Major UK supermarket to hand out free food with £0.00 sticker

They are trying to reduce food waste

Currently, Tesco's discounts are generally limited to a maximum of 90 per cent discount but the £0 scheme is being tested in select stores in an attempt to reduce waste and bring it closer to its Net Zero goals.

The scheme will be tested in a small number of Tesco Express stores, with the stickers applied to items after 9.30pm.

It comes as shoppers are increasingly opting for discount products as the cost of living - notably the supermarket shop and energy bills - remain high.

Recently, brawls have broken out in supermarket aisles as shoppers battle to bag a bargain.

Tesco have taken further measures to lock fridges and security tag fish and meat products in an effort to reduce shoplifting.

Retailers are coming under increasing pressure to reduce waste and meet Net Zero targets.

Currently, Tesco hands any unsold food items to charities - and this will continue, while staff will also get priority access to the reduced food items priced down earlier in the day, according to The Telegraph.

Internal memos sent by Tesco management said it would continue to give quantities of food to charities, with the supermarket set to 'continue with our drive to reduce food waste within our own operations'.

A spokesman for the supermarket said: “We are constantly looking for innovative new ways to reduce food waste. 

"This trial, in a small number of our Express stores, will allow customers to take any remaining yellow stickered items for free at the end of the day, after they have first been offered to charities and colleagues.”

The supermarket recently came under fire for testing giant trolley scales in a Gateshead store as customers said they felt like they were being treated as thieves.

Tesco began trialling the checkout scales at the Gateshead Trinity Square Extra store to identify items that customers may have missed or duplicated while using the supermarket’s Scan as You Shop service.