5 Warnings to Shoppers From Ex-HomeGoods Employees

1 | Don't buy floor models.

It can be tempting to buy something directly off the floor, especially if there aren’t any options in the back, but you’ll want to think twice according to former employee Staci Holweger, who’s now the founder at LifePatches. "They're a fantastic bargain, but always check the items you purchase, because sometimes you can see a mark on them," Holweger tells Best Life. "This isn't a deal breaker, but you should know that you can't return or exchange it." She also notes that floor models won't come with a warranty.

Make sure to double-check each item before putting it in your cart, and if you’re not certain about something, ask if there’s an extra in the back just in case.

2 | Skip certain items.

Just because HomeGoods offers everything to stock your house doesn’t mean you should buy all of it. "Don't buy kitchen items or appliances that aren't on sale," Holweger advises. She also says to get towels, bath mats, and sheets elsewhere for less money because "sometimes these aren't worth the amount they're charging."

In a YouTube video, interior design guru Arvin Olano says not to buy faux plants at HomeGoods. "They feel like paper, first of all, and not only that, they're really, really expensive." When it comes to rugs, Olano says to avoid the brand Loloi, as they almost feel like plastic and "they're gonna make your home look really cheap."

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3 | Avoid going on these specific days.

Rae Dunn is a wildly pottery popular brand with devoted followers. But you might want to skip visiting the store on days when HomeGoods loads up on new products from this brand. "I used to work at HomeGoods and we would have people lined up on truck day waiting for them to hit the shelves," Redditor jdvendi wrote. In a Tweet, former employee @Aserbs13 explained that Rae Dunn items are so popular because people buy them at HomeGoods and then "resell them on ebay and other websites for 200 and up."

In a separate YouTube video, Olano says the best times to shop are from Thursday to Saturday early in the morning. Olano explains that since the store's busiest times are the weekends, "they want to be fully stocked when those doors open."

4 | You might not be saving as much as you think.

In a TikTok video, former HomeGoods employee Michelle Telles called the store a "lie," divulging that the price tags listing the original price are actually "completely made up." She says she was told by managers "to just say our price was half of whatever the made-up price was," to make people feel like they’re getting a deal (even if they’re not). She would tag an item for half-off its original price when the latter wasn't real in the first place.

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5 | Don’t expect employees to know what's in stock.

In the same TikTok, Telles explains that since HomeGoods stores have so much inventory, "there’s no way to tell what’s actually on the floor and what’s not." That’s why it can feel so difficult to track something down. Maybe you saw a bookshelf online, but once you get to the store it’s nowhere in sight. Unlike other retailers, HomeGoods knows it's all about the hidden gems you find in stores. That's why Telles says, "don’t ask employees if [they] have stuff in stock, they don’t know."