BOOST YOUR SUPERMARKET SMARTS

Whether you love grocery shopping or hate it, you can probably stand to be better at it. So we asked insiders to chime in with their top tips.

- MARA WEINRAUB

Avoid the Crowds

If you were hoping for a specific time that's best for shopping, Maria Brous, director of communications at the supermarket chain Publix, is going to disappoint you. "There's no universal best time to shop," she says. (Bummer, right?) A spokesperson for Target notes that traffic patterns even vary by store.

That said, weekends tend to be supermarkets' busiest days, and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are usually the slowest, says Mario Torres, store team leader at a Whole Foods Market in St. Petersburg, Florida. "That's why many retailers change their sales midweek." He adds that midmorningaround 10 a.m.-is often when stores are the least crowded.

You can also google your store for a data-backed view of the slowest times. Additionally, it can be helpful to think about the store's neighborhood and who's shopping there. "First thing in the morning can be super busy for stores located near retirees or families with grade-school students," Brous says. At other locations, you may see a rush during lunch, before dinner, or even an hour before closing time. Once you've put yourself in your neighbors' shoes, you can try to avoid those busy periods. Or bypass the aisles completely by ordering for curbside pickup.

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