If you’re looking to cut down the cost of your weekly food shop, hunting for yellow sticker bargains could be the way to go.
The items are often reduced in price because they are nearing their sell-by dates. To prevent food waste, supermarkets aim to shift them by flogging them cheaply.
And if you play your cards right, you could get some incredible goods that you can eat that day or pop into the freezer for a rainy day. So when is the best time to shop?
Thrifty TikTok creator @thismumcooks revealed timing for the yellow sticker pick ups is her “most asked” question. But giving an answer is harder than you’d think – as reductions often differ depending on store and location.
There are however some likely times to pick up discounted items, and it is usually after lunchtime. The TikTok video’s description reads: “I wish I could tell you the perfect time to shop for reduced items but it is so hit and miss there really isn’t a ‘RIGHT’ answer.
“Anyone who tells you otherwise is a bit misguided. There are ‘BETTER’ times but this is dependent on the chain and your local area. What I can say is that some of the best offers I have got have been at random times in the day, when I wasn’t looking or expecting them. Keep those eyes peeled and you should find yourself some great bargains.”
While lunchtime bargain hunting can work well for some, others shared times they’d been successful at their local supermarkets.. One comment read: “I go to M&S on Saturday at 8am, it’s always full of yellow stickers.”
Another revealed: “In our M&S it’s first thing in the morning, 9am – and then at 4pm onwards.” Meanwhile, others claimed that some shops have set times where they put the deals out.
One alleged: “I work in Tesco they are not gone at random times there’s a set time 10am, 2pm and 7pm, which 7pm is the best time to go [SIC].” And another said: “At the Co-op it’s 6pm for final reductions.”