Shopping at Home Depot is a great way to get everything you need for DIY projects, gardening, or home improvement. But what if we told you that there’s an uncommon secret that can help you save even more money at Home Depot?
That kept secret is the Home Depot penny items. These are items/products that have been heavily discounted or that have been reduced in price to just a penny. But how do you find these elusive Home Depot penny items?
We’ll explore everything you need to know, including what penny items are, how to find them, and tips for successfully buying them.
What Are Home Depot Penny Items?
Home Depot penny items are clearance items deeply discounted to a single penny. These are usually outdated and discontinued products that are taking up valuable shelf space, are no longer being stocked, or have been overstocked. When Home Depot decides it’s time to move these products off the floor, the prices are slashed to nearly nothing, making them almost free.
Employees at Home Depot are supposed to remove these penny items from the shelves before consumers can buy them, but sometimes, they are overlooked and remain available to observant shoppers. If you’re lucky enough to find them, you can legally purchase penny items at checkout, and yes, they really will cost you just one cent.
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How to Find Home Depot Penny Items at Your Store
Finding Home Depot penny items is a game of timing that takes patience and careful observation. These items are not advertised, and you won’t see signs promoting these deals in the store. However, here are some tips and tricks to help you locate them:
1. Visit Early in the Morning
Penny items are often taken off the shelves at the start of the day when employees restock and clean up the store. Visiting early makes you more likely to find these items before removal.
2. Look for the Clearance Section
Many Home Depot outlets have designated clearance sections, usually hidden in corners or at the back of the store. So, the first place to start your search is the clearance section. Go to areas of the store where clearance items are gathered; these are usually at the end of aisles or hidden in less visible spots. Many penny items will be found among these discounted products.
3. Check Discontinued or Seasonal Products
Home Depot regularly clears out seasonal items like holiday decorations, patio furniture, or gardening tools once their time has passed. These seasonal items are often discounted and may eventually become penny items.
So keep an eye on products clearly marked as discontinued or those unlikely to be back next year, like winter or summer products that the store needs to get rid of.
4. Keep an Eye on Product Tags
Pay attention to the small print on product tags, especially in the clearance section. Some savvy shoppers recommend looking for items with yellow clearance tags, but also those with very specific stock numbers, for example:
- Prices ending in “.06” — 25% off
- Prices ending in “.04” — 50% off
- Prices ending in “.03” — 75% off
- Prices ending in “.02” — 90% off
These tags often indicate that the item is approaching the penny stage or could be marked down soon.
5. Scan Barcodes
To confirm if an item is marked as a penny, you can use Home Depot’s app or in-store barcode scanners to check the price. Also, some stores have self-service price-check stations; you can try those too. And if an item scans for a penny, that’s your golden ticket.
6. Ask Employees for Help
Some Home Depot employees may be able to point you toward where you can find clearance items or even confirm whether certain products have been discontinued. Although they are not required to tell you about penny items specifically, being friendly and asking for help could give you valuable hints about which items will likely be heavily discounted.
7. Use Self-Checkout
If you find penny items, buying them at the self-checkout is sometimes easier. While the system will ordinarily scan the item and charge you the penny, some Home Depot stores have policies to stop the sale of penny items. So, using self-checkout can sometimes help avoid confusion or the possibility of an employee rejecting the sale.
Do All Home Depot Stores Have the Same Penny Items?
Not all Home Depot stores have the same penny items simultaneously. Penny items are usually determined at the store level based on inventory, location, and the product lifecycle.
For example, a particular paint brand may have been discontinued in one store, while another might still have it at full price. This means that just because a product is a penny item at one store doesn’t guarantee you’ll find it at another.
However, penny items generally follow a similar pattern. For example, seasonal items like Christmas decorations could become penny items in multiple stores once the holiday season is over. The secret is to watch for products likely to be discontinued in all locations, such as older appliances or out-of-season gardening tools.
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Your Guide to Penny Shopping at Home Depot
Finding Home Depot penny items can be a fun and rewarding challenge for anyone who enjoys hunting for deals. Remember that not every store will have the same penny items; some employees may be instructed to remove them before shoppers buy them. So, the next time you’re at Home Depot, be sure to look for those clearance items. Happy hunting!