Love Kroger deals and looking for the best Kroger sales and specials? Read this post to learn my top tips for finding the best Kroger clearance markdowns!
How to Find the Best Kroger Clearance Deals
As I’ve been sharing my $70 Grocery Budget posts, the question I keep getting from people is, “Where do you find the great markdowns at Kroger?”
Well, the simple answer is: I just go through the store and look for them! 🙂
I know, that’s not super helpful! But it’s the truth.
There isn’t some super secret place to look for Kroger sales and markdowns. There isn’t even some super special day or time to go to the store (some stores do mark down certain things on certain days, but it really varies from store-to-store). It just takes some practice, getting to know your store, and knowing what sales, specials, and markdowns to look for at your Kroger store!
With that said, here are some tips to help you find great Kroger clearance markdowns (note: these tips should also work at most Kroger affiliate stores, too):
1. Look for Yellow Tags to Find Sales at Kroger
This probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: train your eyes to find the yellow Woohoo stickers. If you have kids, bring them with you to the store and make a treasure hunt out of it. It can be so much fun!
The more you get used to looking for these, the easier they will be to spot! Almost every time I go to the store, I see them in unexpected places because I’ve learned to scan the shelves and aisles and refrigerator cases for them.
Today, I found a cart in the middle of an aisle with markdowns in it. Last week, there was a table with markdowns near the front of the store. You just never know where they might pop up throughout the store, so keep your eyes peeled!
With that said, there is an organized “method” I use for looking for markdowns at the store…
2. Search the perimeter for Sales at Kroger
When I go shopping, I rarely go down the aisles (unless I’m looking for a specific deal). Instead, I shop the perimeter of the store to find the best Kroger sales.
I start by going through the produce section looking at the salad tubs and bags for markdown stickers. Then, I head to the reduced produce shelves. They should look like this:
These are usually located near or behind the aisle where the bananas are. These shelves typically have red bags on them and each bag has an assortment of produce. Each individual bag is $0.99.
You never know what you’ll find here. As shown above, this day there were pretty slim pickings. Sometimes it’s fruit, sometimes it’s vegetables. Or it might be potatoes and onions. Or, sometimes it’s a little bit of a hodgepodge.
Right now, there have been a lot of peppers and apples and oranges at my Kroger stores. But sometimes, I’ll find grapefruit or avocados or bananas or cucumbers or mangoes… it’s always a surprise what you’ll find here! Sometimes, there is even organic fruit there!
Every once in awhile, you really hit the jackpot with unexpected Kroger sales… such as this cart FULL of marked down produce I found last week!
Once I’ve checked the produce section thoroughly, then I move onto looking for the Reduced Bread shelves. These are usually somewhere near the bakery — though it varies at every store. You might have to hunt a little bit.
This is what you’re looking for:
This cart will have bakery goods, cakes, cookies, muffins, pita bread, pies, Naan, homemade bread, rolls, hamburger buns, and more. Again, you never know what you’ll find.
Sometimes, it’s really well-stocked. Other times, there’s hardly anything on the shelves. So again, it’s always a fun surprise to see what you find.
Everything on these shelves is usually marked at 50% off and it’s usually within a few days of the sell by date. I typically will buy the items and then stick them in the freezer. My favorite finds here are whole wheat naan, whole wheat bread from the bakery, and King’s Hawaiian Rolls (my kids go nuts for those!).
If you need to bring treats or cookies to a party or get-together, always check this shelf because you might find exactly what you need at a much cheaper price!
After I hit the bread shelves, then I head to the meat section. While it’s pretty typical that you’ll find a section where they have put most of the marked down meat, I usually look throughout the entire meat section as I’ll often find yellow tags scattered throughout the meat section. Also, be sure to check the lunchmeat and sausage section as there are usually deals there, too.
Sales at Kroger: How to Save $$ On Meat with Kroger Specials
I try to buy ahead when it comes to meat. This means I’ll buy whatever meat is on a great deal that I can fit into my budget that I know we’ll use. And then I plan our menu based on what meat we already have on hand. This way, I never pay anywhere close to full price for meat and we always have a great variety of different meats to choose from for dinner recipes.
After looking at the meat section, then I head to the dairy section. This is always a very hit or miss thing. Sometimes, I’ll find lots of markdowns on yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, eggs, creamer, etc. Sometimes, there is almost nothing. I just scan all of the refrigerated cases quickly looking for those yellow stickers and see if I find any!
Bonus tip: If your store has an organic refrigerated section, be sure to check it. I’ve found some steals there — including deals on farm-fresh eggs, almond milk, organic creamer, and organic yogurt. And don’t forget to check the floral department for marked down flowers. I found some for just $0.49 yesterday!!!
3. Ask your produce/meat managers about Kroger Clearance Markdowns
Many people have asked me if there is a certain time of day or a certain day of the week that you should shop for the best chance at finding Kroger specials. I find that it just really varies and, at least at our stores, there’s no one set day that is better than another day.
However, you could ask your meat manager or produce manager at your local store if there are certain days or times when they tend to mark things down. You can also ask them what their policies are on marking things down — such as how close to the sell by date do they mark milk down, etc.
In some cases, if you know this information and have a relationship with the produce manager, you can go into the store and just look for milk that has a sell by date that is 3-4 days out (or whatever length of time they told you) and then go ask them if they will mark it down for you. I’ve never done this, but I have friends who have.
4. Visit your store frequently to find the Best Kroger Specials
While I know that this isn’t something everyone is able to do, if possible, I recommend stopping by your store at least 2-3 times every week. I’ve found that there are usually new items marked down every other day or so. If I only go once a week, I’ll miss a lot of great Kroger deals.
It only takes me about 10-15 minutes tops to get in the store, check for all the markdowns, and buy my groceries. And we’re blessed to live where there are three Kroger stores that are really close to areas of town we are in multiple times per week. Because of this, it’s incredibly simple for me to go to the store at least 4-5 times per week to take advantage of the Kroger specials and find the best clearance markdowns!
That might not work for you… but could you find a way to run into Kroger at least two times per week to look for markdowns? If you could shave off $15 from your usual produce and meat expenses by spending an extra 15 minutes per week, would that be worth it? If so, consider how you could make it work without it causing a lot of stress or taking extra time and effort!
Kroger Clearance FAQ
1. First add coupons from the Kroger website or mobile app to your Shopper’s Card.
2. Then purchase the qualifying item(s) in-store or online.
3. For in-store purchases, scan your Shopper’s Card or enter your Alt ID at the register.
The discount should be automatically applied to your purchase and should appear on your receipt under the qualifying item. NOTE: Digital coupons are identified as “ecpn” on your receipt.
Yes! Digital coupons on your shopper’s card can be used at any of the Kroger stores, assuming the product is in stock.
The Kroger Company family of stores includes:
Baker’s
City Market
Dillons
Food 4 Less
Foods Co
Fred Meyer
Fry’s
Gerbes
Jay C Food Store
King Soopers
Kroger
Mariano’s
Metro Market
Pay-Less Super Markets
Pick’n Save
QFC
Ralphs
Ruler
Smith’s Food and Drug
This is such an awesome tip! I actually have a Kroger right down the street from where I work, so I used to often stop by after I got off. Now that my job has started back up (thanks COVID 😑), I have to get back in the habit of going!
You’re so welcome! We are excited that you found it useful! -Jordan, MSM Team
Our Kroger also has the milk marked way down but you have to go as soon as they open to get it….you can freeze milk too once thawed you cannot tell the difference.
That’s a great tip! Thank you! -Jordan, MSM Team
Kroger is my staple shopping store. We have the produce section with the apples, oranges and potatoes. Normally anything else in the produce is still located where it normally is, so yes I go looking through the whole produce section – but typically the markdowns not mention above are the wall produce so bagged lettuce, pre-cut items, juice, etc.
My stores also have the middle fridge deli sections. Normally that area has its own mark downs, like their pre-made deli items, cheeses, fried chicken, etc. The bakery has two locations one near the freezer cakes and another near the dairy. There is also a section by the frozen fish that you should look at as well, because fish is always expensive and markdowns are great.
My meat section has one area in particular – normally near the ham and sausage and meatballs. there can be great deals and others not so much. My parents by their steaks and expensive meats through the clearance all the time and then freeze right away. I will stock up if I see things we use. Typically though i get my clearance meat from Target.
Near the dairy there is always the middle open fridge areas that typically show the deals for the week, but always put some of the markdowns for dairy as well. The freezer area (so pizza, ice cream, meals, etc) are typically at an end cap near the back.
There are even some Kroger stores that have an aisle with a portion of it for packaged items, home goods, canned, etc – sort of a random mismatched of things. You can find some awesome things if you don’t mind looking. Typically these are near paper goods or cleaning or office things. Just depends.
For those who have super Krogers with clothes, shoes and etc there are always great clearance racks pretty close to the front so those are hard to miss. I do love searching for them, but my stores typically have everything easy to find.
I wish i knew the days they mark them down, like Target – I know their meat mark down days. I also don’t know what the rhyme or reason is for some mark downs. Other than maybe they have too much.
Crystal is right though typically the clearance is never in the middle unless its the packaged breads. I really do like saving money on the things I use or need. Hope this helps others.
Apparently, Ralph’s (Kroger in CA), no longer “allows” markdowns on eggs. That has to be the lamest thing ever. I completed the on-line survey off their receipt and told them that.
I also found an organic chicken, sell by date, over by 1 day. Asked the guy to mark it down, and he said he wasn’t allowed to sell it. ?
That is so sad! 🙁
We don’t have a Kroger near us, so I usually skip over your Kroger posts. However, we are vacationing in a cabin in Tennessee later this summer and there is a Kroger right down the road from where we are staying. So I guess I will have to start reading the Kroger posts and picking up some tips! Do you have to have a loyalty shopping card to get some of the price markdowns?
You don’t need a loyalty card for the markdowns but you do need one for any of the weekly deals, etc.
I’ve noticed that my Kroger affiliate store has been marking down frozen items and putting them in the freezer at the endcap at the back of the store. They keep putting new mark down items in this same freezer. Many of these items at our store are also gluten free because they are removing them from their regular stock.
While we do not have a Kroger here per se, we do have Smith’s, Safeway, and Bashas’s as our local grocers. I have signed up for the online “shopping” with Safeway (our store of choice) and have found that the “Just for U” is just flipping amazing!!! Yesterday, using my club card and my digital coupons, I bought $73 worth of meat and only paid $22!!! It takes time to review all the coupons online, but it is so worth it. I am also finding that if I plan out my week of meals around what is on sale and/or what I have in my pantry/freezer, that that helps a lot too! I keep a master list on the computer and just mark it off when I have used it (and then put it on a grocery list to buy when it goes on sale). That may be too OCD for some people, but it is working for us. We are not YET down to $70 per week, but we have gone from $150 a week and wasting food down to a little over $100 and wasting less. It is a process of learning and refining what is working for you.
Thanks so much for sharing! And Smith’s is actually a Kroger affiliate — so I believe they should have many of the same deals and offers!
Love this post all but one thing. We live in the country & the closest Kroger is over 10 miles from our house so not feasible to try to go to the grocery multiple times per week. Now if I am out & close to one & always pop in & see what the deals are.
Yes! It’s definitely not feasible (or smart!) for everyone to run to the store as often as I do! But if you’re going to be close to one and have a few minutes, it can pay off big time to run in and grab some deals!
In addition to all of your tips, my Kroger store has a shelved section that has all sorts of random markdowns of non perishable items.
At my store, it is tucked at the end of the cleaning supply aisle.
We have found all sorts of goodies in that section, dark chocolate, Lara bars, kale chips, plantain chips, cocoa powder, etc.
Thanks so much for this tip!
In Cincinnati, the home of Kroger HQ, many of our stores are transitioning to incorporate Clicklist. I’ve noticed that this change, with the required construction and store reconfiguration, has affected how and where I can find markdowns. Anything not refrigerated is now all together in a totally separate area. I’ve also noticed that the smaller stores tend to have way more Manager’s specials than the larger stores.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Give it time after the renovation. Our stores were like that in Indy and now the deals are easier to find at the renovated stores.
Oh my…you can get milk for $2 a gallon regular price?!?
I live in PA where milk is price controlled by the state gov’t. I’m currently paying almost $4 a gallon for 1%.
I, too, enjoy these posts by Crystal, but it takes a lot for me to not feel a little jealous that I can’t get anything close to the bargains she does – and believe me, I’m as savvy a bargain shopper as there is! A lot depends on what kinds of grocery stores you have available, and with no Kroger stores or Aldi nearby, it’s hard to get the kinds of bargains she posts.
Just remember: I’m sure there are amazing benefits to living where you live that I don’t have here! 🙂 Housing is SO much more expensive here than it was in KS and I can’t get at all the deals on organic products that I could at the health food stores there. Everywhere we’ve lived, there have been pros and cons. I try to focus on the pros and be okay with the cons! 😉
Thanks for the tips! I am slowly stocking up my pantry and freezer with what the good deals I am finding!
Yay!
My Kroger had gallons of skim milk marked down to $1 this morning. Not sure why as they didn’t expire until May 12th, but I was excited to get all our milk for half-price this week!
That’s amazing!! Thank you for sharing!
My store has markdowns in the health food section, produce, deli wall, meats, breads, yogurts and sometimes a little other dairy. They also have a clearance section and sometimes clearance carts full of stuff. Thanks for this great article. I learned these things from my mom but a lot of people don’t know that grocery shopping is the ONE BIG KEY is saving money. It’s probably the biggest monthly budget variable that is a necessity. I usually plan my meals around the sales too.
My store has markdowns in the health food section, produce, deli wall, meats, breads, yogurts and sometimes a little other dairy. They also have a clearance section and sometimes clearance carts full of stuff. Thanks for this great article. I learned these things from my mom but a lot of people don’t know that grocery shopping is the ONE BIG KEY is saving money. It’s probably the biggest monthly budget variable that is a necessity. I usually plan my meals around the sales too.
YES! I always tell people to start with their grocery budget if they are looking to save money. Because everyone has to eat and buy food — and there are so many ways to save on food!
I don’t know if this is considered deli or not, but sometimes I find markdowns in the area near the bakery and produce that has hummus, fancy cheese, and prepared foods on far wall.
Thanks for sharing!
As mentioned in another comment, I also look for the close out tags throughout the store. Today I bought organic apple sauce, fruit cups, plastic wide mouth plastic lids, and more all at 50% or more off the regular price. I love Kroger! I also want to thank you Crystal for these videos and posts, they are a huge inspiration to me!
I’m so glad that they are inspiring you!
I’m so glad you’ve been able to find so many great markdowns! That’s a fun hobby that simultaneously saves money. We don’t have a Kroger or an affiliate store in our area. Every once in a while I will go to Albertson’s and check for meat markdowns. I manage to luck out about once a quarter. I’m have about the opposite type of grocery routine. I spend as much as I can at Costco once a month, load up both freezers and fridges and fill in the rest of our needs with Walmart Grocery pick up or maybe the (military) Commissary for staples some months. With three young kids and homeschooling we are not in the season of life for frequent grocery trips. It takes me 10 minutes just to get everyone pottied (don’t think that’s a proper past tense verb!), shoed and into the car. Another 8-10 to the store, unload and walk around the store with a toddler who screams in the shopping cart and then I hope no one wants to go to the bathroom while we’re all the way at the back.
It easily takes me an hour to go to the store just for $25 worth of milk and eggs staples. Our stores don’t typically have markdowns with the exception of a few bakery sweets or breads. Basically I just avoid the store when at all possible! Plus even though I’m putting down a pretty large sum of money down in one shopping trip I find it keeps impulse purchases down. We are always out of something and it’s so easy to pop into the store for milk and bread and suddenly you have a $75 bill of items you realized you were actually out of (or maybe that’s just me)
This sounds like what I’ve gone through over the years! I don’t homeschool, but I do look forward to this autumn when all three of mine are finally in school! I had one who could walk at 9 months. She would unbuckle from the car, shimmy down the side and take off within 10 seconds. My son would get lost, he’d stop to look at something and I wouldn’t notice, then he’d be lost. My oldest would antagonize the other two, pinching or tripping them! And yes, the potty thing. They only need to go when they’re in the back of the store!
One of my favorite things to do when my kids were younger was to go to the store in the evenings when my husband could watch them. It was my hobby that also saved us money! 🙂
I definitely think that shopping frequently doesn’t work for everyone. Thanks for sharing your perspective and what works for you!
And if you are going to be going to the store regularly, it’s so important that you have grocery budget that you are very strict about sticking to! Because it’s certainly not saving money of you’re just spending time and money on things you don’t need and/or wouldn’t buy otherwise!
Thank you! This was very helpful!!
Thanks for the tips!
Two thoughts I had:
(1) One of my Kroger locations has discounted (shelf-stable) bakery items (like those mentioned in the post) at the very back of the store near the meat; another has them back in the corner near the eggs and dairy. There are often mark downs in the refrigerated section of the bakery area too. I’ve found discounted slices of cake and whole cheesecakes marked WAY down. Just keep your eyes open for those stickers!
(2) As with everything, pay attention to prices at check out. If the WooHoo sticker is not properly covering the UPC bar code, the item may ring up regular price. This happened to me and I didn’t notice until I was home. My Kroger made it right, but it required another trip (and showing them the package and receipt).
Yes, that happened to me too. I was using self checkout, which I very rarely use, and I noticed it. I didn’t know why and the helper checker told me why. I’m glad I noticed it right away.
Great tips! Thank you!
I agree with all your tips! Just get to know your store and where they put all the markdown products and look for the yellow stickers! Sometimes you can also find good deals with the white and red “closeout” tags on the shelf. I found a bunch of great water bottles recently in their home goods section with those tags, ranging from 50-75% off. I also like to go after a major holiday (Valentine’s, Easter, etc) to get their discounted candy or related products. I was able to buy some cute stuffed animals at 75% off for my OCC shoeboxes later on this year.
Great tips! Thank you for sharing!!
Our store does mark downs in the morning, so if I go close to 8 am I can get the best deals. They do bundle deals on meat mark downs that are a steal!
Thanks for sharing this challenge!
Thanks so much for sharing that tip!
I just want to say how thankful I am for you! We are paying for some expensive therapy for one of our kids now and money has gotten really tight. I had gotten in a more relaxed state lately with grocery shopping but I really need to pinch pennies now! Thank you for the good ideas, reminding me to live simple, recipes, coupons and more. It truly is a blessing to my family. Thank you! I think you are so cool!
Yay! I’m so thankful that these posts are giving you some great ideas and inspiration!
I am loving these posts you are doing about your Kroger mark downs and the meals you are making with them. They remind me so much of some of your earlier days of MSM. I know you are helping a lot of people think outside the box with their grocery bills with this series of posts. Yes, we don’t have the coupon deals we used to when MSM started, but there are still ways to save.
Thanks so much for your encouragement! I’m grateful you are enjoying these posts! I’m having a lot of fun sharing them!
Okay, so I live in the Pacific NW and we have Fred Meyer. After work today, I went to FM to check out what deals I could find. I went to the produce section and found that they had marked down Wholly Guacamole to $1.39/tub (normally 2/$7), I found salad for dinner tonight for $1.49, there wasn’t anything in the bread department, nothing in dairy, but I found Smoked Bratwurst for $2.09/pkg of 6 (normally 2/$7). Then I purchased my spaghetti for .49/each and a hair color for $3.50 off plus $2 coupon on your next visit. It was fun and I feel like I’ll just get better as I do it more. Thanks for the inspiration. I do have to say that I did self check out and left my receipt and $2 off next visit coupon at the register. Doh!!
We also have QFC as part of the Kroger family in PNW too. They tend to be a bit pricey but I find great markdowns there a lot.
Woohoo! Yay for deals!! And next time, you won’t forget your receipt and $2 off coupon, I just know it! 🙂
I’m from the Pacific NW and we moved to Phoenix about 10 years ago. The Pacific NW is VERY expensive for groceries even and Fred Meyer and QFC (the Kroger stores). Honestly here in Phoenix, Fry’s is our Kroger and it isn’t the least expensive chain that we have. In the PNW if you are close to a WinCo, I think it’s generally cheapest. We are apparently getting Aldi down here within the next 6 months or so. I’ll be curious to check it out. We have WinCo, but it’s quite a drive for me.