KNOWING when to visit your favourite shop could be the key to saving money.
From when yellow stickers are placed on items to reduce prices, to the best day of the week for new products – timing is everything when it comes to shopping on the high street and supermarkets.
The Sun spoke to Tom Church, co-founder of discount code website Latestdeals.co.uk who shared the best time to visit shops.
B&M
The best time to head to the budget store is Wednesday morning, according to Tom.
He said: “This is when most of the new reductions are dropped.”
To increase your chances of spotting a deal, it also recommended that shoppers download the B&M Scanner App.
The scanner lets you see if an item’s price is cheaper than advertised on the shop floor label.
Products that are typically discounted are seasonal items and old stock that B&M is trying to shift.
The app is free to download off the B&M Stores mobile app via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Often, products will be marked down in the system, but the staff haven’t had the chance to change display prices.
Tom added: “It’s always worth scanning items to check if they’re cheaper than they seem. Products can scan for as little as 10p.”
Home Bargains
If you are planning a trip to Home Bargain’s then it is best to head their first thing in the morning to grab the best deals.
That is because most the larger Home Bargains stores get deliveries at around 7:30am everyday.
Tom said to make sure you take a good look around as you enter the store.
He explained: “Often, Home Bargains keeps the best deals at the front to lure you in. You don’t want to walk straight past them on the way in!.”
Boots
The high street chemist can be a great place to bag a bargain on pricey makeup and skin care.
Singing up for its Advantage Card loyalty scheme can help you earn points on their purchases.
These can then be redeemed for money off future purchases.
Shoppers collect three points for every £1 they spend.
Tom said the best time to shop at Boots is during one of their Points Events.
These events allow shoppers to even triple points on your entire shop, or selected products and ranges.
So for example, if you spend a set amount like £50 you get 1,000 extra points, which is worth £10.
Tom said it is also worth seeing if you can stack any offers.
He explained: “For example, if something is on a 3 for 2 offer, and then you can get double points on top.”
Superdrug
Superdrug has frequent offers and shopping incentives.
So, Tom said the best time to shop depends on “what you’re buying, and timing your shop to coincide with a relevant offer”.
The store regularly has 3 for 2 offers on beauty products, so if you’re restocking your makeup bag, it may be better to hold off until that offer comes back around.
If you are planning a trip to one of it’s store you can check what offers are running ahead of time on the Superdrug website.
Tom said you can also get bargains if you’re a Health & Beautycard member, which is free to sign up for.
Customers earn one point for every £1 you spend.
You can spend your points in multiples of 100. This means that you can chose to use:
- 100 points = £1
- 200 points = £2
- 300 points = £3 and so on
ALDI
The German discounter is known for it’s middle aisle Special Buys, selling everything from air fryers to dupes for Dyson hairstylers.
The deals drop on Thursdays and Sundays, so going first thing on those days is your best bet.
But if you are on the hunt for marked down food, it’s best to head in first thing in the morning.
That’s because Aldi slashes the price of food and other items first thing in the morning rather than later in the day like its competitors
WHAT TIME OF DAY?
The store also has red stickers to show an item has been reduced, unlike the yellow ones you may see in Tesco or M&S.
Tom said: “If you get there early, you have a better chance of bagging them. Just look out for red stickers.”
POUNDLAND
The bargain store can be a great place to pick up cheap sweets and even clothes.
Tom said the best time to shop at the high street store is the morning.
He said: “Stock is replenished either at night, or first thing, so you should have a better chance of finding what you want.”
But if you are planning a trip to one of it stores, you should be aware the brand has made a major change to its loyalty scheme.
The discount store has scrapped its exclusive lower prices for Poundland Perk members, which had worked similarly to Tesco’s Clubcard offers.
Poundland told The Sun the loyalty scheme shake-up is aimed at lowering prices on the shelves for all customers without the “hassle” of looking for a voucher in the shop’s app.
Customers can still collect points on their shops and there will be weekly competitions to win points and prizes.
Poundland shoppers get Perk Points when they spend money at the retailer and these can be turned into vouchers when they’ve accumulated at least 5,000 points.
How to bag a bargain
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
