Little-known detail at supermarket sales tag REVEALED by former staffer: "Great info!"
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Price tags in supermarkets can be confusing at times, but they don't have to be. With a little understanding, you can quickly decipher the meanings of the numbers and symbols written on them.
Once you are aware of what to look for, you will be able to guarantee that you are receiving the greatest bargain possible on the things that you need.
In this article, a former retail employee reveals a little-known detail about the price tags of Coles and Woolworths supermarket special offers that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars on your monthly grocery expenses.
A woman who claims to be a former supermarket employee shared on a popular Facebook group how all the special tags contain a date in the bottom corner that specifies when the deal ends.
She says that supermarket sales tickets are scheduled weeks ahead of time and are frequently rotated to appear in a specific location every fixed number of weeks.
By keeping note of the specials date of an item you frequently buy, you can save money by purchasing only what you need to last until the goods are reduced again.
On the bottom right corner of the tag, you can see that the promo ends on July 14. Credit: Facebook.
"Does anyone know about supermarket special rotations?" questioned a woman in the Budgeting, Food, Savings Ideas, Stockpiling, Life Help Australia group.
She added that big-name items do not appear on special ‘at random’, saying that companies pay for sales that are organised a year in advance to transfer big products from their warehouses.
"I used to be a merchandiser and had to go into supermarkets when the sales rotations came around. It would be Woolies one week and another retailer the next. Pet food, milk, cereals, health products, and other large stuff," she continued.
"And it's all brand new. Many of these rotations were paused during the early days of COVID, but they appear to be back on schedule again. To find out when they are on, count the weeks since you see the item on sale."
She then explained how the process works, referencing a recent Coles special with a cereal brand.
"This cereal is normally $6.50," she explained. "It will be available for $3.25 on a six-week rotation. Now I'll make a note of it in my diary for six weeks and check back then. This promotion will end on July 14th."
"This is when I buy in bulk to save money and last until the following rotation. As you can see, this is a significant saving. The bottom corner of the ticket has the date it officially ends."
On Coles specials, the date is normally printed in the lower right-hand corner of the sales tag. On the other hand, the date is usually seen on the left-hand bottom corner of a Woolworths tag.
This Woolworths sales tag shows the promo end date on the bottom left corner. Credit: Facebook.
The budgeting advice was well accepted by the other members of the group, all of whom were eager to begin tracking the sales rotations on their favourite items.
One user even remarked that this was "literally" the best advice she has ever seen in the group.
"This is excellent advice," said a second. "With a family of eight, shopping specials are essential to getting the greatest value, so I'll pay more attention the next time I go shopping."
Other users have experienced noticing rotation periods on their favourite products.
"Great information to offer; I only buy the pricey shampoos and conditioners when they are on sale. I've noticed that it's half price every six weeks or so," one user stated.
"I've been doing this for a few years now, my partner thought I was insane at first for not buying what I merely required for that week," said another. "Now that he's been living with me for two years and I've shown him how much money I save, he loves the idea," she added.
Better watch those sales tags now, folks, or you might just miss out on a bargain!
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