Page 10 | Stupid things customers ask on Xmas Eve Eve

Mokel · 2025-12-23T06:52:28+00:00

I have done enough years in supermarkets at Christmas. I remember one question raised by a few customers when putting out bread. ”do you have any bread dated after 28th” I said if you go to a supermarket on any other 23rd, the latest date on loaves is 28th. As the bakeries always put the date as X days ahead, regardless of the time of year. I remember seeing one of these customers on Jan 23rd and asked them could they find a date longer than 28th. They couldn’t. Retail worker 1 customer 0. ”Is it possible to collect my turkey on Xmas Day?” Erm no.

MILLYmo0se · 23/12/2025 13:36

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 23/12/2025 08:31

I can never seem to find eggs, especially in the little express stores. I wander about for ages 😂

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And eggs seem to be the thing that's gets randomly moved on a regular basis where I am too. Not helped by the fact I have 2 supermarkets in a 15 minute walk that I go to for different things and always mix up where the eggs are in each one

RescueMeFromThisSilliness · 23/12/2025 13:26

SledgingSlide · 23/12/2025 08:41

Eggs are the hardest thing to find! They have no natural home and aren’t even in the dairy section often!

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Well they're not dairy, so they don't belong there. Our local supermarket used to have them in the same aisle as tinned fruit, flour, sugar, baking ingredients and the like, which is where most people would expect eggs to be, I reckon. Not any more. They are now on the back wall next to the gluten-free/vegan. 🙄

Friendlygingercat · 23/12/2025 13:24

I run several online shops and have had people email me on christmas eve to ask if I can get it to the USA for christmas day. Errr no, not unless you have a private jet to send.

Now I just shut up shop a few days before and re-open after new year.

sueelleker · 23/12/2025 13:22

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/12/2025 13:21

I had to talk dh out of tipping away out-of-date milk without sniffing it first. He does a lot of work with compliance and couldn't cope with the anarchy of 'if it smells OK, we can drink it'!

When I was a kid, my mum had a special cup that she used to crack eggs into, one at a time, so she could sniff them - this was before the advent of sell-by/use-by dates on things, so you had to use your common sense, eyes and sense of smell!

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I put nine in cold water-if they float, I bin them.

Panama2 · 23/12/2025 13:22

It isn’t always lack of planning sometimes it can be due to a family situation or simply lack of money and having to wait to be paid.

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 23/12/2025 13:22

Callipygion · 23/12/2025 11:01

In my local Co-op the eggs are at the end of an aisle in a shelving unit with big signs down each side stating “eggs” and there is a massive “eggs” sign hanging off the ceiling just above it, with an arrow pointing to it, and people still can’t find it! 🤣

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😂 that’ll be me then. Anything else I’m good, it’s just eggs.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/12/2025 13:21

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2025 10:24

Whispers - when it says 'best before' it doesn't magically go off at the stroke of midnight. A toaster will solve most issues and you are unlikely to have penicillin at that point.

The number of people who will just bin the bread is insane.

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I had to talk dh out of tipping away out-of-date milk without sniffing it first. He does a lot of work with compliance and couldn't cope with the anarchy of 'if it smells OK, we can drink it'!

When I was a kid, my mum had a special cup that she used to crack eggs into, one at a time, so she could sniff them - this was before the advent of sell-by/use-by dates on things, so you had to use your common sense, eyes and sense of smell!

PropertyD · 23/12/2025 13:20

MoreDangerousThanAWomanScorned · 23/12/2025 12:57

I think this probably says more about the difference between owning a shop and so directly benefiting from staying late to make the big sale, going the extra mile, etc. and working in a shop where no matter how extraordinary your customer service you will still get the same hourly wage as if you do the minimum.

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You clearly havent worked in a supermarket. Some people pride themselves on coming in just before closing time. 'Dont you want my money' etc etc.

The sodding shop has been open since 0600... get yourselves together and stop behaving like an entitled twat!!

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2025 13:20

ArtfulPinkBird · 23/12/2025 13:14

On Xmas eve- "What time will you be reducing the turkeys" 👀

Surely this is a state secret you only telling your family and closest friends to prevent competition?

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2025 13:19

MrsSkylerWhite · 23/12/2025 12:58

Lots of people leave it so late because of discounts.

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The discounts on the 24th are for the freezer for January so I can afford to eat..

CleoFigaro · 23/12/2025 13:19

Mokel · 23/12/2025 13:07

More like poor planning

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We planned to go to the supermarket this morning as today is payday for DH. Last payday we spent money on presents, this one food. That's the planning we could do.
Would never be rude to staff, might ask a question though and expect them to be helpful.

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2025 13:18

Robertplantgoddess · 23/12/2025 12:48

Catch 22 isn't it. People want to keep Christmas on December but then are led by the supermarkets to start in September as that suits the supermarkets. If everyone didn't shop until December it would take a?couple of years but supermarkets would eventually react. We are the target of supermarkets. We think they are led by us - we are marketed to a huge extent. Hence so many store loyalty cards. They will tell us what we want. Ho hum

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I want to start my Christmas shopping in October/ November though. It suits me for budgeting reasons and because I'm super disorganised and can't manage to remember everything in a single shop. I'd much rather do it bit by bit to take the stress out of it.

Moaningminnieagain · 23/12/2025 13:16

cardibach · 23/12/2025 10:53

In fairness I know the answer to that question and I d9nt even work 8n a shop selling books. It’s this one.

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No, its the housemaid!!

ArtfulPinkBird · 23/12/2025 13:14

On Xmas eve- "What time will you be reducing the turkeys" 👀

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2025 13:13

Beezz · 23/12/2025 12:21

I knew this would be a bun fight by page 10 🍿

That's Ellie's fault

AwfullyGood · 23/12/2025 13:11

MoreDangerousThanAWomanScorned · 23/12/2025 09:36

You're never going to get it answered in WH Smith, but I've met independent booksellers who would absolutely pride themselves that they would be able to find the right book from that description!

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I'd put any money on it the book she was looking for is The Housemaid. It's blue and crime/thriller type!

Original poster

Mokel · 23/12/2025 13:07

MrsSkylerWhite · 23/12/2025 12:58

Lots of people leave it so late because of discounts.

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More like poor planning

OP posts:

Gribouille · 23/12/2025 13:07

RedToothBrush · 23/12/2025 11:25

Ellie, did you mean to be so rude?

You didn't need to cancel the check.

Just LTB.

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Yeah, use your words, Ellie... 😄

WeevilIntent · 23/12/2025 13:06

Asking if they could collect their turkey on Christmas Day is a pretty stupid question, but the bread thing isn’t stupid - just something people aren’t necessarily aware of. Most of the time I just pick up whatever won’t be out of date within the next couple of days; it’ll be used by then anyway so there’s no need to make a mental note of the average maximum shelf life, and before reading this thread I had no idea that 5 days is the upper limit.

I remember seeing one of these customers on Jan 23rd and asked them could they find a date longer than 28th. They couldn’t. Retail worker 1 customer 0.
I doubt they even remembered the earlier interaction after a month. It’s unlikely they felt stupid - more likely that they went away with a story about that odd woman who works in the supermarket who approached them being very strange about bread.

I used to work retail in my late teens and I never once thought anybody was stupid for asking where things were, either. It’s more ‘stupid’ to continue wandering around searching for the item you need, when you could quickly ask a staff member and be directed straight to it, surely? Customers who take their stress out on retail staff, especially at this time of the year, can get in the bin though.

Original poster

Mokel · 23/12/2025 13:06

SushiForMe · 23/12/2025 08:40

Exactly, I was expecting something about rude customers but not convinced by the bread example.
The eggs also: if they stopped changing where they are maybe customers wouldn’t have to ask.

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Never moved in the 15 years I was there. Yet customers said we always moved the eggs

OP posts:

Bluebigclouds · 23/12/2025 13:03

Emas82 · 23/12/2025 06:53

Where's the eggs? X 100000000

This is a very reasonable question. Supermarkets always hide the eggs.

DeadMemories · 23/12/2025 13:00

Topseyt123 · 23/12/2025 11:09

If you are looking in the dairy section then that might be why you have difficulty finding eggs in many supermarkets. Eggs are not dairy. They have nothing to do with milk from any animals (cows mainly, but also goats).

Cows and goats etc. don't lay eggs. Hens, ducks, geese and chickens do, though eggs themselves are not meat so don't look in the meat aisles either..

Eggs are often in the baking ingredients and bread aisles in our supermarket.

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In the Asda i go to they are kept next to the fridges that house the milk and cream etc. Seems a good place to keep them to me

usedtobeaylis · 23/12/2025 12:59

RhaenysRocks · 23/12/2025 07:51

To be fair, eggs seems to be the one thing that no supermarket can agree on where they should go so it's never obvious. Some put them near the mil, some near the bread, some in cereal aisle, some near baking.

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Eggs and coleslaw, two things that seems to be in completely different places in every supermarket

MrsSkylerWhite · 23/12/2025 12:58

iwasfineandlight · 23/12/2025 09:12

Asking if they have crackers at 3pm on Christmas Eve, when they’ve been on sale since sodding September, is stupidity.

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Lots of people leave it so late because of discounts.

MoreDangerousThanAWomanScorned · 23/12/2025 12:57

CherryblossomRose · 23/12/2025 12:51

Bikergran Your mother really understood the nature of a retail business. Not just the antiques business, but retail. Hats off to her.

So many people in retail don't understand the psychology behind consumer sales, or even remember the basic bottom line that is every sale is valuable, whether it's 20p or £200 or £2000. If a customer walks in at almost closing time looking for a gift card or a last minute present, or asks if there's anything of such and so left, YOU BET I would sell it to them, or make a genuine effort to find one, or suggest an alternative if possible, and make them feel valued not an inconvenience.

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I think this probably says more about the difference between owning a shop and so directly benefiting from staying late to make the big sale, going the extra mile, etc. and working in a shop where no matter how extraordinary your customer service you will still get the same hourly wage as if you do the minimum.