HOME Bargains has revealed it’s made a major change to its pricing process.
The bargain retailer has said it’s getting rid of handwritten sale stickers on items and is moving to an automated solution instead.
Home Bargains said the move would make things “better for customers”.
It’s been working with software company Retail Insight to roll out tech that “automates pricing decisions”.
The tech was trialled at 20 Home Bargains stores in February.
It’s now been expanded to more than 600 stores.
Home Bargains retail and technology director Paul Rowland said the move “helped us transform a very manual, outdated process into one that’s simple for colleagues, smart for the business and better for customers”.
If you’re looking to save at Home Bargains, there is also a savvy trick you can use.
The Sun previously revealed the hidden secret codes on Home Bargains labels that tell you when an item is a best seller and when more stock is coming.
Frequent shoppers will know that certain products are highlighted with a “Star Buys” label sign in store.
This is a selection of products which have been discounted and can range from beauty to food.
But many customers may be unaware of what it means when they see an extra star sticker on top of these labels.
These are usually a small red sticker with a yellow star in the middle.
Tom Church, co-founder of discount code platform LatestDeals.co.uk, said these extra red stickers tell staff when an item is a best seller.
“The star is a sign that they shouldn’t use the shelf space for other things, but rather replenish it with the same product or wait for a delivery the next day,” he said.
If you spot this sticker, you should think of it as a “popular label” as it shows a lot of people are buying the item.
He added: “This can be useful if you’re unsure and it’s a sign perhaps it’s liked by lots of others and is good.”
Not every “Star Buy” label has a special sticker on it so you need to keep a look out for the ones which have are red with a yellow star printed on the inside.
How to save money at Home Bargains
Knowing when to pick up products is just one way to save money at Home Bargains – there’s a host of other hacks you can use to slash costs.
Of course, you should shop around before buying any product using price comparison sites such as www.pricespy.co.uk and www.latestdeals.co.uk.
The Google Shopping tab is another great way to see how a product compares price wise as well.
If you’re looking for dupes for pricey products, Home Bargains can be great.
Shoppers recently spotted a bargain dupe for a Laura Mercier bubble bath.
The Laura Mercier Honey Bath costs £47 in Boots – but you can get the Home Bargains Serenity Collection Bath Honey for just £1.99.
Customers also went wild for the Revolution Pro Cream Wand Trio set, which usually sells for £18 but was spotted for just £1.99 in Home Bargains.
It’s considered a great dupe for Charlotte Tilbury‘s £81 Beauty Light Wand & Hollywood Contour Kit.
Look out for discounts at B&M, too
HOME Bargains’ main rival, B&M, is also known for its great discounts.
And the secret to bagging the best deals is to use the B&M scanner app.
It can be found on the B&M Stores mobile app, which you can download for free from the App Store or Google Play.
There’s a “scan” button on the bottom of the homepage on the app.
Simply point your phone’s camera at an item’s barcode, and the app will automatically bring up the price.
If an item’s price hasn’t been updated on the shelf, the app will tell you – and it’s a great way of hunting out the best bargains.
