Or am I just one of the lucky ones

[Helbel82]

Am I just lucky or is sprout armageddon a myth? In my 10+ years of cooking Christmas dinner I am yet to come across the carnage that the big christmas shop supposedly brings.
I have lived in a big city and now a smaller one and not once have I had to tussle someone to the ground for the last bag of carrots or wait at the checkout for 5 hours like mumsnet and the media have us believe.
As usual I happily sailed in to the car park of my local big supermarket at 10am his morning and found a parking space near the front. I happily milled around collecting all of the stuff I need for tomorrow and the next few days with very little hassle. The only thing I couldn't get was a chocolate yule log. If only I had gone out at 3am yesterday morning, then just maybe I would have been able to get one. Oh well, christmas isn't ruined!

I went to asda last night at 9.30 pm thinking it would have quietened down by then.

It was like the hunger games with trolleys.

Isn't that normal for Asda? 🤭

I went to our local Asda at around 9pm last night and it wasn't busy, so it must really depend on where you are. I think this one was open all night, there was a lot of stock down the aisles waiting to go out.

Had to go and get bread today so it was fresh.

I took my Dad to a small local Aldi on Sunday, he wanted his normal shop as he comes to us for Christmas Day. It was fairly calm in there apart from the fruit/veg looking like it had seen better days.

I can't my head around people shopping like it's Armaggedon, all because the shops are shut for one day. Most of it will be in the bin by the weekend, it's criminal.

My DH every year goes on about why I’m making a fuss and ordering the Turkey , says there is always loads in the shop on Xmas eve.

He said he would leave work early and do all the shopping! At 12 when I asked where he was - still at work.

He’s now called to say he’s been to 3 supermarkets and no turkeys in any.

( we are with friends tomorrow so lunch is done but I wanted to cook Boxing Day.)

I believe I have earned the moral victory on this one.

Online really helps. I buy the completely shelf stable ingredients a couple of weeks in advance, put a reservation on my desired meat and sweets at a local store that offers that service, and then just do a veggie and fruit shop 2 days in advance (so I have time to hit a second store if something is out). I take an hour off work and go during the day to avoid the crazy crowds.

I will say retail stores were awful last night. DH broke his cell phone and we had to go buy him a replacement. He knew exactly what he wanted and could do the activation himself. We thought it would take two minutes. It did not.

Did the big shop on Sunday, it was busy but not insane. Popped into local Tesco earlier for fresh bread for tonight, plus a few odds and sods, it was again busy but not mad. I did get the last but one baguette but the ovens were still on mind.

I went last night, no Yule logs left, no cucumber, no prawns, one disheveled crab left I was very disappointed, oh and to top it off the chicken I bought has the day before date on it and I didn’t notice ☹️

I went to M&S about 0730 this morning. Everything I needed, lots of choice. They even had Yule Logs.

M&S in my local city centre was carnage yesterday and I wasn’t Christmas shopping, I was trying to buy lunch!

I used to work in one of the big supermarkets and watched two women scrap over the last bag of carrots...I stood open mouthed!

I think I just live in an area with so many supermarkets that the Christmas rush no longer exists. Five years ago there was just Tesco now it has an Aldi, Lidl and a big factory warehouse all within a mile.

It was carnage in Tescos car park yesterday, it took a good 20 minutes to find a space. Strangely it was fine inside and everything on the list was ticked off.

Sainsbury’s on Saturday I couldn’t get parked but that car park is too small for the size of the store. I went to Tesco on Saturday and picked up everything we needed including a Yule log 😉. It was busy but no busier than Tesco has been for the last 10 days. On Thursday I popped into Tesco for my lunch and it was hell; people running round throwing chocolate oranges into their trolleys, people harassing the staff because there were no gift wrapped boxes of Thornton’s.

Got our asda food delivered yest teatime,everything was there even Baileys which I assumed they would have run out of.Went to butchers yesterday for a look and they had loads of fresh pigs in blankets left so got some of those.

I gave up on Sainsbury's at 11 am yesterday, as there was a queue to get to the road that leads to the road that leads into the supermarket. I went back at 9.00 pm and the car park was ok, but the shop was very busy. They'd already removed the seasonal aisle in preparation for Boxing Day, there were only 3 Christmas puddings in the entire store (I asked for one and they brought it from the stock room). There were empty boxes everywhere.

I got the stuff I needed after a bit of adjustment, and then I got bit by a car on the way out! Fortunately, I had seen the reverse lights as I was passing the car, so had slowed almost to a halt, thinking "they'll see me and wait, then I can continue". They did not see me and just kept coming. The man said "where were you then?" and I pointed to my car, saying 'right here, where you just reversed into me...' No damages, fortunately, so we could just leave it.

I went to Tesco last night
Parked reasonably easily
Plenty of trolleys
Did the self scan ( love that )
Got everything we needed
Lots of shoppers , lots of staff , lots of food on the shelves and in the fridges
Went home

Took DD into work this morning and popped to M & S for a Chinese ready meal for tonight
Plenty on the shelves
Loads of staff

Had a nice mooch round and bought myself a pair of shoes in the Clarks sale

Sailed through our local retail park M&S food at 7.30 this morning. 30 mins total, no queues. Same at the (crap) Sainsbury next door. M&S in town not so pleasant yesterday but far from awful.

I went to Tesco last night, no problems parking. Only needed a few bits but did get sucked into the clothing sale. Slight hysteria descended listening to other people's conversations - is this the only time people go to supermarkets in groups? "They've completely run out, we'll have to make our own with ketchup and mayo"

I buy my fresh (and it is, very, very fresh) veg from an excellent local greengrocer around a week before, and I keep it in the shed in the dark (insulated temperature there would be max 8 degrees min 3-5 degrees this time of year even if snow is on the ground. It's perfect still, and will still be perfect in a week's time . This year, unusually I did pick up 2 x 4pt milk and a couple of other things from the supermarket when I was at the Post Office. My turkey, a ham, bacon and chipolatas for pigs in blankets, and other meat I collected from the butchers today (all pre-ordered so he probably was prepping that at 3am for me) at 11am. No queue by then, 4 staff on so we had a nice chat and seasonal greetings, my bread fresh from the local baker I pre-ordered and picked up at the same time from the corner shop/PO next door while I dropped some post off and bought a paper. All very civilised and as it should be.

Otherwise you won't catch me in a supermarket from 20th December to sometime in the first week of January unless I hear the offers in Waitrose/M&S are good - might tempt me to fill the freezer, one year I got salmon pieces for about 50p! Life is to short to waste at the supermarket!

Can’t find full fat creme fraiche for love nor money in oxfordshire

Sainsbury's was really busy never seen it so busy but they had loads of turkey's in stock. I brought our turkey last week and put it in the freezer thinking I wouldn't be able to get one today.
The only things I could not get was a yule log and ready-made Yorkshire puddings.
The queues were bigger than normal but was still able to shop, pay and get out within 15 minutes so not to bad.

It depends where you live. I've never heard 'sprout armegeddon' before

My shopping went perfectly smoothly, except for 3 branches of Adli all having run out of the lemon buche

All of the supermarkets near me are fine - don't seem to have run out of anything, slightly busier but not apocalyptic... I don't know if we're just very lucky (we're in a big city, so not like there's nobody around!) or if some people just exaggerate it!

I called in at Tesco this morning soon after 9 for a few last minute things, and it was less busy than on a normal Saturday. Parked easily 3 spaces from the entrance, all the shelves looked fully stocked, loads of turkeys, and only 1 person in front of me at the checkout.