A former Marks and Spencer employee has let shoppers in on a top tip if they want to buy food and drink items at a discounted price.
The supermarket is popular among consumers and, like many shops, reduces the price of items as the use-by dates near.
If you’ve ever gotten to the reduced items section and missed out on the best deals, you might wonder how to maximise your savings next time you’re at M&S.
While you might think that the end of the day is the best time, a former M&S colleague shares that that’s not always the case.
The best time to visit M&S for top yellow sticker discounts
Arriving at your local M&S store at the end of the day will actually leave you disappointed, says someone who used to work there, reports The Mirror.
It’s “the worst time” to go for your yellow sticker discounts, as they explain: “Staff on the closing shift typically have a mountain of tasks to get through before the next trading day, and during my time at M&S, yellow stickers were only applied during the quieter spells on the shop floor.”
So, they added that “the yellow stickers were typically applied by overnight shift workers after the store had shut.”
Therefore, shoppers should visit early in the morning: “This means the absolute prime time to snap up yellow-sticker deals is first thing in the morning, and visiting M&S as soon as it opens at around 9am is the best way to bag as many bargains as possible.”
If you’re not able to visit at 9am, they also advise checking between 3pm and 5pm because “this is frequently when shifts change and incoming staff begin slapping on the yellow-sticker reductions.”
UK supermarket rankings 2026
They added: “Whenever visiting M&S, aiming to arrive at around 4pm is a solid strategy, as this is often when many lunch items get marked down.
“In most cases, it's one of the finest opportunities to pick up sandwiches and salads at a knocked-down price.”
Recommended reading:
- Major UK high street retailer speaks out as safety fears raised over ‘squishy toys’
- England World Cup squad's off-pitch style revealed - here's how to shop the exact M&S looks
- Asda issues major update to customers amid huge losses for company
Having said this, managers will stop staff from adding yellow stickers if customers become too impatient and hang around for items to be reduced.
M&S has stores across the UK, and the time of day that staff start marking down items can vary between stores.
Newsquest has contacted M&S for comment.
What’s your favourite M&S treat? Tell us in the comments below.
Share