Clearance Lifecycle

Understanding Home Depot's clearance markdown patterns and timing to predict when items will reach penny status.

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Home Depot uses a structured clearance system with specific price endings that signal markdown depth. Understanding these patterns helps predict when items will reach penny status.

Important

Clearance timing varies by store, region, and department. These patterns are general guidelines based on community observations, not official Home Depot policy.

Markdown Progression Over Time

Visualization of how items progress through clearance cadences (percentage of original price)

Penny Find Success Rate by Department

Typical penny find patterns by department (illustrative estimates)

Note: Charts show typical markdown patterns based on community observations. Individual store timing may vary significantly.

Price Ending Guide

Price Ending	Meaning	Action
`.01`	Penny item - clearance complete	Buy immediately
`.03/.02`	Final markdown before penny	Monitor daily
`.06/.04`	Mid-clearance markdown	Check weekly
`.00`	Initial clearance (rounded)	Add to watch list

Markdown Cadences

Patterns observed across departments.

Cadence A

$X.00 → $X.06 → $X.03 → $0.01

Timeframe: 2-4 weeks per stage

Common in: Hardware, Tools, Electrical

Cadence B

$X.00 → $X.04 → $X.02 → $0.01

Timeframe: 1-3 weeks per stage

Common in: Seasonal, Garden, Holiday

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