I’m a retail expert – exact times to shop at Home Bargains to find the best deals starting at 69p

HOME Bargains is the perfect one-stop shop for cheap deals on everything from toys to garden accessories.

But you can make even bigger savings by choosing the right times to scour the shelves.

Visiting your local branch at the right time of day, week and year can help you pick up bargains from as little as 69p.

That's according to Tom Church, co-founder of latestdeals.co.uk, who shared his top tips for saving money on your next shop.

Here's everything you need to know about heading to Home Bargains at the right times.

Best time for clearance deals

Home Bargains, like most other retailers, slashes its prices after big public holidays like Christmas and Father's Day to clear excess stock.

It can see you pick up some absolute steals.

Tom said: "You can pick up decorations, festive food, toys and more for a fraction of the price.

"Buy them while they’re cheap and put them away for next year."

But it's not just following big holidays - weather can dictate whether certain products are likely to drop in price too.

Items like Brilliant and Easy BBQ firelighters can sell for as little as 69p, for example.

"With all the bad weather we’ve had this summer, there will likely be discounts on items that haven’t sold as well as they might have if the weather had been better," Tom said.

"It’s worth a look in store to see if you can find any bargains on BBQs, fire pits, or outdoor decorations."

Best time for quietest shops

Plenty of retailers reduce their stock on certain days, including B&M, which slashes prices heavily on Wednesdays.

Home Bargains doesn't have a known specific day for when it does this.

But, Tom said, you can figure out when Home Bargains is quietest, giving you enough space and time to find the best deals with less stress.

He explained: "Use Google Maps to see the popular times for your local store.

"You can see how busy the store is on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and the times."

To use the Google Maps tool, you just have to type your local branch into Google.

You can then select the "Overview" tab and scroll down to see the days of the week and the busiest and quietest periods.

Best time for fully-stocked shelves

Retailers often stock their stores overnight or early in the morning so shelves are fresh for the morning, and Home Bargains is no different.

It has new stock delivered around 7.30am each day, so it's worth heading to your local branch as soon as it opens.

You'll have the best selection of items to choose from and will be more likely to snap up a bargain.

Tom explained: "People won’t have ravaged the shelves yet, so they’ll be nice and organised as a bonus.

"Recently I found a Yankee Candle reduced to £2.99 in store.

"I checked the price online to make sure it was a genuine deal and found they were selling on eBay for £10."

How else 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.

First, you'll want to shop around before buying any product, which means 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.

You want to make sure you're buying the right products to ensure you get the best prices too.

Tom previously told The Sun Mrs Hinch products are a good place to start - they're extremely popular and often reduced in price.

Party decorations are also worth picking up with prices starting from 99p.

In other news, Home Bargains is making a major change across dozens of its stores - and shoppers will be thrilled.

Meanwhile, rival discount retailers B&M, The Range, Poundland and Home Bargains have shown interest in making an offer for bust chain Wilko.

Plus, Costco has axed a family favourite service from stores.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

You can also join our new Sun Money to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.