Woolworths reveals secret to scoring weekly specials

Woolworths has let shoppers in on the specific time its specials become available online each week.

Speculation over whether catalogue specials were uploaded at a particular time of day emerged last week when a consumer claimed they had received "contradictory" and "incorrect" answers in the past.

"What time on Wednesday do specials start when ordering online, for delivery later in the evening or even the next day?" the shopper asked in a Facebook post.

"If the answer is 12.01am, they don't. If the answer isn't 12.01am, why not? It is Wednesday, and that's when your specials are advertised to start."

A spokesperson for the supermarket has since revealed to Yahoo News Australia that the retailer's "weekly specials roll over around 7am every Wednesday".

Shoppers should place their online order after this time if they want to browse the specials beforehand, the spokesperson said.

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"This aligns with the distribution of our weekly catalogue and coincides with the opening hours of the majority of our stores," they said.

"Customers need to place their online orders after this time to access the special price."

When do in-store items get reduced?

Shoppers might also be curious about the best time to go hunting for reduced items like roast chicken, chilled meat, dairy products and fresh produce.

While some customers may notice trends in their local supermarkets, Woolworths does not have a set time it reduces the price on such products.

"The availability of markdowns will vary from day to day and store to store based on stock levels and demand," the spokesperson said.

"In terms of specific markdowns on products in-store, we use them from time to time to minimise food waste."

Some customers have claimed to know what times to shop for in-store bargains, like a mum-of-five from regional Victoria who claimed her local Coles had a decent selection of reduced items by about 6pm daily.

Both Coles and Woolworths have previously revealed when their respective fresh-baked bread was reduced for customers.

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