Shopping tips at Bed Bath & Beyond

Every store has its own particular policies and quirks that gives it a certain "shopping personality." If you take advantage of a store's plusses and avoid its minuses, you'll do really well in your shopping strategies.  Here are some well-known and perhaps some not-so-well-known shopping tips for Bed Bath & Beyond (BB&B):

• Coupons, of course! I’m pretty sure everyone on Planet Earth knows about BB&B coupons, but every now and then, I’ll be in the store and will see someone on line, buying something without a BB&B coupon. More often than not, I’ll hand him (and yes, it’s usually a “him”) an extra coupon that I’ve got in my bag.  Here's the dish on coupons for BB&B.
  
  1. BB&B will accept their own coupons regardless of whether they are expired or not , one of the great BB& B perks. I recently used a coupon that I discovered while cleaning out my desk, which had expired in 2001! (The cashier didn’t blink).  Be sure and join the BB&B mailing list so that you will receive their coupon mailings and build up your stash of BB&B coupons.  Never shop there without them.
  2. Coupons can be used on clearance items, regardless of what the fine print might say.
  3. Coupons from BB& usually come in the following denominations: a) 20% off, b) $5 off $15 or more. There is also a high-value Recyclebank rewards coupon for $10 off $30 (the equivalent of 33% off when you use it for a $30 purchase. I stocked up on a few of these, as coupons on  Recyclebank often disappear from their rewards lineup. 
  4. Generally, you can use one coupon (whether store or manufacturer) per item. 
  5.  BB&B will also accept unexpired competitor’s coupon.  That's the official word, anyway.  I've actually used expired competitor's coupons at BB&B, so don't be shy to try.
  6. Forgot your BB&B coupons at home? No problem, buy your item and just bring your receipt and coupon back for a price adjustment.  Don't worry about how much time has passed...BB&B won't hold you to a time limit.
  7. You cannot use print coupons on the BB&B website, but they periodically release special online-only coupons.  You can go into a store and order something from their website and use a BB&B coupon.  If you do this, you'll still need to pay shipping.
• Price matching: bring in an ad or show them a competitor’s lower price on your smartphone, and BB&B will match the price.  Officially, they will not pair a lower matched price with a BB&B coupon, but unofficially, I've done it, and my friends have all done it in various cities' BB&Bs, so again, don't be too shy to ask.  
• Hassle-free return policy: if you have an item that BB&B carries, you can return it there for a store credit, with no receipt required. If you’ve purchased an item with a BB&B coupon and then lose the receipt, they will give you a store credit for it and not even take the coupon into account (so in this way, you’ll actually do better when returning an item).  You don't need the original packaging to return an item to BB&B, but if you return it without a receipt or packaging, you will get a store credit only.
• Store credits at BB&B do not expire and are good at any of their stores.
• Clearance sections:  while prices at BB&B are generally not low, their clearance racks are fantastic.  I make regular trips to BB&B after Chanukah and after Passover to snag some below-$5 deals on holiday tablecloths, decorative matzoh trays, dreidel salt and pepper shakers, etc.  In general, you can find some incredible deals in BB&B clearance sections, especially on bedding and kitchenware.  There are also wonderful sales with BB&B gift card incentives.
• Registries: if you’re buying a gift from a BB&B wedding registry, you can use a coupon on the item. If you’re completing your own registry, BB&B will give you a 10% discount on the items you’re getting to complete it. Officially, this discount cannot be stacked with a coupon, but unofficially, friends of mine have done it with no problem.   When you create your registry, make sure you register for sets of items that send you free incentives both when you initially register and again when you complete your registry.  Registries aren't just for weddings; you can set up a registry for a commitment ceremony, an anniversary, housewarming, going off to college, birthday, retirement, and pretty much any other life-cycle celebration.
• Rebates: many of the pricier kitchenware sets at BB&B come with manufacturer rebates. You can often find rebates for their higher-end pots sets, like Cuisinart, Calphalon, etc. Make sure you do a little research before you buy. 
•  Help with product assembly:  did you buy something at BB&B that needs assembling? Call the company’s 24 help line 800-GO-BEYOND and they will walk you through the assembly process.

What did I miss?  Do you have a favorite shopping tip about Bed Bath & Beyond that you'd like to share?

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