Lidl reduced section: I used to work at Lidl - this 1-hour shopping window time will get you the best bargains

• A former Lidl assistant manager has revealed the best time to find items marked down by up to 60%
• Lidl marks down products approaching their expiration date
• These items are still safe to consume but need to be sold quickly to avoid wastage
• The manager also says customers can sometimes spot employees marking items down and grab the discounts before they are returned to shelves
• The markdowns can apply to a wide range of products, including fresh produce, meat, dairy, and bakery items

A former assistant manager at Lidl has revealed a money-saving tip for shoppers looking to maximise their grocery budget at the supermarket known for its bargains.

Speaking as part of Netflix’s recently released documentary 24 Hours in Lidl, Roo Dhissou shared that between 4-5pm is the prime time to find items marked down by as much as 60% off their original prices.

At Lidl, products that are approaching their expiration date are identified by store employees. These items are still safe to consume but need to be sold quickly to avoid wastage.

The products are then marked with stickers, which often indicate a significant discount - the discount might vary depending on the store and the product.

She said: "They have set points in the day where you do a check and a refill with whatever has been left out. “They're not marked down on the day like other supermarkets, they're marked down two days before, generally."

Stickered items are often placed in a specific section or area of the store to make it easy for customers to find them, but Dhissou says you can sometimes spot employees marking the items down, “so you'll be able to get them before they go back out onto the shelves.”

A wide range of products can receive these markdowns, including fresh produce, meat, dairy, bakery items, and more - perishables are the most commonly discounted items.

The Netflix documentary is full of insights into how Lidl stores are run, offering intriguing behind-the-scenes peeks into the operations of the budget supermarket.

But while the above advice could save you money (and this writer has been known to extol the virtues of ‘yellow sticker’ shopping in the past), the supermarket still has a few tricks up its sleeve to maximise profits.

As part of the film, Dhissou also highlights a strategy used by stores to potentially increase sales: placing price tags above products rather than below them. This can give shoppers the impression of a lower price until they reach the checkout.

Traditionally, supermarkets place price tags below items, so shoppers have developed a habit of looking down to see the price.

When price tags are placed above items, shoppers might mistakenly associate the price with the product below the tag rather than the product above it.

This misalignment can lead to the assumption that a more expensive item is actually cheaper than it is, with customers only realising the true cost when they reach the checkout - when it might be too late to turn back.

"If you went into a traditional supermarket where do you automatically look?” says retail expert Dr Amna Khan. "You look beneath it for the price, you wouldn't look above it. So automatically when you look underneath it, that's the price that you think it's going to be."

Have you tried shopping during these hours, or noticed any clever pricing tricks at your local Lidl store? Share your experiences and tips in the comments section.