What Is the Best Time to Get Reduced Food at Supermarkets?

If you’ve ever been told “just go at 7pm” and walked away with nothing but a sad loaf of bread for 20p, you already know the truth:

There is no single best time to get yellow-sticker bargains.

Supermarkets don’t all reduce food at the same time. Many don’t even follow a strict schedule anymore. Staff workload, how busy the store is, and automated stock systems all play a part.

That said, there are patterns, and once you understand how reductions actually work, you can massively improve your chances.

This guide pulls together:

• What supermarket staff say
• What shoppers repeatedly report on forums
• What the media claims (and where it oversimplifies)

Typical times for yellow sticker reductions (UK supermarkets)

Supermarket	First reductions often appear	Best time for biggest reductions	Notes
Tesco	Morning to early afternoon	Evening (often after 6:30pm)	Large stores tend to go later than Express
Sainsbury’s	Early afternoon	Evening (often after 7pm)	Meat and ready meals often go later
Asda	Late morning or afternoon	Evening (around 6–7pm)	Often one main evening reduction
Morrisons	Late morning	Early evening (5–7pm)	Fresh counters can be gold
Aldi	Morning or afternoon	Late afternoon / early evening	Very store-dependent
Lidl	Morning	Mid-to-late afternoon	Some stores reduce meat around 4pm
Marks & Spencer	Early to mid-afternoon	Late afternoon / close	Food-to-go often reduced earlier

How supermarket reductions actually work

Most supermarkets now operate a two-stage reduction system:

1. Early reductions
   Smaller discounts (often 10–30%) earlier in the day to test demand.
2. Final reductions
   Much deeper cuts (50–90%) later in the day to clear stock before it expires.

However, and this is the key point, staff don’t reduce food if it means getting mobbed. Many former employees say they wait until the store is quiet enough to work without being surrounded.

That’s why timing varies so much by location.

Typical yellow-sticker times by supermarket (UK)

These are commonly reported windows, not guarantees. Use them as a starting point, then learn your local store’s rhythm.

Tesco

Tesco stores often reduce in waves.

• Small markdowns can appear in the morning
• Bigger reductions usually happen in the evening
• Large stores tend to go later than Express branches

Best time to try:
6:30pm to closing, plus a quick mid-morning check if you’re nearby

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s varies heavily by store.

• Early reductions are often reported from early afternoon
• Bigger meat and ready-meal reductions tend to appear later in the evening

Best time to try:
7pm onwards, then adjust after a few visits

Asda

Asda is often described as doing one main evening reduction.

• Shoppers regularly report large cuts appearing suddenly
• Some stores also reduce earlier, but evening is usually stronger

Best time to try:
6:30pm to close

Morrisons

Morrisons is very staff-dependent.

• Some reductions appear earlier in the day
• The biggest cuts are usually reported early evening
• Fresh counters (meat, fish, deli) are often where the best deals appear

Best time to try:
5pm to 7pm

Aldi

Aldi is less predictable.

• Some stores reduce earlier in the day
• Others wait until it’s quieter
• Reductions depend heavily on staffing and stock levels

Best time to try:
Late afternoon on weekdays — then test mornings to compare

Lidl

Lidl is one of the few chains where shoppers often report more consistent patterns.

• Meat reductions are frequently mentioned around mid-afternoon
• Some stores also reduce earlier in the morning

Best time to try:
Around 4pm, with an earlier visit to compare

Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer often reduces earlier than other supermarkets.

• Some reductions appear from mid-afternoon
• Bigger cuts usually happen closer to closing
• Sandwiches and “food on the move” often go earlier

Best time to try:
After 2pm, then again 30–60 minutes before closing

The approach that actually works

This matters more than the time on the clock.

Go midweek, not weekends

Tuesday to Thursday consistently beats Saturdays. Fewer shoppers, less competition, more unsold stock.

Learn when your store goes quiet

Reductions often happen when staff can work uninterrupted, not at a fixed time.

Check smaller stores

Tesco Express and local convenience stores can be surprisingly good because fewer people hunt reductions there.

Be friendly

It sounds obvious, but shoppers who consistently find bargains often do because staff give them subtle hints.

Don’t rely on yellow stickers alone

Reduced food is unpredictable by nature. That’s why I always treat it as one part of a wider strategy, not the whole plan.

When shelves are empty, I fall back on:

• Surplus food apps
• Discount grocery apps
• Cashback stacking

That way, I’m not relying on luck to feed the family cheaply.

So… what is the best time to get reduced food?

There isn’t one universal answer.

But in most UK supermarkets, your best chances are:

• Late afternoon into evening
• Midweek rather than weekends
• When the store is quiet enough for staff to work

Learn your local pattern, stack it with cashback and surplus-food apps, and yellow-sticker shopping stops being roulette and starts being reliable.

Don’t forget to use a supermarket loyalty card to maximise your returns. Most supermarkets have them, even if they’re not always well publicised.

Further reading

Saving money isn’t just about yellow stickers. Check out the best ways to reduce the cost of your food shopping.

Frequently asked questions about yellow sticker reductions