SHOPPERS have hours left before the big day – and we’ve listed when supermarkets plan to cut prices before Christmas.
Supermarkets heavily reduce the prices of products that are approaching their best before and use-by dates and many will continue to do so on Christmas Eve.
These yellow sticker bargains are very popular, but they’re often snapped up very quickly.
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.
But getting the best yellow sticker bargain usually depends on the time of day you go to the supermarket.
We’ve listed when savvy shoppers can expect to find yellow-sticker deals at each supermarket, including Aldi, Asda, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
Aldi
Aldi’s stores will have reduced operating times on Christmas Eve – with stores open between 7am and 6pm.
But Aldi will continue to offer discounts throughout the day and customers will be able to get between 30% and 50% off selected items.
Savvy shoppers including Vicky, founder of More Than A Mummy says that the best time to get yourself a yellow label bargain is within the first 60 minutes of the store opening.
On Christmas Eve this could mean that the best yellow sticker offers start appearing from 7am.
Asda
Asda stores will have reduced operating times on Christmas Eve – with stores open between 6am and 7pm.
And if you’re an Asda shopper, MoneySavingExpert says final reductions often start at around 7pm during normal hours.
With stores closing at 7pm on Christmas Eve, yellow stick items will likely hit the shelves hours before.
Lidl
Lidl stores will have reduced operating hours on Christmas Eve – with stores open between 7am to 7pm.
Lidl staff reduce the price of food that’s reaching its sell-by date overnight.
Like, Aldi, getting to stores early may give you the best chance of bagging multiple yellow sticker deals.
M&S
Savvy shoppers believe that M&S Food shoppers can bag the best deals between 5pm and 7pm.
M&S Food stores will have reduced operating hours on Christmas Eve – with stores open between 6am to 7pm.
But M&S reductions tend to go quickly so get there early.
Morrisons
Morrisons tends to reduce its food overnight – meaning that most yellow sticker deals pop up once stores open.
Morrisons stores will have reduced operating hours on Christmas Eve – with stores open between 6am to 6pm.
But some shoppers accustomed to bagging a deal at Morrisons said that customers can still get their hands on yellow sticker deals an hour before stores shut.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s told The Sun that its yellow sticker discounts are completely store-dependent and offers hit the shelves at random times throughout the day.
But some savvy shoppers have said it is worth looking around lunchtime, while others said later in the evening is best.
Sainsbury’s stores will have reduced operating hours on Christmas Eve – with stores open between 6am to 7pm.
Tesco
Tesco told us that 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.
Savvy shoppers say that most yellow sticker offer tend to hit the shelves from 6pm onwards.
Tesco stores will have reduced operating hours on Christmas Eve – with large stores open between 6am to 6pm and express stores open between 7am and 10pm.
A supermarket insider previously told The Sun that shoppers often wait around for the discounts and gather around staff as they’re putting stickers on.
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.
Waitrose stores will have reduced operating hours on Christmas Eve – with stores open between 7am to 6pm.
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.
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.
How else can I save on my supermarket shop?
There are plenty of other ways to save on your supermarket shop.
Research what you need before you go. Prices always vary by supermarket and it can pay to change up your shop.
One shopper ditched going to supermarkets altogether in favour of their local wholesaler, that way they could stock up in bulk, at lower prices.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
That means going for “own” or “value” type products instead of “finest” or “luxury” lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes as well 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.
