Yellow sticker bargains have become an increasingly popular method for shoppers to reduce spending while addressing food waste. As supermarket prices continue to rise, a growing number of customers are hunting down discounted products to stretch their budgets further.
How supermarkets differ on reductions
Each supermarket adopts its own strategy for reducing food approaching its use-by date, though the shopping experience can differ between chains. In recent months, I have visited numerous supermarkets to assess their yellow-sticker selections. Following lots of bargain hunting, one chain consistently stood out as the clear winner for genuinely outstanding reductions.
While I have uncovered some excellent savings across different supermarkets, M&S remains my firm favourite time and again. A major part of its appeal stems from the way the upmarket chain arranges its reduced items at my local branch.
M&S layout stands out
Instead of clustering everything together at the end of an aisle, M&S typically leaves yellow-stickered goods in their original departments. Discounted chicken, for example, stays positioned alongside fresh chicken; ready meals remain with their full-price equivalents; and bakery products remain in the bakery section.
This strategy makes the entire experience feel much more natural, allowing you to hunt for bargains while continuing with your regular shopping. This approach also means I'm more inclined to select discounted products that truly fit my meal planning, rather than simply purchasing whatever is available.
Other chains mix items together
Finding reduced items in their regular positions can also make it easier to assess both quality and value relative to nearby alternatives. At supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's, I found that marked-down goods are usually in one or two specific zones, often at the end of an aisle.
While this may seem practical at first glance, I found that sifting through a crowded shelf proved quite laborious, especially when chilled meat, ready meals and sandwiches are all mixed together. I also found that Tesco and Sainsbury's appeared to stock a significant quantity of ready meals among their reductions, rather than fresh items such as meat.
Deals found at M&S
Although M&S might not be the most budget-friendly choice for food shopping, even with yellow-sticker markdowns, I did find some superb deals. Among these were a yoghurt reduced to £1, a pizza slashed to just under £3, and some sushi also brought down to under £3.
