Reduced in price but just as nice – Tesco helps customers find mark-down bargains

16 November 2022

Increasing pressure on household budgets has led to a sharp rise in the number of shoppers looking for yellow sticker deals, in a trend that is also helping to further cut food waste.  

A new YouGov survey commissioned by Tesco reveals that 69 per cent of shoppers now look out for mark downs in store and the thrifty trick is gaining appeal with 33 per cent of customers seeking these reductions more frequently.  

Tesco’s clever new hack will help customers save on their weekly shop no matter when they pop into store with a facelift for its ‘Reduced to Clear’ areas which will roll out to 100 stores by Christmas, and more stores again throughout 2023.

The new signage lets customers know the items are “Reduced in price – just as nice” and Tesco hopes it will tempt the 29 per cent of people who said they would shop reduced items more often if the section was made more visually appealing.

Reduced to clear sections feature a wide range of products from fresh produce such as salads, meat, bread and sweet treats which  are close to their expiry date - perfect for tonight’s supper or for popping in the freezer for another day to end of season as well as discontinued grocery as well as non food products.

Tesco Chief Customer Officer Alessandra Bellini said: 

“We want customers to spend less at Tesco, and our ‘Reduced in Price’ sections in stores now offer the reassurance that these products are just as nice and are another reminder there's great value to be found on every aisle at Tesco.

"We’ve locked the price of more than a thousand everyday staples until 2023 through our Low Everyday Prices, and we continue to price match on 100’s products in Aldi.

“We’re also helping millions of customers spend less through their Tesco Clubcard, with Clubcard Prices giving up to 50 per cent off thousands of products and helping customers collect points for money off their shopping.”

Tesco’s survey also revealed:  

• Meat products prove most popular in the reduced-to-clear section followed by ready meals, vegetables and then desserts.   
• Of those who tend to keep an eye out for yellow label reductions, 71 per cent said it’s a cheaper option when they want to eat the food straight away.  And 51 per cent say it’s a great value way to stock up the freezer.  
• Yellow sticker reductions are most popular in the east of England with 75 per cent of customers looking out for them when shopping. This is closely followed by Wales (74 per cent), and the South of England (72 per cent).  

The move also plays to Tesco’s plans to halve food waste in its own operations by 2025.   Tesco has already achieved a 45 per cent reduction in food waste across its own operations since 2016/17 and just 0.35 per cent of food it handled last year ended up as waste.   

ENDS   

Note to editors:  

* The survey was commissioned by Tesco and conducted by YouGov from a sample of 2000 Tesco customers.   

Tesco recently accelerated its plans to halve food waste in its own operations by 2025, five years ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (by 2030). Tesco has already achieved a 45 per cent reduction in food waste across own operations since 2016/17. However, it knows there is still more to do despite just 0.35 per cent of food it handled, last year, ending up as waste.  

Tesco takes great care to accurately forecast the amount of food needed in each store, but where products are approaching their use-by or best-before dates, store colleagues can print a yellow sticker with a new price that is calculated by a computer algorithm.

Tesco stores across the UK and Ireland use apps to connect stores with local organisations that can make best use of unsold surplus food. A total of over 140m meals have been donated to thousands of charities and community groups since its Community Food Connection scheme began.   

Tesco has also pioneered innovative ways to help colleagues and customers save money and reduce waste, which will also remain as a key part of their plan moving forward, including:   

• Giving colleagues the opportunity to take food approaching its expiry date home, for free.   
• Launching a bold campaign to cut food waste at home, supporting customers to save money and cut food waste by implementing a simple weekly food hack. The Tesco ‘use up day’ campaign could save the average family £260 a year simply by cooking a meal – once a week - using up food they already have in their kitchen. 
• Working with suppliers to make as much use of crops as possible. Farm Brands and Perfectly Imperfect ranges make good use of the part of the crop that previously fell outside of specifications. Special offers are utilised to help ensure bumper crop flushes result in food being eaten by customers.

ENDS