Supermarkets mark down food approaching its use-by or best-before date with yellow “reduced” labels — typically 30–75% off the original price. Shopping yellow stickers strategically can significantly reduce your food bill.
Yellow Sticker Timing by Supermarket
| Supermarket | Typical first reduction | Biggest reductions |
|---|---|---|
| Tesco | 3–5pm | 7–9pm |
| Sainsbury’s | 3–5pm | 7–9pm |
| ASDA | 2–5pm | 7–9pm |
| Morrisons | 3–5pm (varies) | 7–9pm |
| Waitrose | 3–5pm | 7–9pm (varies by store) |
| M&S | Varies | Evening |
| Lidl | Morning | Varies (not systematic) |
These are approximate — visit your local store a few times at different times to learn its specific patterns. Smaller, quieter stores often reduce earlier.
What to Buy and What to Avoid
High value yellow-sticker buys:
- Fresh meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb) — freeze on the day
- Fresh fish — cook same day or freeze immediately
- Deli meats and cheese — freeze portions
- Fresh bread — freeze loaves or rolls
- Ready meals — if you eat them same day or freeze
Use caution with:
- Leafy salads — don’t freeze; use the same day
- Fresh berries — delicate; use or make into smoothies
- Pre-prepared sushi — only buy if eating within hours
The Freezer Strategy
The key to making yellow stickers work as a system is a well-managed freezer:
- Label everything before freezing — date and contents
- Portion before freezing — defrost only what you need
- Keep a freezer inventory — a list on the freezer door of contents and dates
- FIFO — use oldest items first
Example savings over a month:
- 4 × reduced chicken breast packs (original £6, bought at £2): saving £16
- 3 × reduced steak (original £8, bought at £3): saving £15
- 8 × reduced bread loaves (original £1.50, bought at £0.35): saving £9.20
- Monthly yellow sticker saving: approximately £40
Apps to Find Yellow Stickers
Too Good To Go — surplus food from supermarkets, bakeries, and cafes in “magic bags” at a fraction of retail price. Not always yellow-stickered items but similar concept.
OLIO — food sharing app; neighbours and local shops give away near-date food free.
These complement yellow sticker shopping but do not replace it.
See also: How to Save Money on Your Food Shop UK and Meal Planning to Save Money UK.
Use By vs Best Before — What You Need to Know
Understanding date labels matters when buying reduced items:
- Use by — a food safety date. Do not eat food after this date unless you have already frozen it (freeze on or before the use-by date). Most yellow-stickered meat, fish, and dairy will carry a use-by date.
- Best before — a quality date, not a safety date. Food past its best before is often perfectly safe but may have slightly degraded taste, texture, or appearance. Many tinned goods, dry pasta, cereals, and biscuits are reduced near best-before dates — these are almost always fine to eat.
The Food Standards Agency confirms that best-before dates are about quality, not safety. Buying reduced bread or biscuits one day past best before is not a food safety risk.
Getting Better Results — Practical Tips
Talk to staff. In smaller stores especially, a polite question — “do you know when you’re reducing the meat today?” — often gets a direct answer. Warehouse and floor staff typically know the reduction schedule for their section.
Build a store-specific pattern. Yellow sticker timing is highly store-specific. A Tesco Extra with a dedicated fresh team runs different reduction times from a smaller Tesco Express. Visit your local store 2–3 times at different evening times over a few weeks to find the pattern. Once you know it, you can shop efficiently.
Check online grocery orders. Ocado and some other online grocery services include “reduced to clear” sections in their app. These change through the day and allow you to shop yellow-sticker equivalent products without visiting the store.