Stupid things customers ask on Xmas Eve Eve

@Flyingintotheunknown I think that's the point, they want you to buy something you don't need and don't care if it goes in the bin. They are already filling the empty spots with Valentines stuff. Retailers are in the business of manipulating people into buying more than they need. The layout, music and everything else is about manipulation, and it's our job to constantly fight it. It's exhausting.

I shop at Lidl and like the turn over of different food for different weeks. Keeps it interesting.

Works for me. Works for them.

Mind you if there's something I really like I have a tendency to act like the apocalypse is approaching.

They sometimes switch aisles but don't amend the massive overhead sign. Tesco is notorious for this. However newspapers are generally in the same place.

I tried to get a Christmas pudding on the 23rd about 15 years ago and Sainsbury's was sold out. I'm sure the shop assistant thought I was stupid for not getting it sooner, but we'd been planning on going to my parents's house for Christmas (5 hours drive away) and it had to be cancelled last minute due to illness and I still wanted to give my immediate family the best Christmas lunch I could. I had to buy a frozen turkey as that's all that was left and it barely defrosted by the time I had to cook it! It's not always people being disorganised who are shopping for food late.

My local Asda recently rearranged and didn't change any of their signs. Its a total guess as to where pasta and rice is every week. Last week they moved all their chickens to make way for turkey and after two trips up and down the aisle trying to see in their stupid fridge doors with the massive glare, I would just ask after that for anything further. If shit is poorly signed, then it's going to fall on the staff.

Maybe they were looking on the pre-made Christmas meal section and could only find the ones in a microwave pack with bacon bits in.

MIL has just been on the phone asking what wine to buy for Christmas Day. She has known for weeks that she is buying the wine and will now have to negotiate a very busy supermarket and mental traffic because she refuses to plan ahead.

We buy early and leave the tree in a bucket of water outside until it's time to bring it in to the house - prolongs its life greatly.

My point is they put things out in October/ November on shelves and in fridges like cream desserts and ready made prawn cocktails that expire within a few days and advertise they’re for Christmas yet what’s the point in such a dumb decision? Things that last longer like frozen foods yes, but don’t advertise stuff for Xmas in October that is clearly going to have expired by the end of the month!

So you don't trust any supermarket signs and rather than look you ask the staff? How do you do your shopping? Do you ask where every item is? Staff do have other things to do other than tell customers that things are where they say they are.
Why are you so annoyed about eggs being on the end of an aisle? Does it matter that much?

And imagine being so pathetically petty and insecure that knowing more about the sell by date of bread than another person is what makes you feel superior

Ours always last a good month sometimes up to 6 weeks

Eeeeeer, well I asked in M&S today, while collecting my food order, if they, by any chance, had any crackers and the server kindly pointed me to the far corner of the store to a pallet of boxes of crackers and told me to be quick as that was the last of their stock.

A perfectly normal interaction between a consumer and retail worker.

When there's a bloody enormous sign hanging over aisle five saying 'newspapers'?

No, sorry, not taking the rap on this one. People need to LOOK.

Nope. Putting them on sale in September is stupidity.
So is not ordering enough to last till Chrismas, which presumably is intentional if looking for them on Christmas Eve is going to be called out as stupid.

Ah leave them alone, they’re stressed like us(not the real meanies, screw them!!) ! (From someone who finishes a 12 he shift tonight and then has a lottt to do!!!!)

ps I feel like I’ll have to leave retail in the next few years, I think I’ve broken my body in this job😅😅😅

I love the availability of Christmas food in November - I had all my Christmas meats and desserts in the freezer ages ago. And I was eating the occasional lebkuchen and mince pie too. If it didn’t sell they wouldn’t offer it…

I imagine there are many people like this. When DS was little all our Christmas stuff had to be done after the 21st. DH used to get Love to Shop Vouchers from his work so we used these for buying Christmas presents.

Oh yeah sorry I totally get that. I mean as someone said earlier there's two types of shoppers but if you want to leave things til later then you are almost forced to either not do that if you want a selection box for example or you need to buy it October even if you dont want to. And thats the bit i mean about supermarkets leading us to decisions that suit them

All this op has ever done is whine about working in retail and slag off customers under various names
it was to be expected they'd reappear at Xmas

Or circumstances change. We were asked yesterday by DD if it was possible for us to host her BIL and SIL on Christmas day as they had been let down by friends. We've said yes but waiting to hear confirmation. If they are coming then I will probably have to go and get crackers/and or cracker presents as we don't have enough

Not going out today as I have this bloody cough/cold and I'm still infectious should be non infectious tomorrow

I imagine a fair amount of peoples Christmas plans are being thrown up in the air with all the infections going round.

It's not always black and white

Well that’s not the same for ALL supermarkets. And how are people who don’t work in supermarkets supposed to know how long the dates on bread last?

Also, while you’re having such a grumble over not a lot, please explain the dumb decision by supermarkets to start putting Xmas food on shelves and fridges in October / November that is clearly going to expire within a few days?

This explains how supermarkets arrange their items... Just funny stuff.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPVwo-MDasK/

So she doesn't even work in a supermarket any more? How odd.

People who are all smug about knowing things which are niche but utterly banal just make me think they need to get out more.

Well said. The next time I encounter an arsey shop assistant( there any many!) I'm going to reply, " I apologise for not knowing how shops are run. I managed to pass a few exams so I've never had to work in one."

But that's quite nasty actually😂