Markdowns on groceries: The hidden detail on grocery tags that tells you exactly when prices drop

Imagine how much money you could have save on groceries if you knew exactly when your local supermarket would mark them down for a quick sale?

This is possible according to Bargain boss Amanda Deanwho has made a career out of tracking exactly when supermarkets will most likely mark down their perishable groceries, including meat, bakery items, cheese, milk and roast chickens.

“I’ve scored $140 worth of groceries for just $28 through discount promotions,” Dean tells nine.com.au.

“Another number was $16 for just under $80 worth of groceries.”

Here’s exactly how she does it.

“With markdowns, they’re usually the best prices just because they’re trying to get rid of them. The stores are often trying to get rid of their items within the last two days of their expiration date or use,” says Dean.

“And they’ll mark those items two to three times over the course of those days. So the closer you get to the best before or expiration date, the cheaper it will be.

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“So you’re looking for these yellow stickers.

‘Maybe they spread them out in the meat department, for example. You just have to wander through it.

“Note those yellow stickers.”

Dean adds that there is still room in the bakery, adding, “They often have a large cart with all the bakery items that are marked down.”

Dean not only uses expiration dates to track when these price reductions will occur, but also timestamps.

“Stickers have a time stamp on them, which a lot of people don’t seem to realize. So if you don’t want to buy markdowns, take a look at the stickers.

“Pay attention to the time stamp as it tells you what time your local store offers its discount.

“Whole chickens, steaks, ribs, good fresh food, meat… so you’re not just living on carbs and grains. You’re living on healthy, good food.”

She also suggests getting to know the major grocery stores in your area and keeping track of the times they promote their perishable groceries, which can vary by location.

“Stores will do this almost every day as they need to turn in inventory that is going to expire or expire,” says Dean.

She says supermarkets typically mark down their meat and bakery products “later in the day,” so she shares her family’s groceries between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.

“I notice they’re trying to manage that for the dinner crowds. So people who come over after work, come and have a look, have a steak, go home and cook it.

“So it seems to be around that time.”

The bakery department “tends to be a little hit and miss,” Dean says.

‘Sometimes it’s quite late. It just depends.”

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