HomeGoods has been a go-to store for my family for years. As a kid, I didn’t understand why my mom and grandmother insisted on going to this one store in particular for things like shower curtains, tablecloths, and other linens—but I always knew if we needed a new one of these, HomeGoods was the place we were going.
Somewhere along the way, I started the enjoy the hunt of a good HomeGoods day—and I got really good at it, too. If you’re easily overwhelmed by all HomeGoods has to offer, here are my top five tips for snatching up the best finds every single time.
Go Early
This might seem obvious, but it’s the first thing I tell all my friends when they ask how I found such a nice thing in our local HomeGoods. I’m not telling you to arrive before the employees open the front door, but you should aim to get to your store as early as possible.
If you’re familiar with the HomeGoods hustle, you know that it’s hard to find exactly what you’re looking for once something goes viral—people tend to get there early and snag the entire stock! Arriving as early as you can ensures you can get first pick of all the new things.
Get to Know the Employees
A polite conversation can go a long way, especially in a city like mine, where people usually expect a conversation with a stranger to go poorly. Talking to the employees restocking shelves and striking up conversation with my cashiers helped me find out the exact days my HomeGoods gets its new shipments.
Something as basic as a “hello” and “how are you doing today” led me to become a consistent Sunday morning shopper.
HomeGoods tends to receive new shipments throughout the week, but the inside scoop from my local team let me know that Sunday would be the best day for me, because they get more of the smaller decor pieces that I’m always on the hunt for that day.
Never Go Two Days in a Row
You’ll never catch me in a HomeGoods two days in a row—it’s the one rule I’ve never deviated from since I started shopping at HomeGoods on my own. The store is amazing and is always filled with hundreds (if not thousands, depending on your store size) of incredible finds, but there’s only so much change that can happen in 24 hours.
Save yourself the time and spread out your shopping days. I normally stick to just one day and do a massive haul, but spreading out your shopping days will give you the best opportunity to snag an incredible find because more of the store will be turned over by the time you come back.
This is a rule I’ve stuck to for the last five years, and it hasn’t led me astray. Before then, I had much more time on my hands and would go to HomeGoods when I was just bored, even if I had been there the day before—needless to say, I still managed to leave with something, but the shopping day could’ve been more successful if I had just waited.
Think Outside the Box
I went to HomeGoods three times last summer with the sole intention of finding a singular spoon rest that matched my aesthetic—the first two times were a bust, and I was determined to find what I needed on the third visit.
Walking around the aisles I found plenty of spoon rests, but they just weren’t working for me. Then, as though the store could magically feel my disappointment growing, I found a soap dish in the bathroom section that was just what I was looking for.
That soap dish is the most adorable spoon rest I could’ve gotten. Think outside the box when you’re scouring the aisles—a desk organizer can keep your toothbrushes in place, a mug becomes a planter, and that really nice area rug is now a statement piece on your living room wall.
Have Patience
Last but not least: Have a little bit of patience. I think part of why people (including myself) like shopping at this store so much is because they love the thrill of this kind of hunt.
There are a lot of things in store and it can get overwhelming, so give it a little time if you feel like you’re not finding things right away. Go on a day when you don’t have to rush, and you’ll be just fine.