The Secret Language of Price Tags
Most retailers use a series of codes and special prices to secretly label their products. Sales associates use them to sort and move merchandise, but savvy shoppers who’ve broken the code can snatch up items when they’re at their lowest price point. In The Home Depot’s case, look for yellow sales tags. If the sales price ends with .06, then there are six weeks left before that item is priced lower. If the sales price ends with .03, then that item will either be moved to clearance or donated to charity in three weeks. By keeping an eye on those yellow tags, it’s possible to get even better deals on low-cost, high-value items that every DIYer will love.
Clearance Negotiations
Once those sale items move to clearance, you might think that the price is as low as it’s going to get. But there’s actually an opportunity to get them for even less. Clearance rack pricing is at the store manager’s discretion, and it never hurts to ask if the price can come down a little. This is especially useful if you’re buying several clearance items at once. You may be told ‘no’, but you’d be surprised at how often managers are happy to see these items sell at all. If you’re uncertain about your negotiating skills, this article on finding the right car price is a great primer.
