GOING to the supermarket at the right time can save you a fortune on your food shop.
Most shops will discount items such as ready meals, yoghurts and meat that are close to their sell by date in order to clear their shelves and reduce food waste.
But knowing what time to scour the supermarket aisles is a fine art.
So when are yellow sticker items usually applied?
And how can you get the biggest savings?
To help you bag a bargain – and beat other shoppers to the shelves – here’s what the major supermarkets said.
Unlike other supermarkets, discount chain Aldi uses red stickers to mark down food items in its shops.
The time when items are reduced varies per store but are typically near to when the shop closes.
Aldi discounts perishable items including bread, meat, fruit and vegetables by up to 75% on their last day of shelf life and will do this just before the store shuts.
It also offers a 30% discount on food that can be stored at room temperature such as cereal, tinned foods and pasta if it deems the packaging to be damaged.
Asda usually discounts items twice a day – once in the morning and again in the evening, according to consumer group Which?.
The supermarket offers some of the best reductions on the market, with fresh fruit and vegetables frequently slashed to just 10p.
Some Asda shops open as early as 6am or 7am which may mean you need to be up early to bag the best bargains.
When we asked the Co-op what time it usually discounts its food, the supermarket said that it does not have a set time across all of its stores when it reduces items.
Price reduction times will vary from store to store depending on the products in each shop and the type and quantity of stock that is nearing the end of its shelf-life.
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
Lidl said its employees usually reduce prices first thing in the morning and then a few hours before closing but they can choose to do so throughout the day, according to Which?.
Customers can also save money by downloading the Lidl Plus app, which has a selection of promotions on food items which are updated this week.
For example, this week shoppers can save 20% on selected Summer meats and BBQ Fuels.
The time at which items are reduced at Marks and Spencer vary depending on the shop but are often near the time the store closes.
The supermarket also updates its in-store offers each month, which can help you to knock pounds off your weekly shop.
Buying certain items together will also unlock further discounts.
For example, customers can currently save £7.50 on the supermarket’s iconic £12 Dine In for two menu, which includes a main meal, side and starter or dessert.
Morrisons said that there is not a specific time when it applies yellow sticker price cuts, which means that discounts may be available throughout the day.
Keep an eye out for yellow stickers when doing your weekly shop and register for a Morrisons More Card to save money on certain items on specific days of the week.
For example, shoppers can get 20% off the fish counter every Friday and 20% off a selection of prepared sirloin and fillet steak every Saturday when they scan their More Card or app.
Sainsbury’s said that there are not specific times during the day when it slashes prices, according to Which?.
It’s worth keeping your eyes peeled for yellow ‘reduced’ stickers when in store as savvy shoppers have boasted of bagging £12 beef joints for just 10p.
The supermarket also updates its top offers each week, meaning shoppers who have registered for its Nectar prices scheme can save nearly 50% on certain items.
Supermarket giant Tesco said that it has no set time for applying yellow stickers to products that are nearing their sell by date.
When shopping keep an eye out for the ‘mark-down section’ which is now available in 300 stores across the UK.
The areas have a sign which reads ‘reduced in price, just as nice’ and features a wide range of products such as salads, bread and meat.
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