The One Thing You Should Never Buy at Lowe's, Shopping Experts Warn
Experts explain why checking out with this item is a rookie mistake.
When you head to the home improvement store to purchase that one specific item on your list, it can be tempting to load up the cart with much more than you came for. After all, those wide and endless-seeming aisles, both inside and out, offer a huge range of related products meant to entice. But experts say that when you're shopping at Lowe's, there are certain products you just want to avoid altogether. Read on to find out what you should never buy at Lowe's.
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Don't buy cleaning supplies at Lowe's, experts warn.
Experts advise that you stay clear of the cleaning supplies offered at Lowe's, which make for unwise impulse buys. "The selection of cleaning supplies at Lowe's isn't very big compared to grocery stores, so your choices are already going to be limited," explains Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst with the shopping comparison site DealNews.com. "But even for the items that are there, prices usually aren't great either. You usually end up paying more at Lowe's for something like disinfectant wipes."
Alex Williams, an e-commerce business owner and the CFO of the retail shopping guide FindThisBest, echoes the sentiment. "Lowe's is known for its extra charges on cleaning products," Williams explains. "So much so that you could end up paying 10 percent more than the actual market rate. For example, a Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner costs around $10 on Lowe's websites, whereas it was available for less than $8.50 on Walmart."
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Home decor purchases are also ill-advised at Lowe's.
Ramhold adds that home decor is another category to avoid when shopping at Lowe's. "The home improvement store isn't really known for its home decor, and with good reason—often the selection is very limited, without a lot of styles to choose from," she says. "Additionally, the prices leave a lot to be desired: You can usually find better deals by shopping at places like TJMaxx or HomeGoods."
Make sure you comparison price batteries from home improvement stores like Lowe's.
Further, Ramhold adds, batteries can be a budget-buster at Lowe's. Make sure you're comparing prices before checking out with these items in your cart from the home improvement store. "Once again, the price just isn't as good as what you'll find elsewhere," she explains. "Typically you'll find more reasonable prices at big box stores like Target, but even grocery stores may have more affordable prices than Lowe's on things like batteries."
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Overall, shoppers should approach every purchase with critical thinking.
The trick to savvy shopping at a range of retail outlets is to approach each purchase mindfully and with a critical eye. For instance, experts explain that Amazon's dynamic pricing model can gouge online shoppers who aren't paying close enough attention at checkout. Similarly, shoppers who buy pre-cut produce items at Kroger could be needlessly paying enormous markups without even realizing it.
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