Seasonal Shopping Strategies
Navigating Home Depot Clearance Sales
When scanning clearance items, ensure you scan the original barcode, not the yellow one. Prices ending in 6 indicate a further markdown in 6 weeks, while prices ending in 3 represent the final reduction.
Clearance stickers also show markdown dates. Given the fast pace of clearance sales, it’s wise to act quickly on profitable finds.
Price negotiations are sometimes possible, especially with store managers who are keen to clear out these items. Common markdown areas include home and garden, tools, paint, lighting, and pesticides.
Finding and Handling Extremely Low-Priced Items
Occasionally, items priced at $0.01 might appear. These are typically discontinued and meant for disposal. If you find such items, it's better to use self-checkout as regular cashiers might not allow the sale.
Building relationships with store employees can be beneficial, as they might provide insights on markdowns or help you with your purchases.
Strategies for Holiday Shopping
Home Depot offers significant discounts post-holidays, starting at 50% after Christmas and often increasing to 75% or more in the new year. Timing your shopping around these periods can be advantageous.
Saving More on Your Purchases
Check platforms like Cardpool, Raise, or CardCash before shopping to find discounted Home Depot gift cards, which can offer savings of up to 5.5%, or even more for other stores.
Making the Most of Your Store Visits
Clearance sections can be chaotic, so thorough searching is key to not miss any valuable items.
Use the customer service desk to check if more of a profitable item is in stock.
Ask about inventory in nearby stores to find more of a particular item.
Remember, Home Depot offers a 10% military discount and has a flexible return policy, adding to potential savings.
By employing these strategies, you can significantly increase the profitability of your shopping ventures, especially in clearance seasons at stores like Home Depot.