A shopping expert has shared the best time of day to shop at M&S for the best yellow sticker discounts – and it’s not the time you might think
M&S shoppers must visit at specific times to bag the best deals (stock photo)(Image: Maxian via Getty Images)
Shopping at M&S needn’t break the bank if you’re clued up on all the tricks for bagging the best bargains. The retailer is typically viewed as one of the pricier supermarkets, with many of us only venturing in when we fancy splashing out on something a bit special.
However, like any supermarket, M&S runs deals and offers that can slash your shopping bill. Among the most sought-after savings are the yellow sticker reductions – items marked down because they’re nearing their use-by date. And according to one savvy shopping guru online, there’s a golden window each day for snapping these up.
Jordon Cox, dubbed Britain’s Coupon King, revealed that M&S applies its yellow stickers at particular times, which means timing your visit just after the reductions go live is key to securing discounted goods.
When is the best time to shop at M&S?
You might assume this happens late in the day so stock can shift before closing time, but Jordon insists that’s not the case – in fact, turning up at closing could be the worst possible moment.
Instead, yellow stickers are applied after the shop has shut for the night, meaning the absolute best time to load up your basket is first thing the following morning, as soon as the doors reopen.
He said: “This is the time of day you should shop at M&S to get the best deals. Go at 9am for store opening. Yellow sticker discounts get put out overnight, so if you’re there at the crack of dawn, you’ll get first dibs [on] all the good stuff.”
Jordon explained that while this applies to all standard supermarket products, the same principle doesn’t hold true for freshly baked goods such as doughnuts and bread rolls. For those items, heading in later in the afternoon at around 4pm is the better bet, as prices are cut to ensure they’re sold before closing time.
This is because fresh bakery products cannot be put back on the shelves the following day, so retailers slash the prices before shutting up shop in a bid to sell remaining stock and reduce food waste.
In his caption, Jordon elaborated: “Yellow stickers – the holy grail at M&S Food – tend to get put out overnight by overnight staff. That means, if you go to an M&S first thing in the morning (9am), you’d often have first dibs on the reductions!
“Items are further discounted around 4-6pm, but it may be a smaller selection (if the good stuff has been snapped up).”
Those commenting on the post largely agreed that, in their experience, shopping later in the day can sometimes be the shrewder move, as reductions tend to be steeper. However, as Jordon pointed out, you risk missing out on items that have already been grabbed earlier, so getting there first thing often remains the safest option.
One shopper commented: “The best discounts are 4 or 4.30pm. I accidentally had to keep going in there late in the day, and turns out it’s the best time.”
Another added: “I’ve started to go Saturday mornings and just last week saved £15!”
This shopping tip could come in handy for snapping up some new M&S products that customers have been racing to buy recently, as you could get them for even cheaper if you shop when they’ve been marked down.
Among the most popular new products has been the gluten-free waffle cones for ice creams, which won gold at the 2026 Free From Awards earlier this year. Shoppers said they were thrilled that M&S were catering for those with gluten allergies and intolerances, especially as ice cream cones are in demand amid the hot weather.
Also ideal for the hot weather is a new ice cream flavour the supermarket recently launched, which is inspired by Italy. And if you think the yellow sticker deals won’t save you that much, check out how much this woman paid for her shop that should have been £50.
