Insider reveals best times to shop at your favourite supermarket to get first dibs on sticker reductions
According to David Holmes, CEO of WhatPrice.co.uk, there's a science to those coveted yellow stickers that appear at Britain's biggest supermarkets.
Food retailers are already urging the Chancellor not to add any taxes or polices in the Autumn Budget that would push food prices higher. So, the sooner you know the tricks of cheaper food bills, the better. Want to save up to 90% on your food shop bills? Read more.
According to David Holmes, CEO of WhatPrice.co.uk, there’s a science to those coveted yellow stickers that appear at Britain’s biggest supermarkets.
He explained each store has its own strict schedule for marking down items near their sell-by dates. The biggest reductions happen during specific windows when managers need to clear stock fast, usually late afternoon or early evening. But each supermarket chain has its own system.
“Most people spot yellow stickers while shopping, but hardly anyone knows there’s a science to when they appear,” said Holmes.
“Knowing exactly when to visit each supermarket could save families hundreds of pounds on their grocery bills,” he said.
Tesco
Starts with small markdowns from 8am. The real savings of up to 90% don’t happen until around 7pm at larger stores and 4pm at Express branches.
“Tesco uses a step-by-step system throughout trading hours,” Holmes commented. “Morning discounts might only be 20-30% off, but evening reductions can reach 90% on fresh items that would otherwise be thrown away.”
Sainsbury
Yellow sticker routine looks completely different. Their first price cuts appear around 1pm but don’t expect much of a discount then. The best deals arrive after 7pm when prices can drop by up to 75%.
Asda
Shoppers should aim for 7pm. “Asda does one big round of reductions in the evening instead of smaller markdowns throughout the day,” said Holmes. “You can find fresh food suddenly cut by 50-70% if you turn up at the right time.”
Morrisons
Beats most rivals to the punch, with the first yellow stickers appearing around midday. Shoppers get the biggest price cuts between 5pm and 7pm when staff make final reductions.
Holmes said the fresh food counters at Morrisons are “gold mines” for yellow stickers. “The fish, meat, and deli sections can see huge reductions in the evening.”
Aldi and Lidl
These two chains break all the rules compared to traditional supermarkets. These discount chains put out their red-sticker reductions (their version of yellow stickers) first thing in the morning, with Aldi starting at 8am and Lidl even earlier at 7am.
“The discount supermarkets work completely differently,” David pointed out. “Their products already sell quickly because of the low prices, so they reduce items at the start of the day rather than the end.”
Waitrose
Begins markdowns around 2pm, with final yellow stickers appearing from 6pm onwards with discounts up to 80%.
Co-op
Their system can vary widely depending on location, but most make their final reductions in the hour before closing.
Sundays evenings
WhatPrice.co.uk’s CEO added that “Sunday evenings are absolute prime time for bargain hunters. With shorter trading hours and no deliveries the next day, stores are desperate to clear perishable stock.
“Staff putting out yellow stickers often face swarms of eager customers. Being patient and polite makes their job easier and creates a better atmosphere for all.
“While yellow sticker bargains can slash your food bill, you should only buy what you’ll use. The biggest saving comes from not wasting food. Only buy reduced items you’ll eat or freeze before they expire.”
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Please could you (and other journalists) stop describing Aldi and Lidl as “discount supermarkets” or “discounters.” I don’t know whether it’s some form of snobbery but it’s erroneous. Unless, of course, you can find Aldi and Lidl products more expensive elsewhere.? (Which you can’t, because the vast majority of what they sell is own-branded.) They’re not discounters; they’re simply cheap supermarkets. If you want to save money without jumping through these hoops, simply shop there.
PS If you’re arranging your list in terms of revenue, Aldi is above Morrisons, which has now dropped out of “The Big Four.”
I’m not sure this is accurate, Lidl seems to put them on throughout the day.
Better advice is to look at items you want, that are often discounted (bread, ready meals, fresh pizzas) that don’t keep – and read their best before dates.
Since food is delivered in batches, you can expect it all to reach end of life at the same time, then simply show up on that day, and if you’re lucky, you’ll grab some bargains.