that the morning crews retags clearance items and rolls out “Special Buy” pallets before the store gets busy on Mondays so they’ll all be available by lunchtime.
What to scout:
- Clearance endcaps in tools, lighting, and appliances (look for yellow tags and check the small printed date to see when it was last marked down).
- Check out open-box/dented appliances near Appliances section and on the back wall. Be careful though, they only have a 48 hour return policy.
- Some stores offer Tool Rental sell-offs (retired rentals priced to move) and “Pro Desk” returns. Ask about them.
- Garden center markdown carts (seasonal plants/soil), the cull-lumber cart, and “Oops” paint rack.
- Watch price endings and dates as rules of thumb: Home Depot price tags that end in .06 often drop again; .03 can be the final markdown; look for older printed dates and use that for leverage when asking for a deal.
What to ask: If the store is not busy, try to save at the Home Depot by asking an employee if they “have any retired Tool Rental units, or any new open-box deals.”
If you only go once: Make it a Monday between 11 am and 1 p.m.
Ask the Reader: So let’s hear from you….where did I get it wrong and where did I hit the nail on the head? I’m sure you have a lot to say about this one. Haha.
By Kyle James
I founded Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save money at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)