What day does each grocery store’s weekly ad start?
Updated
Most grocery chains start a new sale week on Wednesday, but not all of them. Knowing the day helps you plan meals before you shop and catch overlap days when two weeks of sales are on the shelf.
Weekly ad start days
This is the usual start day for each chain. Many chains vary by region, and a few stores run their own schedule, so treat this as a starting point and check your own store’s ad.
| Store | New ad starts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ALDI | Wednesday | ALDI Finds start the same day. No manufacturer coupons. |
| Kroger | Wednesday | Usually Wednesday. Includes Ralphs, Fry’s, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Harris Teeter, Smith’s, QFC, and other Kroger stores. |
| Food 4 Less | Wednesday | A Kroger store, with a similar weekly schedule. |
| Publix | Thursday | Wednesday in parts of Florida. |
| Sprouts | Wednesday | Runs Wednesday to Tuesday. Old and new ads overlap on Wednesday in many stores. |
| Winn-Dixie | Wednesday | Runs Wednesday to Tuesday. Lower prices for rewards members. |
| Safeway and Albertsons | Wednesday | Usually Wednesday. Varies by region. |
| H-E-B | Wednesday | Usually Wednesday. |
| Food Lion | Wednesday | Usually Wednesday. |
| Target | Sunday | Weekly deals usually start Sunday. |
| Meijer | Sunday | Usually Sunday. |
| Wegmans | Varies by deal | No single weekly sale. Shoppers Club prices and markdowns end on different days. |
| Walmart | Any day, store by store | No weekly grocery ad. Rollbacks and clearance change on their own schedule. |
Why so many ads start on Wednesday
Wednesday is the most common start day for grocery sales, but each chain sets its own schedule. For shoppers it is handy: the new ad usually comes out a day or so before it starts, so you can plan meals early in the week and shop midweek, when stores are often calmer than on the weekend.
If you shop at two Wednesday stores, you can compare both ads on the same night and split your list between them.
Overlap days
Some stores keep last week’s sale prices on the shelf for a day after the new ad starts. On that day you can get both weeks’ deals.
Sprouts is the best known for this: on Wednesdays the old ad and the new ad overlap in many stores. Some Publix stores also have an overlap day, when last week’s and this week’s BOGOs can both still be on the shelf.
Overlap is not guaranteed everywhere. Ask your store whether it has one, and check the dates printed on the ad.
Stores without a weekly ad
Walmart does not run a weekly grocery ad. Rollbacks last a few weeks and clearance is set store by store, so a deal can start or end on any day. The way to find them is to check the shelf, or to check prices store by store.
Wegmans keeps most prices steady instead of running a deep weekly sale. Its deals come from Shoppers Club pricing and limited-time markdowns that can end on any day, so check the end date on each one.
How to use ad days to plan meals
A simple weekly routine is enough.
- The night before your store’s new ad starts, look at the front page and the meat section.
- Pick 2 or 3 proteins on sale and plan dinners around them.
- Fill in with pantry staples you already have.
- Shop on the first day of the ad, or the overlap day if your store has one.
- Check for reduced stickers on meat and bakery while you are there.
Keeping track of several stores
Penny Meals reads weekly ads and shelf prices at the stores near your ZIP code and shows what dropped this week at each one, so you don’t have to open every ad on its own day. Plus members get dinner recipes written from their stores’ sales each week.
Questions
What day do grocery store sales start?
Wednesday is the most common day, including ALDI, Kroger, Sprouts, Winn-Dixie, and many Safeway and Albertsons stores. Publix usually starts Thursday, and Target and Meijer usually start Sunday.
What is an overlap day at a grocery store?
A day when last week’s and this week’s sale prices are both on the shelf. Sprouts overlaps on Wednesdays in many stores, and some Publix stores have one too. Ask your store.
Does Walmart have a weekly grocery ad?
No. Walmart’s rollbacks and clearance change on their own schedule, and clearance is set store by store.
What day does the Publix ad start?
Thursday in most areas and Wednesday in parts of Florida.
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