The day of the week you do your grocery shopping can have a surprisingly big impact on the deals you find and the quality of the products you buy. While Tuesday is often a quiet and less crowded day to shop, it can also be one of the worst days of the week for your wallet. The weekly retail cycle of sales and deliveries means that on a Tuesday, you are often caught in a “sweet spot” of high prices and low inventory. Here are six things you should never buy on a Tuesday.
1. Most Sale Items from the Weekly Ad
The vast majority of American grocery stores start their new weekly ad on a Wednesday. This means that a Tuesday is the very last day of the previous week’s sale. By this point, the store’s inventory of the most popular sale items has been completely picked over. You will be left with a poor selection. You are also shopping just one day before a whole new set of deals is about to begin.
2. Fresh Produce
Many grocery stores receive their main produce deliveries later in the week. This is to prepare for the busy weekend shopping rush. This means that on a Tuesday, the produce on the shelves might be the leftover stock from the previous week’s delivery. You are better off waiting until Thursday or Friday to get the absolute freshest fruits and vegetables.
3. Fresh Meat
The meat department also often operates on a late-week delivery schedule. The best selection of fresh cuts from the butcher’s case is usually available on a Thursday or a Friday. A Tuesday can be a slow day for the meat department. The selection may be limited, and the items may have been sitting in the case for a few days.
4. Fresh Seafood
This is a classic piece of insider knowledge. You should never buy fresh seafood at the beginning of the week. Most stores get their fresh fish deliveries on Tuesdays and Fridays. This means that on a Tuesday morning, the case is likely still filled with the fish that did not sell over the weekend. You should wait until the afternoon, after the new delivery has arrived, to buy your fish.
5. Milk
This may seem surprising, but Tuesday can be a bad day to buy milk if you are looking for the latest possible expiration date. The major dairy deliveries often happen later in the week to ensure the shelves are full for the weekend. The milk that is on the shelf on a Tuesday might have a slightly earlier “sell by” date than the milk that will arrive on Wednesday or Thursday.
6. Anything You Can Wait One More Day For
The single biggest reason not to shop on a Tuesday is that you are just one day away from a whole new set of sales. The new weekly ad is about to drop. A smart and patient shopper knows that it is always better to wait and see what the new deals will be. A Tuesday is a day of old prices and limited selection, the calm before the storm of a new sale.
The Rhythm of the Retail Week
A grocery store has a predictable weekly rhythm. It is a cycle of deliveries, markdowns, and sales that is designed to be at its peak for the busy weekend. By understanding this rhythm, you can time your shopping trips to your advantage. A Tuesday might be a good day for a quiet, crowd-free shopping trip. However, it is rarely the best day for your wallet or for the quality of your fresh food.
What day of the week do you think is the best for grocery shopping? Have you ever noticed a difference in the quality of the products based on the day you shop? Let us know!
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