Courtney Allan
Money & Banking

Discount hacks: Former employee reveals the secrets Kmart doesn't want you to know

A former employee at Kmart has revealed the best tips and tricks in order to make the most out of the savings on offer at the retail discount giant.

Rita Kaminski worked at Kmart from the age 15 to 19 whilst she was at school.

Her tips, according to The Daily Mail, are as follows:

1. The stock will drop in price

Rita recommends finding a friend who works at Kmart so they can keep an eye on the catalogue for you.

However, if you don’t have any friends that work at Kmart, keep an eye on your local store and drop in from time to time.

“A lot of the stock will always change in price,” she explained.

“If it's something that isn't in the catalogue but it has been in the store for a long time, especially clothes, they can sometimes go on sale for as little as $1.”

2. Look at the barcodes

Rita recommends checking the barcode of an item before buying it, especially if you’re looking at an upgraded model of the same product.

“The last digit on the barcode changes after every new season,” she said.

“So if there are two toasters that look exactly the same and the last digit of one barcode is eight and the other is nine, the one with the eight should be cheaper.”

3. There is extra stock that exists

Turns out there is extra stock available.

However, the whereabouts of it all isn’t known to everyone. Rita recommends visiting the store between 8 am and 5 pm as this is when the full-time employees are on, who are more knowledgeable about the store.

You can also inquire about specific games and they might have it out the back.

“There are thousands of games in storage, so if you're looking for something in particular, just ask,” Rita said.

4. The cheapest time to visit is after a major holiday (such as Easter or Christmas)    

With Easter coming up, this is the best time to head into Kmart as this is where the best bargains are.

Rita explained:

“The best bargains are right after Christmas and after Easter,” Rita said.

“On Boxing Day there's a whole section that drops down to between five cents and $5 but it is usually wiped out on Boxing Day by customers so it's good to come in early.

“In between campaign periods like 'Back To School' they would mark things down because it's not as busy but a lot of the times, quite randomly, they will slash the prices of a bulk number of books, clothes or appliances.

“It's usually when a newer model/garment has been updated, fixed or isn't selling.

“The price will drop down drastically but the item doesn't really change by much.”

Are you going to utilise these tips? Let us know in the comments.

Tags:
kmart, kmart hacks, money, money hacks, cheap, kmart cheap