Perfect times to do your Christmas Supermarket Shopping

Recent data revealed grocery sales hit £12.8bn over Christmas making it the busiest Christmas on record for British supermarkets.  However, experts predict 2024 will be even crazier!

With nearly 30% of Brits admitting Christmas food shopping is their holiday nightmare, online supermarket Britsuperstore specialising in food for expats has analysed the UK’s top 10 supermarket chains to find the perfect times to do your Christmas shopping at each one.

Here’s a breakdown

Top 10 Supermarkets:

Aldi

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 5-6 pm, Saturday 12 pm, Sunday 3 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 8-9 am & 9-10 pm, Saturday 8-9 am & 9-10 pm, Sunday 11 am
• Restock: Before opening & 3 pm (Special “buys every Thursday & Sunday)
• Reduction: Before 8 am & before closing (Fresh produce with red stickers typically discounted 30-75%)

“The exact time of day for reductions will vary from store to store, but most will happen just before the store closes. Fresh products with reduced prices will be marked by a red sticker, and are typically reduced as they are at the end of their shelf life. They will normally be discounted by either 30% or 75%. Dried groceries and tinned food may also be discounted if they have imperfections.”

Lidl

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 12-1 pm & 5-6 pm, Saturday 12-3 pm, Sunday 12 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 8 am & 10-11 pm, Saturday 8 am & 10-11 pm, Sunday 4-5 pm
• Restock: Late night & overnight
• Reduction: Morning & before closing (Two-wave reduction system: first thing in the morning & few hours before closing)

“Again, the schedule for price reductions varies from store to store, but the majority of branches operate on a two-wave basis. Products are reduced first thing in the morning and a few hours before the store closes, although some stores may opt to make reductions throughout the day based on the volume of stock and sell-by dates.”

Morrisons

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 12-1 pm, Saturday 1 pm, Sunday 12 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 7-9 am & 9-11 pm, Saturday 7-8 am & 9-11 pm, Sunday 4 pm
• Restock: 5 pm/6 pm
• Reduction: Starts at 3 pm (50% off for near-expiry items), followed by a further reduction at 5 pm (75% off) with final dramatic reductions on in-store cooked food at 8 pm (schedule may vary)

“Morrison stores typically have several waves of price reductions. Reductions begin at 3 pm, with products at the end of their shelf life reduced by 50%. At 5 pm, these products are reduced again, retailing at 75% of their original price. If you’re looking for a bargain on in-store cooked food, we recommend visiting the store at 8 pm, as items will be dramatically reduced. Remember, the schedule for reductions may vary depending on the branch.”

The Co-Operative

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 5-6 pm, Saturday 6 pm, Sunday 5-6 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 7 am & 9-10 pm, Saturday 7-8 am & 9-10 pm, Sunday 7-8 am & 9-10 pm
• Restock: Overnight
• Reduction: Starts around 6 pm (50% off for expiry-date items), with a possible further reduction at 8 pm (schedule may vary)

“Visit your local Co-op at around 6 pm to be sure of a discount, although, at some stores, reductions start at 5 pm. Items on sale on the day of their expiration date will usually be sold at 50% of their original price”

Tesco

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 3-6 pm, Saturday 12-2 pm, Sunday 12 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 7 am & 8-11 pm, Saturday 7-9 am & 9-11 pm, Sunday 7-8 am & 10-11 pm
• Restock: 6:30 AM
• Reduction: Starts at 9 am (around 10% off), with further reductions between 4-5 pm (around 30% off). Best reductions around 8 pm (schedule may vary)

“At around 9 am, items are reduced by around 10%. Some products are reduced further between 4 pm and 5 pm, by about 30%. For the best reductions, visit about 8 pm, but again, keep in mind discount schedule may vary by store.”

Sainsbury’s

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 12-4 pm, Saturday 12 pm, Sunday 3 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 7-9 am & 7-10 pm, Saturday 8-9 am & 9 pm, Sunday 11 pm & 4 pm
• Restock: When closed & throughout the day
• Reduction: Starts after lunch (biggest discounts between 5-7 pm) with significant variations by store (check with your local store)

“Reduction times at Sainsbury’s varies significantly by store. Make sure to visit after lunch, as this is when most stores begin to reduce their products. The best time to visit is between 5 pm and 7 pm, as this is when the biggest discounts will happen.”

ASDA (24 hours)

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 5-6 pm, Saturday 1 pm, Sunday 12 pm
• Quietest: Monday 6-8 am & 10-2 pm, Tuesday-Friday 10 pm-7 am, Saturday 12-7 am, Sunday 11 am & 4 pm
• Restock: 10 pm
• Reduction: Early morning (6-10 am), 5 pm, and 7:30 pm (schedule may vary)

“Reductions at ASDA typically begin between 6 am and 10 am. There is a second round of reductions takes place at about 5 pm, and final reductions begin at around 7:30 pm. Again, discount schedules may vary from store to store.”

M&S

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 5-6 pm, Saturday 4 pm, Sunday 1-3 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 8 am & 8-9 pm, Saturday 8-9 am & 6-7 pm, Sunday 5-6 pm
• Restock: 7 am
• Reduction: Around 9 am (10% off), 2 pm (30% off), and after 4 pm (70-90% off)

“At most Marks & Spencer stores, there are three waves of reductions. The first wave takes place around 9 am, where some items may be reduced by 10%. The real reductions, however, begin around 2 pm. Here, products are normally reduced by 30%. The final wave of reductions happens after 4 pm, where products are reduced between 70% and 90%.”

Waitrose

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 6-7 pm, Saturday 6 pm, Sunday 4 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 8-9 am & 9-10 pm, Saturday 8-9 am & 9-10 pm, Sunday 12 pm
• Restock: 11 am
• Reduction: Two hours before closing (around 50% off fresh food)

“The majority of Waitrose branches begin to reduce their products just after the lunchtime rush. For the best shot at reduced items at the best price, however, we recommend visiting stores two hours before closing time, when some stock, and in particular fresh food, is reduced by around 50%.”

Iceland

• Busiest: Monday-Friday 5 pm, Saturday 1 pm, Sunday 1 pm
• Quietest: Monday-Friday 8-9 am, Saturday 8-9 am, Sunday 10 am
• Restock: Before opening
• Reduction: Added to deliveries, plus flash discounts and schemes (check local store)

“At Iceland, reductions are added to deliveries. Iceland also offers “flash discounts”, and discount schemes, so be on the lookout for these. Last year, for example, they announced a scheme which allowed customers over the age of 60 to get 10% off their groceries with no minimum spend every Tuesday.”

General Tips from Richard Price, Director of Britsuperstore

• Shop online to avoid queues and see what’s in stock.
• Use budget shops like Home Bargains, Poundland, B&M, Lidl, and Aldi for good value food and own-brand spirits.
• Bulk buy and check prices per kilogram and consider warehouse clubs like Costco or Food Warehouse.
• Set a budget, make a list, and avoid impulse buys.
• Substitute national brands with store brands to save up to 30%.
• Don’t just shop at eye level make sure to look above and below for better deals.
• Plan ahead and aim to finish your shopping by December 22nd to beat the last-minute rush.

Methodology:

Britsuperstore analysed online data for the top 10 supermarkets, considering the busiest hours, quietest hours, restock times and reduction times.

Remember: Reduction schedules may vary by store, so always check with your local branch.