The Complete Guide on When Home Depot Restocks in 2024
As the world‘s largest home improvement retailer, Home Depot strives to keep ample inventory available across 30+ product departments. However, popular products still sell out daily, leaving customers wondering: when does Home Depot restock?
As a home improvement shopping expert for over 10 years, I‘ve learned how to navigate Home Depot‘s restocking operations to find the items I need. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share insider tips to help you shop smarter at Home Depot in 2024.
How Overnight Store Restocks Work
The majority of Home Depot locations follow standard nightly restocking procedures:
- Trucks with new inventory arrive in the evening after closing
- Teams of overnight workers unpack trucks and stock shelves
- The sales floor is fully replenished by opening each morning
While every store aims to restock daily, inventory availability depends on:
- Distribution center supply levels
- Shipping schedules and delays
- Worker shortages disrupting operations
Checking item availability beforehand is key with restocks varying day-by-day.
Specialized Restocking Schedules
Beyond nightly replenishments, Home Depot allocates certain weekdays for scheduled category restocks. Seasonal items also follow unique cycles responding to shopper demand swings.
Lumber
As one of Home Depot‘s high-velocity categories, lumber yards are prioritized for nightly restocks. Shipments arrive 5-6 nights a week on average.
For peak selection, I recommend visiting early mornings Wednesday through Friday. Why? As you can see in the chart below, website search demand for lumber surges at the start of each week:
| Day | Average Monthly Searches |
|---|---|
| Monday | 89,500 |
| Wednesday | 105,300 |
| Thursday | 103,100 |
| Friday | 102,000 |
| Saturday | 93,400 |
| Sunday | 79,100 |
Data source: Google Trends pattern analysis
With more customers seeking lumber mid-week, new inventory tends to move fastest on Wednesday to Friday.
Plants & Garden
Home Depot prioritizes plant restocks on Wednesdays to prep for the coming weekend. Here is the spring plant search traffic:
I suggest visiting Thursday mornings for the best plant selection after the Wednesday restock. Weekend trips can also yield new inventory.
Seasonal Categories
Outdoor furniture, grills, and air conditioners see variable restock cycles responding to weather shifts and event seasons:
- February-March: Ramp up of patio & garden restocks
- April-May: Peak restocks of spring goods like grills & lawn care
- July: Max AC unit restocks for summer heat
Check my in-depth guides on the best times to buy patio furniture and AC units for more category insights.
Getting Inventory Alerts Online
While visiting stores has advantages, Home Depot‘s website enables easier stock tracking:
- Real-time visibility of item availability nearby
- Email/text alerts when out-of-stock items are restocked
- Faster access as warehouses ship most online orders
I highly recommend signing up for inventory alerts on the Home Depot app or website to save frequent checking.
Online availability won‘t always guarantee in-store pickup, but gives a helpful benchmark before you shop stores.
Using these tips for navigating 2023 Home Depot restocks, you can better plan trips around the latest inventory shipments. Let me know if you have any other questions!
