What if you could save money just by shopping on a different day? A new report reveals when to consider shopping for the biggest savings on groceries, gadgets, apparel and home appliances.
Sometimes a deal is just a few days or even hours away.
WATCH: Shoppers and a retail expert discuss when they like to shop for the best deals:
When to shop for the best deals
Throughout 2025, the data access company Decodo analyzed more than 785,000 prices from 37 major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy.
Its findings revealed the best times to shop online for electronics, fresh produce, home appliances and men’s and women’s apparel.
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The best days to shop:
- Electronics: Thursday early morning (4 a.m.)
- Fresh produce: Friday early morning (1 a.m.)
- Home appliances: Wednesday late afternoon (4 p.m.)
- Men’s apparel: Friday early morning (1 a.m.)
- Women’s apparel: Sunday early morning (1 a.m.)
The worst times to shop:
- Electronics: Thursday night (9 p.m.)
- Fresh produce: Thursday early morning (7 a.m.)
- Home appliances: Thursday morning (9 a.m.)
- Men’s apparel: Thursday morning (11 a.m.)
- Women’s apparel: Thursday morning (11 a.m.)
Gabrielė Vitkė, Decodo senior product marketing manager, said time of day also makes a big difference. A great price in the morning hours could increase by 30% by dinner.
"You can both lose and win shopping the same day," Vitkė said.
Last year, home appliances and clothing were the cheapest in the month of January, so take advantage of winter clearance now.
Vitkė warns that October was the worst time to shop as prices increased ahead of Black Friday.
"October is a trap. Don't fall for it," she said.
Why prices fluctuate
The various categories tracked by Decodo follow very different retail mechanics.
For example, Vitkė said apparel is driven by inventory cycles, seasonal collections, flash sales and markdowns. Electronics and appliances tend to follow promotion-driven pricing.
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"Fashion prices drop to move inventory while electronic prices fall to drive demand," she said.
Grocery pricing is tied to harvest schedules, available supply and restock schedules.
Takeaways and how to save
Vitkė said the biggest takeaway is not spending based on impulse. Instead, doing some research and buying what’s on sale during a particular season is best.
"If you want to buy electronics, November or January would probably be the best time to purchase them, not in the summer," Vitkė said. "For apparel, buying off-season (is) within the January-winter sale period."
Another savings strategy is avoiding peak demand hours like Thursday mornings and weekend mornings when shoppers tend to browse.
Shopper Jada Conner tells us she prefers the midday afternoon hours, "One o'clock I feel is the best time cause really nobody's here," she said.
Jeff Moore is more focused on when not to go shopping.
"I don't like to do it on the weekends, not at all," Moore said.
Some strategic shopping could lead to bigger savings, so you don’t waste your money.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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