I worked at Tesco for four years and was often tasked with reducing fresh items to just a few pence at the end of the day. But it’s not just Tesco that slashes the price of its goods throughout the day. Other supermarkets, including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and Morrisons, also reduce the price of their items. Usually, these items are nearing the end of their best-before date or are being discontinued.
Often, supermarkets have a clearance section in one of their fresh aisles that is clearly labelled or filled with yellow-sticker items. However, this does vary from shop to shop. Having worked at Tesco for years, I often saw ready meals, milk, bread, cream doughnuts, salads, sushi, and sandwiches reduced to just a few pence at the end of the day. But which time of day is best to grab those bargains?
What time of day does Tesco reduce its food items?
Reduction times will vary from store to store and will depend on how busy that individual shop is and how many members of staff are working that day.
I’ve worked in a seasonal store that is busy in the summer and dead in the winter, and I’ve also worked in a busy central London store where you’re often rushed off your feet.
While there are times we would aim to start reductions, during busy periods, we were sometimes delayed.
If you are unsure what time your local store applies its discounts, you can ask a member of staff in-store.
Most of the items I used to reduce were fresh items such as milk, bread, ready meals and bags of salad, but sometimes you would find large cuts of meat, fish and even bites from the Tesco Finest range being discounted.
Most of these items were reduced because they were going out of date on that day, but that doesn’t mean you have to consume them straightaway. Many of the items, especially bread and milk, are suitable for freezing.
When I worked at Tesco, they would do three rounds of reductions starting around 9am/10am, during which some items would be reduced by 10%.
Items would then be reduced further by 30%, 50%, and sometimes even 90% at the end of the day.
One of the best times to shop is in the evening, between 6pm and 8pm, when final reductions are added.
The later in the day you shop, the more likely you are to find a bigger discount. However, you don’t want to leave it too late, especially if it’s a busy store, as most of the bargains get snapped up.
Earlier this year, Tesco introduced a new wave of markdowns are 7pm to prevent food waste.
A Tesco spokesperson previously confirmed to Express.co.uk that while the discount is generally around 7pm, it can vary by store, adding: “Markdowns on fresh products continue to be popular and help to prevent good food from going to waste.”