If you live in Central London and don't have a car...

[homeedregret]

How do you do a big shop? What about going to Home Bargains or B & M? (I always end up buying loads of stuff and can't imagine lugging it on public transport). Do you travel out to a Lidl or Aldi?
Or do you just shop in your local Tesco Express?
Sorry for the sort of TAAT, but I wondered this on my latest trip to London and the thread reminded me.

When I lived in zone 2 and had no car, we either paid for delivery of big stuff, or booked a streetcar/zipcar for a few hours. But I also lugged many a bag of IKEA bits'n'bobs back on public transport.

Groceries: online shop + delivery, or taxi from supermarket, or smaller frequent shops & good arm strength

IKEA: man with van for large stuff, loads of people offer this.

Never did a big shop at B&M or Home Bargains - indeed not sure where I’d have found one! - but same as groceries probably, get a taxi if public transport not an option.

We were members of a car club like ZipCar too.

We live in zone 3 now but when we lived in zone 2, we had a big Lidl nearby that we would do the weekly fresh shop and bring it home in one of those wheely trolley things. Then once a month we'd get a big delivery from Tesco with tins / heavy stuff / cleaning stuff.

I never went to HB or B&M but if we went to Dunelm for example, we would get a big Uber home. With Ikea, if we could carry it, we would just come home on public transport, or Ikea do a delivery service within London for £25 or something i think? You take all your shopping to customer services after the tills and they arrange it for you.

Used to live in Farringdon, zone 1. We did a monthly delivery or would pay for a taxi home where we stocked up on heavy tins and cupboard stuff. Then did regular shops every few days, partly due to carrying issues, partly due to having a tiny kitchen!

Once got the bus from Tottenham ikea with a full length mirror, Billy bookcase and a big blue bag of candles, fake plants and other assorted necessities (including one of those nags of mini daim bars). Was a long and slightly unpleasant experience, would now just hire a zip car for when needed.

I buy everything online

Buy everything online- tesco home delivery etc. The shops like Aldi/ Home Bargains just aren't nearby so not options

Taxis or bus if I’ve bought more than I can carry. And a delivery for my weekly Tesco shop. But to be honest, I live within walking distance of so many shops I don’t often do a ‘big’ shop, just pop a few bits in my bag as and when needed. The only time I struggled was trying to get too much home from IKEA and the bus was so busy. I always just get an Uber back now if I’ve bought more than tealights and napkins 😀

Border of zone 1/2 here. Our big supermarket shop is generally done online although we have a Tesco Express and Aldi Local at the end of our road and bigger supermarkets (Sainsbury's, Waitrose, M&S) a 15 min walk away. We also buy pretty much everything else online too. I don't know that there are many B&M type stores in London are there?

We don't have home bargains or B&M, I think the rent for these types of shops is too high in Central (or close to central) London

There's less of those kinds of stores due to rents being higher. When I lived in London I did a monthly big shop and got a cab home (or sweet talked my dad into taking me), mostly it's getting little and often if you do not drive. I have a car here but I still shop 3-4 times a week and buy what I need rather than stocking up, mostly I walk to Lidl (5 mins) though occasionally I drive on the way back from somewhere and buy tonic and toilet rolls

Online topped up with shops at smaller places when needed

Live in zone 2 no car. Lidl is 2 buses away and no Aldi locally so don't use either. Did get a steamer delivered from Aldi recently. No idea if there is B&M or home bargains anywhere close. Not seen one. Go to Poundland sometimes that's easy to carry a bag or two home from.

Get main shop delivered. Have a sainsburys local a two minute walk away for anything extra.

Anything else get delivered. We have a post room that text when they have a parcel so don't have to worry about being in for deliveries other than food.

Delivery all the way

The last couple of times I've been to IKEA I've taken a rucksack or a pushchair for anything up to twenty kilos. For larger furniture I'd get it delivered: the occasional thirty five quid cost is factored into the "not having a car" budget along with the occasional hire car or taxi.

I don't go to B&M or Home Bargains: there's a Wilkos in Tooting or Argos everywhere.

"Big shop" is normally delivered nowadays: in the old days it would be either loads of bags and stagger home on the bus or get a taxi.

I didn't have a car for years when I first moved to London. I either paid for delivery or took a taxi. But most of the time I carried stuff. Those shopping trolleys can come in handy too.

There aren't any Home Bargains or B&Ms in central London. I've never even seen either of them and have lived in lots of different bits of London. I looked up store locations and they do exist in some parts of London but none of them is anywhere that I'm likely to go! I've never been in one. I've also never been in a Lidl or an Aldi. Not for any particular reason, I've just never lived somewhere there was a convenient one. A Lidl has recently opened a couple of miles away, though, so I might try it some time!

When I lived on the edge of zone 1, I just didn't do big shops. I shopped daily or every other day for what I wanted close to work, often at a market because I worked near Berwick Street which sold a lot more real food in those days. There was a supermarket within walking distance of my flat so I used to go occasionally and do a big stock up of non-perishable heavy stuff and get a taxi home (this was before online shopping and would be loads easier now). Also, there were loads of late night shops near me which had lovely food (Turkish and Indian shops etc) and it was much more convenient to pop in on the way home rather than do a special trip. Plus the food was mainly nicer than what was in supermarkets.

I loved living in central London and if only I could have afforded to buy there I would never have moved out to zone 3!

It's definitely not inevitable to have to shop at Tesco Express/Sainsburys Local etc: there are fifty ALDIs in London, seventy LIDLs, and heaven knows how many medium to large sized Tesco/Sainsburys/Asdas: most people even in zone 2 will be within a short walk of a cheaper supermarket and can manage to go a few times a week rather than buying a carload in one fell swoop.

I'm Zone 2 and can easily walk to a biggish Tesco, one medium sized and one very large Sainsburys, two Icelands and two LIDLs.

Lived in zone 1 for 35 years, no car. Get a big Tesco shop once a week, but I only started doing that during Covid times. Before that we just shopped at the local shops - Co-op, Tesco Express/Metro, Sainsbury's Local. More expensive but they are all within walking distance. Occasionally I'd pop to Lidl or a big Sainsbury's, but they're a bus ride away and it would take up too much time.

In the past I've carried very big shops home on buses though - including furniture from Lidl/Ikea. It's just what you do if that's the only option you have (and doesn't make sense to fork out for a taxi since it would negate the savings). I hardly ever get Ubers (I even went to hospital in labour by Overground), partly because I have a free travelcard so I'm a bit stubborn about paying for any transport within London.

There's a B&M and maybe Home Bargains on Old Kent Road, and I've sometimes taken the long bus ride home from some of the shops there (usually Aldi or the big Asda). But it's easier now to get stuff delivered.

I’m in zone 2. Never heard of Home Bargains or B&M. Maybe they’re not in London?

Supermarket, I walk (5 minutes) and carry stuff back - I take a rucksack. It’s a medium sized shop -Sainsbury’s. There are also two metro-type mini-supermarkets about the same distance. Otherwise, take bus (2 minutes) or walk to a Lidl.

For Ikea, I go on public transport if not too much to carry back. If heavy/a lot, probably pay for delivery, or Uber, but might consider hiring a car if the price is ok -car club.

Imagine not having random access to B&M and Home Bargains.

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When I lived centrally I mainly shopped online, and did too up shops/popped into places when I was out and about vs ‘going out shopping for the afternoon’

Occasionally tube somewhere like IKEA and Uber back : still much cheaper than running a car. A friend also would take me places like IKEA in the car if she was going herself

Like PPs I’ve never seen a Home Bargains or B&M in London. We don’t really do a big shop - more small shops and carry home in rucksacks, and we have a veg box and Gousto delivered.

I lived between zone 1 and 2 for 17yrs. I did have a car, but only used it within London to go to Billingsgate and Smithfields.

For larger shops, tins, squash, wine etc, I used to get home delivery.

I used a backpack for top up shops and just walked to either the large sainsburys or smaller tesco near us.

We had a lidl which was a 15mins walk away I'd walk there and take along a small, wheeled suitcase. I'd then stock up and wheel it to the nearest bus stop to get back.

Never went to a B&M or homebargains when I lived there. I only ever drove to Ikea, as it would have been such a hike trying to get public transport. They are online now though.

Home Bargains and B&M aren’t London shops. Sickening 😀

Aldi is - I stagger back on the bus, but it’s next to a taxi rank. Everything else delivered.

It's interesting, we had visitors here this weekend wondering how londoners manage without cars! I do our weekly shop at the local Lidl - about 5 mins walk or 2 min cycle. I use bags on the bike if it's a bigger shop as it's easier to carry. We get the odd delivery from supermarkets to stock up on tins / bottles / washing powder. I use local shops for top ups in the week. There is a home bargains a tube ride away but never bought much in there. For IKEA, delivery if I really can't manage to get it all on the bus. Having to lug it home does limit the temptation of buying plastic crap.