Don’t Shop at Home Depot on This Day of the Week

The thought of big crowds and long lines at checkout can tempt you to put off shopping at The Home Depot, even if it means having to push back a home improvement project.

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A better strategy is to plan your trips for times when it’s easier to shop. Family Handyman recommends trying to avoid shopping at The Home Depot on Saturday, when people who work during the week tend to shop. You may also want to avoid Sunday, when customers often return items they purchased on Saturday. That leaves weekdays as the best days to shop.

Let’s say you’ve decided to go to Home Depot on a Wednesday. What’s the best time? Try first thing in the morning or between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., when you’ll likely find smaller crowds.

Family Handyman offers a few more tips for shopping at The Home Depot:

• If you’re looking for deals on large, big-ticket items, check out floor models and see if there are any discounts available.

• Shop for paint on holiday weekends, when The Home Depot usually offers deals.

• Any time you buy paint, look through the returns first. Stores usually offer these already-mixed cans at steep discounts.

• Remember to ask for your veteran/active military discount if you’re eligible. You can save 10% on purchases up to $500.

If you head straight to self-checkout lanes after you’re finished shopping to avoid long waits at the cashier checkouts, you may have a new reason to stand in line instead. Whereas some retailers, like Walmart and Dollar General, have been removing those lanes because of customer complaints and thefts, The Home Depot is taking a different approach.

The home improvement giant is using artificial intelligence technology to watch customers in an effort to deter thefts, according to DailyMail.com. The move was revealed during a recent earnings call with analysts. The system is called “computer vision,” and it consists of AI-monitored cameras that can identify high-risk shopping carts — those with many items or with expensive items — that might warrant the attention of a cashier.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Don’t Shop at Home Depot on This Day of the Week