Here's What To Know Before Setting Foot In HomeGoods

How often do we go into a favorite houseware store, expect to find new stock, only to see the leftovers on the shelf that we spotted — and passed on — over a week ago? The answer is never, if you buy your home furnishings at HomeGoods. It might call itself an off-price retailer, but the store is really a collection of branded goods and crafts by international artisans, whose stocks rotate several times a week, per the company's website. 

HomeGoods call their buyers "opportunistic and entrepreneurial," which means they are known to buy overstock from other outlets at odd quantities and at the best available price. They then display everything they've got for customers to look, love, and purchase. The good part about that is you get a wide selection of things that you can browse and buy. The bad part about that is everything you see that is available to buy will be on the floor — so if you fall in love with something, be prepared to pick it up right then and there, or say goodbye to it forever.

Your planned expedition to HomeGoods may be your first, but you'll need to remember that there are those who have gone before you, who love the place — and who may not have time to go at any other day of the week except weekends. Because of this, its a good idea to make your first visit to HomeGoods on a weekday, when the store is a bit less hectic. 

"I like to go shopping during late morning/early afternoon hours when people are in the office working, specifically Tuesdays through Fridays," Christina Lee, a self-confessed HomeGoods addict, tells People magazine. "No one likes to shop in a crowded space, so I find this time to be on the quiet, calmer side where I can take my time to comb through everything, aisle by aisle."

Lee also suggests shopping by size — and by that she means look at the big stuff before you look at the small stuff, because those bigger pieces are more likely to get marked down if they've been occupying space for several weeks.

What would you do if you had the opportunity to browse Aladdin's cave? Why, look in every nook and cranny, of course. It's the same with HomeGoods. A trip to the store can't just be about browsing the aisles, because the thing you're looking for may not be there — it may actually be hanging out somewhere else. As blogger Kris Jarrett put it on Driven by Decor, the perfect item you want may not be where you think it should be. Jarrett says she found some of her best art outside the art section and in the accessories section.

And once you've found the one thing you absolutely have to have in your life, buy it. Every blogger we've read on the subject reminds us that HomeGoods has a generous, 30-day return policy. And because one-of-a-kind items are just that, you may end up regretting you took a hard pass on an item you thought would look perfect in a certain spot.

Finally, before you go to HomeGoods, there is every chance that your credit or debit card will be getting a workout — so you'll need to prepare accordingly.