Supermarket yellow stickers: When do Morrisons, Tesco, Aldi, Asda and Sainsbury’s start reducing prices?

BARGAIN hunters can often be spotted pounding the aisles of supermarkets and hovering around clearance aisles in the hope of snapping up reduced “yellow sticker” food.

But what are these deals and when do supermarkets, including Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco reduce prices – here’s what you need to know.

Getting the best yellow sticker bargain usually depends on the time of day you go to the supermarketCredit: Alamy

What is a yellow-sticker whoopsie deal?

Whoopsie deals, also known as yellow-sticker bargains, tend to crop up when supermarkets shift food that’s approaching its use-by date.

The way shoppers know these items are discounted is because supermarkets put a yellow sticker on packets indicating the revised price.

Supermarket loyalty schemes – which has one?

MOST UK supermarkets have loyalty schemes so customers can build up points and save money while they shop.

Here we round up what saving programmes you’ll find at the big brands.

Iceland: Unlike other stores, you don’t collect points with the Iceland Bonus Card. Instead, you load it up with money and Iceland will give you £1 for every £20 you save.
Morrisons: Morrisons’ More gives customers five points per £1 spent in store. When customers earn 5,000 points they receive a £5 voucher.
Sainsbury’s: While Sainsbury’s doesn’t have a personal scheme, it does own the Nectar card which can also be used in Argos, eBay and other shops. You need 200 Nectar points to save up £1 to spend on your card. You need to spend at least £1 to get one Nectar point.
Tesco: Tesco Clubcard has over 17million members in the UK alone. You use it each time you shop and build up points that can be turned into vouchers – 150 points gets you a £1.50 voucher. Here you need to spend £1 in Tesco to get one point.
Waitrose: myWaitrose also doesn’t allow you to collect points but instead you’ll get access to free hot drinks, and discounts off certain brands in store.

They can also be used to offer discounts on food in damaged packaging or on lines that are being discontinued, such as Christmas chocolates once the festive season is over.

Often there will be an entire shelf or section of the supermarket dedicated to these clearance bargains but sometimes you can find them tucked away with full-priced items.

These goods often have up to 75% off the retail price, so if you have a big freezer, it’s the perfect way to stock up on the best brands for less.

When do supermarkets put out yellow-sticker bargains?

The time supermarkets put out these bargains tends to vary.

Generally, supermarkets tend to slap a yellow sticker on items first thing in the morning, after lunch, and just before closing time – and the biggest discounts are usually just before stores shut.

Scott Dixon, a complaints expert who blogs at the Grumpy Git, told us after 1pm is a good time all round for discounts, while self-proclaimed “coupon kid” Jordon Cox reckons between 3pm and 5pm is best if you specifically want discounted sandwiches.

Other bargain hunters have revealed in the past that the evening is often the best time to stock up while London restaurant discount site Plate-Deals says the “absolute best discounts are to be had first thing Sunday morning at all supermarkets”.

Here’s a rough supermarket-by-supermarket guide.

Aldi

Scott told The Sun Aldi discounts throughout the day at 30% to 50% off – but he warned not to leave it too late or else you may miss out.

Meanwhile, a MoneySavingExpert.com user told the site in September 2019 that Aldi’s half-price stickers start appearing from 8pm.

Asda

Shoppers told MoneySavingExpert.com back in July 2017 that final reductions often start around 7pm – and most bargains have been snapped up by 9pm.

Thrifty parents Paul and June Stakes previously explained how they bagged a £50 shop for just £3 at ASDA.

Co-op

One former Co-op worker told MoneySavingExpert.com items which expire that day tend to have a 50% discount, though another MoneySaver said you have to wait until 8pm for 75% discounts.

When The Sun spoke to Co-op, it told us reduced to clear price reductions are generally applied about four hours before the store closes.

Lidl

Experts said Lidl discounts its items at the start of the day, unlike other grocers which wait until just before closing time.

Lidl usually reduces products in its 800 UK stores near the use-by date to about 30% of the original price, bloggers from Student Hacks have previously revealed.

M&S Food

M&S Food shopper Scott added that he reckons between 5pm and 7pm is when you can expect to snap up the best bargains.

One savvy shopper bagged a huge pile of fancy M&S treats for less than £20 while picking up her online order.

Morrisons

Morrisons does the best bargains first thing in the morning, says one shopper. She told us: “The early bird gets the cheap-cheap perishables.”

Plate-Deals also recommends visiting Morrisons first thing in the morning.

And one shopper who says they work at Morrisons told The Sun the supermarket discounts items overnight so shoppers can snap up bargains first thing in the morning.

Sainsbury’s

Shopper Scott told The Sun Sainsbury’s city centre convenience stores often have good yellow-sticker discounts late at night.

While Plate-Deals reckons the best Sainsbury’s discounts are to be had around 7pm.

Sainsbury’s told The Sun it’s at the store manager’s discretion whether to offer discounts, and if so, which items to reduce, when to start cutting prices, and how much to take off.

Tesco

Tesco told us its yellow-sticker reductions vary in price but it says they will increase over the course of the final day an item is on sale before it expires.

This matches what Scott told us, as he said Tesco’s city centre shops often have good bargains late at night.

Waitrose

Plate-Deals reckons Waitrose offers yellow-sticker discounts after 6pm, with bargains often appearing half an hour before closing.

But it points out smaller stores often run “much better reductions” than bigger branches.

How to maximise yellow-sticker bargains

One member of The Sun’s Money Saving Tips and Deals Facebook group told us it’s best to phone or ask customer services at your local store for price reduction times as they can vary.

You should also check your nearest store’s opening times and consider scheduling a trip at opening or just before closing.

To maximise yellow-sticker bargains, also work out when the shop is closed for a public holiday and go the day before.

That way you will get the reductions for the day you are there and the yellow stickers for the day the store is closed.

Coupon kid Jordon also told us not to be afraid to ask for a discount. He said: “If you find something in your supermarket trolley that expires that day, and you see a staff member with the yellow sticker gun, there’s no harm in asking if it can be reduced.

“The worst thing they can do is say no. The same goes for if you see packaging that is battered or falling apart.”

Don’t get stuck at the checkout by scanning the wrong barcode though.

Double-check when you scan the item through that you have scanned the barcode on the yellow sticker rather than the regular barcode, otherwise your bargain hunting skills will fall short of the finish line.

Jordon adds that it’s not just supermarkets that offer yellow-sticker discounts. He told The Sun: “Other high street shops can also be a goldmine for reduced or yellow sticker items.

“Shops such as TK Maxx, Robert Dyas, Debenhams, Matalan and Dunelm Mill all have their own clearance aisle, so you can pick up a bargain there too.”

Naomi Willis, of the SkintDad money saving blog, added: “Smaller corner shops and petrol stations are great places to pick up a bargain and you won’t have as much competition with other shoppers.”