Best Time to Shop Yellow Sticker Reductions in Scotland 2026: A Store-by-Store Guide

Published 27 July 2026 · Scotland Supermarket Deals

Yellow Stickers: Free Money If You Time It Right

Every major supermarket marks down food nearing its best-before date, and the discounts can go far beyond the standard 25% you'd expect — some items get reduced by up to 75%, and a handful of stores are now trialling giving unsold food away for free. The catch is timing: reductions happen in rounds throughout the day, and turning up at the wrong time means missing the good stuff entirely. Here's what actually works, store by store.

Reduction Times by Store

Store	First markdown	Second round	Biggest discounts
Tesco	~8am	~4pm	~8pm (varies by store)
Asda	~Noon	~5pm	~9pm
Sainsbury's	~Midday (25% off)	~5pm	5pm–8pm (up to 75% off)
Morrisons	No early round	~5pm	~7pm
Co-op	~8am	~5pm	~7pm
M&S	Varies	Late afternoon	After 7pm (up to 50% off)

These are typical windows reported by shoppers and store staff, but exact timing varies branch to branch — some stores mark down bakery or fruit and veg earlier in the day, separate from the main reduction rounds. If you're a regular at a particular store, the single best move is to simply ask staff when they usually start marking items down.

How to Get the Best Bargains

🕑 Evenings win, but don't sleep on midday. The deepest discounts almost always land between 5pm and 8pm, but Sainsbury's and Tesco both run a smaller first round around midday if evenings don't fit your schedule.

🍗 Stack markdowns. Look for two or three yellow stickers piled on top of each other on the same item — that usually signals a second, deeper reduction round has already hit that product.

❌ Tesco's free food trial is limited. Tesco has trialled giving away unsold "Reduced to Clear" items for free after 9:30pm, but only in a small number of Express stores so far — don't plan a trip around it without checking your local branch first.

📱 Back it up with an app. Too Good To Go lists mystery "magic bags" of near-expiry food from cafes, bakeries and some supermarket concessions, as a complement to walking the yellow sticker aisle yourself.

❄️ Only buy what you'll actually use. Reduced food is still short-dated — only take it home if you'll eat it that day or can freeze it immediately, or the saving disappears into food waste.

Our Verdict for Scottish Shoppers

If you only have time for one trip a week, aim for a weekday evening between 5pm and 7pm at your local Tesco, Asda or Sainsbury's — that's when the widest range of reduced stock tends to be out, from meat and fish to bakery. Co-op is worth an early-morning detour if you're up at 8am, since it's one of the few stores marking down that early.

Ultimately, exact timing is store-specific and can shift without notice, so the most reliable approach is simply to ask staff at your regular branch when reductions typically happen — then build your shop around that window.