Ask any casual HomeGoods shopper and they’ll tell you scoring designer-approved finds at the discount retailer often comes down to luck, or just happening to be in the store when new inventory is placed on the floor. But the most strategic shoppers—those who have sussed out some of HomeGoods best-kept secrets—tell a different story. They know that timing is everything should you want to score a good haul. And we’re about to spill their secrets.
So, What’s the Absolute Best Time to Shop at HomeGoods?
While we wish we could give you an exact time and day for an optimal HomeGoods experience, that’s just now how this off-price retailer works. The company confirms that stores receive shipments several times a week, and each delivery contains thousands of new arrivals. Not even managers know what’s coming in until the delivery truck doors open to unveil what’s inside. This is all part of the “treasure hunt” experience that HomeGoods creates—and the thrill of the hunt explains why you get a dopamine hit while shopping.
However, there are some universal rules when it comes to the best time of day, week, and even year to shop at HomeGoods. One of the very best things you can do to time your shopping trips with new inventory is to get to know your local HomeGoods employees and ask them about the delivery truck schedule at your preferred store, says savings expert Andrea Woroch.
Here are more tips to help you nail the timing of your HomeGoods run.
What’s The Best Time Of Day to Shop at HomeGoods?
If your schedule allows, absolutely visit HomeGoods is in the mornings, right when they open, and especially during the middle of the week, says Christine Lee, the California-based creator behind the Instagram account @homegoodsobsessed. Most people are at work or school by 9 a.m., so it thins the crowds out by as much as 85%, says Lee, and “there’s no bumping of carts to wedge through the aisles.” She generally avoids late afternoon, because that’s when the the lines tend to be long and the stores are more frenetic.
Designer Windsor Dalton, who creates HomeGoods content on his TikTok page, agrees that while the store unloads inventory fairly regularly, he’s also noticed that the morning is the best time to shop to avoid the crowds and discover the best finds.
HomeGoods store hours vary, so check when your local store opens. And don’t be alarmed if others are there before you; a line forming outside the door before the store opens is one of several signs you’re shopping at an elite HomeGoods.
What Are The Best Days to Shop at HomeGoods?
Let others say TGIF. At HomeGoods, the sweet spot is the middle of the week—Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Lee says. “The weekends are out because that’s when there’s the busiest crowds and longest lines,” she explains. “Fridays tend to be preparation days, while Mondays are recovery days of cleaning and organizing what’s leftover from the weekend.”
By mid-week, though, the stores are fully restocked with items easy to find in well-curated sections, she says, and with fewer crowds, you’ve got first dibs on the towels, bedding, lamps, cookware, artwork and more. “More often than not, I find interior designers right alongside me checking out the freshest selection of inventory,” says Lee, who shops at HomeGoods about twice a week and has visited more than 250 stores. “You are not elbow-to-elbow trying to find the hidden treasures, there’s space for all.”
Is There A Best Time of Year to Shop at HomeGoods?
If you’re shopping for home decor and furniture, prime time tends to be the first half of the year, Lee says. “We have holidays like Valentine’s, Mother’s and Father’s Day, Easter, but the decor and gifts don’t take up as large of a footprint like fall and Christmas do at HomeGoods,” she says. This leaves more room for home furnishings.
You might also be more in the right mindset yourself; Lee points out, at the beginning of the year, people are coming down from the holiday decorating season, packing up all of their seasonal decor and thinking about ways to refresh their homes, maybe even incorporating one of the top bedroom design trends for 2025.
When Should You Shop For Holiday Decor at HomeGoods?
Whether you’re shopping for the best Christmas decor from HomeGoods or looking for designer-approved Halloween finds, you’ll need to shop early for the best selection. Lee says that she’s noticed that in recent years, holiday decor is getting set out earlier. Plush pumpkins and autumnal throws start appearing in July. Christmas decor starts popping up in early September, before summer is officially over, sharing space with the autumnal items, she says. If you like to plan way ahead, run into the store in the day or two right after the holiday. Items will be picked over, but they will be on clearance, and there’s no dopamine rush like a deep discount!