I work in the supermarket – these four secrets will save you money when shopping

A man who worked in a supermarket has revealed the staff’s secrets to saving customers money while shopping.

Alasdair Baker worked at his local Morrisons store from 2020 until recently and has picked up useful tips over the years to help cut down on the weekly shop.

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The 50-year-old previously hit the headlines after telling how he was living off yellow sticker bargains after his £300,000 debt left him bankrupt.

From the best times to shop and bag a bargain to clever tricks to look out for, the dad-of-two shares his top tips for ensuring you don’t overspend unnecessarily.

Alasdair, from Aldershot, Hampshire, said: “Shopping in a supermarket is a completely different world to working in one, and I learned a lot about the inner workings of the supermarket during my time as an employee.”

Plan your trip

While many of us get excited when we see a yellow sticker – indicating a price drop – Alasdair says there is actually a way to plan your trip to increase your chances of getting a bargain.

He said: “Most supermarkets offer two discounts on a product: once in the morning, with a discount of 10 to 25 percent, and then again in the evening.

“They are then sold with a maximum discount of 90 percent, depending on the supermarket’s discount policy.

“The supermarket where I worked, Morrisons, was the first to offer a discount on products with a best-before date of next day, the night before, around 9:00 or 10:00 PM.

“They were either put out that evening for customers to buy at a discount, depending on how much was left on the shelves from that day’s discount, or they were put out the next morning.

“The following evening, from 5pm, the store began its ‘finale’, offering up to 90 percent off a product to clear out the leftovers.

“Products such as ready meals, fresh meat, dairy products, dips and products such as coleslaw, cakes and pastries are generally discounted by 90 percent.

“The produce department usually has discounts of up to 90 percent because it’s usually the department with the most discounts and the most chance of items not being sold, so they want to sell it as quickly as possible.

“Bread and pastries are usually 80 percent off, except for ‘free from’ or specialty bread, which is usually 90 percent off to clear. These are generally less popular and should be reduced as much as possible, otherwise they will probably have to be thrown away.

“The butcher, delicatessen and bakery departments in the store usually start with an 80 percent discount around 7 p.m., but this can be a little earlier depending on staffing levels and the number of items that need to be discounted.”

Supermarket sweeping – with your eyes

Alasdair also advises scanning the shelves from top to bottom to ensure you don’t miss any good deals.

He explained: “Supermarkets are a bit cunning and you will generally find that the products on the shelves, at eye level, are generally the higher margin products that the supermarkets want you to buy.

“If you look through a few shelves, you will notice that you will find similar products, only cheaper.

“They may not be big brands, but they are generally of a decent quality. And every penny you don’t spend is a penny you save.”

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Online deliveries

If you’re inclined to have your groceries delivered to your home, Alasdair shares his advice for choosing the best time.

He said: “If you place an order with a supermarket, avoid early morning delivery times.

“This is because order pickers come to the stores very early in the morning to take your order from the shelves.

“The problem is that they usually try to pick your order before the overnight delivery is on the shelves. That means that many of the products with a shorter shelf life are not on the shelves yet and the picker may not be able to find what you ordered.

“Therefore, there is a much greater chance that you will receive a replacement item or that the item is out of stock.

“If possible, book a later delivery time, as the products are usually on the shelves then and you are less likely to have to deal with replacements or sold out products.”

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Ignore deals

Finally, Alasdair, who runs a blog about saving money, The penny pincher – advises to resist the offers unless you were already planning to buy the item in question.

He explained: “A saving is only a saving if you really need it in the first place, otherwise it is an expense!”

“The BOGOF offers, 50 percent off, 2 for £X, are only great if you really need those products.

“The manufacturers pay the supermarket a staggering amount of money money to place their products at the end of an aisle or on a promotional shelf because the manufacturer wants to boost sales.

“Try not to be tempted by these types of deals because you wouldn’t buy the item more often than normal and now you’ve spent money you didn’t need to spend.”

Alasdair also recommends buying frozen where possible, buy goods to save costs and avoid being tempted by products such as grated cheese, which are often more expensive than blocks.