Anyone braved the supermarket today?

[grumpy4squash]

Is it hideously crowded or not too bad?

It was actually less crazy than a normal Sunday!

Wasn't too bad this morning, seen worse.

We were surprised it was "shoppable " yesterday Sat when we got to Waitrose at 8am. It was probably about the same volume of people as a lunchtime Saturday . We only had to wait a few mins for a parking space.

I reckon far more people just shop online. Years ago before online supermarket shopping had taken off, the car parks would have been queued back to the roundabout and absolutely heaving but they just weren't that bad.

Our local press is reporting that Tesco have no trolleys and that people are stalking others around the store to try and steal them

I've been to Aldi and Asda today and they were both much better than expected. Aldi seemed less busy than a standard Sunday.

Going tomorrow. There will still be plenty of stuff left!

@Squatternutbosh123 between that and the fact they've sealed off the swinging Barton bridge due to a police incident I'm staying well away. Trafford is always bad this time of year anyway but it must be awful about now x

My mum went yesterday to get all the veg etc. We always pop into a supermarket on Christmas Eve late afternoon and find them dead quiet then, so doing the same tomorrow.

I need a tin of beans. I think I might just pop down to the co op!

Managed Tesco, Asda, a garden centre and a visit to MIL in her care home, and got back home before 11:30! Yes, I'm feeling smug.

The supermarkets weren't too busy, stock levels were fine, checkouts were quiet.

I Went to Waitrose then Tesco for the last few bits at 10am - it was ok in Waitrose, starting to get busy in Tesco. I’d assume it’ll be hellish by now but maybe not!

Waitrose carpark was heinous but the shop was ok. Busier than usual but not out and out chaos. We’ve done that classic thing of buying a Henry VIII style feast for the 48hrs of 25/26 but there’s nothing in the house to eat before then because it’s FOR CHRISTMAS!

I went to M and S at 6

Which M&S is open at 6am on a Sunday?

We did tesco this morning at 8am to avoid the worst of it. It was still relatively busy but not bad while we went around, no queues at the checkouts, but when we got out the car park was already full and people were queueing for parking spaces! We chose to go before alcohol selling time and it paid off!

I went to a huge inner-city Sainsbury's at opening this morning and it was insane but civil. Avoid driving if possible, as the car park is always where the Christmas spirit runs out (long queues to even get into ours).

Has anyone been on-thread to chastise us for leaving it to the last minute yet, or perhaps to bemoan the greed and commercialism? Why, I shall be eating parsnips and potatoes from my garden, making sauce with hand-picked cranberries, and the turkey's been in my utility room's deep freeze all month!

[meanwhile, half the contents of my flat's fridge are now on the windowsill in order to accommodate one small turkey]

Packed and lots of the goodies are sold out

DP (In a bit of a last minute panic) went into Croydon today to do his Christmas shopping and I rang him to ask how it was going and he said it’s not very busy. He has queued for much longer in the shops on a Saturday.
He also popped to Waitrose this morning and that wasn’t busy either.

Went to Sainsbury's about 12. We only needed diesel and a few bits for Xmas day. It's a relatively new Sainsbury's and it's usually empty, but today the car park was quite full and it was a bit busier inside. Not too bad.

We've been to the big city Tesco and it wasn't too awful. The car park was chaos but we got there early and had brunch in a restaurant over the road when there were plenty of spaces. There were a lot of frantic looking people and a few dragging multiple trollies but we got straight onto a till with space and both commented how OK it was! I won't be going again though

Went to my local Tesco Express for eggs bacon and bread. Totally chill

Went to Booths. The cafe was empty and the shop not too bad at all, plenty of fresh bread warm from the oven, plenty of everything else too.

My local Tesco was very quiet this morning. I went at 9am and expected it to be crazy.

I think everyone has it done

Asda was ram packed and the car park was totally full. I was talking to a lady at the pizza counter and she said that they couldn't even get into the car park at Sainsburys it was that busy.

Braved both M&S and Tesco! M&S was fine actually, didn't really have to queue for ages or anything, managed to get everything too!

Tesco was bloody jam packed, but we did the scan and go thing so no queuing to pay. Took about 2 hours altogether

Aldi and Waitrose this morning, but not for much.

Aldi was busy but ok.

Waitrose was a right battlefield though! Despite its wide-aisled opulence, it was virtually choked. Till queues were silly.