The Best Time To Go To The Grocery Store For The Highest-Quality Goods

We all approach grocery shopping with our own beloved and specific rituals. There's the lunch-hour shopper, the weekend warrior, those who prefer Instacart deliveries throughout the week, and the shoppers who make a hobby out of leisurely strolling down each aisle. We all have our own style when it comes to restocking our pantry and fridge shelves, but we share the same desire to make shopping a pleasurable experience. And with prices at stores sky high, we all want our hard-earned dollars to get us the freshest and best quality items.

And as it turns out, there's a science behind the optimal time to head to the store. If you have freedom in your schedule, you'd be wise to head to the store in the early mornings, as soon after it opens as possible, to catch stores immediately after they've restocked for the day. This ensures you'll be getting the cream of the crop of freshly replenished shelves, ample produce options, and generally the highest quality picks.

You might think each supermarket chain or town would have its own delivery and restocking schedule, making timing your store runs to match up with well-stocked, fresh goods next to impossible. But it's actually easier than you might think — and as a general rule, showing up early, soon after the stores open, means you'll be rewarded with abundant and fresh groceries that haven't yet been picked over, no matter which supermarket you frequent. The early bird gets the worm, and also the best groceries.

Early morning is also the best time to avoid the worst crowds. On the flip side, you can count on long lines and packed aisles around 5:00 p.m., or in anticipation of holidays, long weekends, or game days. So if the idea of a chaotic store strikes fear in your heart, stick to the early morning time slots whenever possible.  

Looking to even further hack your way to a better shopping experience? This is where local and store-specific schedules may come into play. You can always ask your local manager which day of the week they restock. In general, though, Wednesdays are considered the best day to get your shopping done. Many store's weekly ad cycle starts fresh mid-week, most have already restocked in anticipation of the weekend, and you'll beat both the start-to-the-week and heading-into-the-weekend crowds, making hump-day grocery shopping a win-win.