The 4 secret supermarket signs that could slash your grocery bill in half

Saving at the supermarket is particularly challenging in 2026, especially when you are tired and busy and trying to get your grocery shopping done as quickly as possible.

It takes time and effort to research the lowest prices.

Thankfully, there is a simple way to save, just by paying more attention to the signage used by supermarkets.

Watch the video above.

Many of these signs are used as ad boards for various promotions. Others can give you more valuable information to help you save at the checkout.

Here are the four signs I think are worth paying attention to at the supermarket.

1. Specials boards out the front

My local Woolies uses two signs out the front.

One that highlights their Lower Shelf Price specials, and the I pay the most attention to as it showcases which fruits and vegetables are in season, and therefore the cheapest.

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My local Coles highlights their fresh produce of the week, too.

A great tip when creating your shopping list is to leave it with some wiggle room. Instead of locking in on particular fruits and vegetables, wait and see what is on special, and then design your meals around those products.

And there is plenty to choose from this week. Woolies is selling blackberries, grapes, cherry tomatoes and yellow nectarines at great prices.

Coles is also selling in season grapes and cherry tomatoes, as well as corn, cucumbers and Royal Gala apples.

That's instant savings just by paying attention to signage and before you have even entered the supermarket.

2. The product guide at the end of the aisle

It can be hard to find our favourite products in supermarkets, especially bread, milk and eggs.

Oftentimes, we'll find ourselves walking up and down different aisles searching for them.

Milk and eggs are usually placed at the back of the supermarket so we have to walk all the way there to purchase them. Bread is often in the middle of one of the first aisles.

All that time walking up and down aisles searching for products exposes shoppers to even more items, which can lead to impulse purchasing. Before you know it, you'll be carrying several items and need to back for a basket or a trolley!

This has happened to me so often my kids joke about it now.

"So you are just getting milk and bananas Mum?! Really?!"

But here's how you can hack the system. There is a physical, paper laminated aisle guide that hangs at the start of each aisle in most supermarkets, that let you know exactly which aisle to find products in.

This list gives way more information that the larger signs that hang from the ceiling.

By using these guides, you can minimise how much searching you need to do, and therefore hopefully reduce the number of impulse purchases you make while searching for others that are on your list.

3.  Half price signs

Both Coles and Woolies use the top of aisle spaces for their "half-price" products and the signage is very clear. It's a great way to save, but there is a bit of a trick to this.

Firstly, you should only buy items you were already planning to purchase. And secondly, you need to check that these are indeed the lowest prices for these products.

Sometimes other retailers sell them at even lower prices, making it well worth your time to visit a second location.

Also, do what an increasing number of Aussie shoppers are doing these days, and split your grocery shopping between Coles and Woolies, so you can take advantage of all of their half-price specials.

It takes a bit more effort, but it a brilliant way to save.

Half-price specials on products you were already planning to buy, or that you buy often, is one of the best ways to save quickly and easily.

4. In season

Further to the fresh produce signs located at the front of your local Coles and Woolies, there are also signs in stores that highlight which fresh produce is in season and therefore on special.

Fresh produce has a short shelf life, so these prices will be further reduced just so supermarkets can clear this stock and make room for fresh stock.

Anything that is in season is plentiful and usually local, so you are not only getting the best price but its usually the freshest, meaning it will last longer.

Helpfully, these are usually positioned at the front of supermarkets.

My local Coles was clearing nectarines, corn, and apples.

Woolies was clearing out their blackberries and grapes.

And Aldi included their seasonal produce as Aldi Super Savers and this week these included cauliflower and apples.

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