Just abandoned trolley in supermarket.......

[Milssofadoesntreallyfit]

Shops always busy at Christmas, I've just stupidly tried to pop in for a few things, first aisle got jammed in and couldn't move trolley round with out bumping someone, everywhere I turned trolleys and people darting around. Put my apples back, decided to go back later but still struggled to navigate round people. Get near doors decide to keep walking at this point as a man walk down my right side trying to cut across in front and because I decided to keep going, got called a F**king nut case and he kept calling me to the man behind me.

As I left I stated to the man behind that I'd spend a good while trying to stay out of people way that I didnt actually get anywhere and he was being a bit harsh, he replied well I never f**king said anything did I.
I need stuff but I'm I the only one to find the shops today so unbearable that I left and Im prepared to just get whats left later rather than deal with crowds like that.
Christ it had me dizzy and demented.

Sorry, just feel calmer already just typing my stress out!!!

I went last night and it was busier than expected but fine. I had a massive strop before I got there too and managed (WFH and kids drove me insane yesterday, so it was my escape). I didn't do a full shop but it was really well stocked considering, although I did have to go to another for a pack of fruit. We did a big shop at weekend to avoid having to do a lot in the week and will just be popping to smaller stores for top ups. We aren't doing the reams of cheese, trolleys full of wine and crisps that some people do though, just a little more than usual. I would try evening or very early morning if you can. Some places have extended opening hours.

Some supermarkets are handling things badly- letting in whole families, no restrictions on numbers going in or queuing system.

Why are people buying so much when we can’t have big Christmas’s this year?

I've been known to do that when it wasn't Christmas or a pandemic. Just met my dickhead quota and walked out. Yes I know that somebody has to go put all my stuff back (and I've worked in supermarkets myself) but when it gets to that point, it's better to leave than have a breakdown! Add in Christmas covid and masks and I'm surprised more people aren't abandoning mission

It’s always crap in the 5 days before Christmas, we did an online shop to click and collect tomorrow for this reason. People are idiots at the best of times, but during a pandemic where this is their day out, they’re lunatics.

I went to tesco at 7.30am yesterday for my last bits and it was fine then. Not empty but peaceful enough to walk around.

Can you go really early or later in the evening, say around 9pm?

I've always tried to avoid crowds in shops near Christmas and even more so this year with covid.

I think people generally have far less patience this year than normal which doesn't help anything.

By not letting someone cross your path, it sounds like you were adding to the stress.

I'm in Preston, went shopping in Lidl around 10ish this morning. It was fine, hardly any people and plenty of old

Plenty of food that is

Try buying for many elderly clients who are now not seeing family at Christmas so need food. 7am or 11pm works.

I went this morning around 8.30 it was busy but fine. Went with a list to stay organised and got everything no problem. I’m picking meat up from the butchers on Thursday. People need to stop panicking and calm down.

Our M&S was practically empty this morning. Needed to collect pre-ordered food and they allowed me to do this 45 minutes before my slot started (slots cover 30 minutes) because the staff had nobody to serve. I had gone in early as I expected to queue for ages and wasn't entirely sure where I needed to collect from.

Sorry to hear you had a very different experience OP.

Try again later OP. I work in a supermarket, and worked the evening shift last night till midnight and found to my surprise that it wasn't bad at all. Some Christmases you can't get down my aisle at all, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as that.
Our shop are still monitoring numbers btw. Earlier in the year it was staff doing it by eye, letting a few in as people came out. Now there is an automated system that isn't as visible but is still happening. We have a capacity number and hit it twice yesterday afternoon and stopped people going in.

Would you be able to try a small supermarket or corner shop? Obviously less choice/higher prices but less frantic and might be worth it if you get anxious.

I hit there at 6 this morning, it was busy but manageable....left at 7 got everything

Sorry to read of your experience. You did the better thing by abandoning/postponing your shop than be unpleasant say to the person at the checkout.

Go later on in the evening around 8.

@slashlover

Because abandoning trolleys for the staff to deal with wont cause more bother or lots of food waste.

This. At least put back the chilled stuff.

Tier 2 here. M&S turkey collection slot was 9.30-10. Was in there by 9.20 so went round getting bits we needed then straight into collection queue. Served within 1 minute. Out of store by 9.40. It was quite busy with lots of meandering people. We needed some other bits from the city centre so collected them then came home. Wilko fine, Holland & Barrett empty.

I was going to do my main shop tomorrow but decided to go at 11 today. Lidl was slightly busier than normal but they opened more tills than they usually do so it took the same amount of time. However, there were some older customers with helpers who weren't always very good at social distancing. Then went to Tesco for the stuff Lidl doesn't sell. Again, it was slightly busier than normal but the main problem was people in family groups standing around making social distancing tricky. All done now and apart from my dad's newspaper, we won't need to shop again until the middle of next week. Sadly, the community shop a mile away doesn't deliver papers and we live too far from anywhere else that might do. Merry Christmas all!

Two of our local ones are still restricting numbers through the door
It was busy but very manageable when I went yesterday and it was nice but it was the first Christmas when families didn't seem to be shopping with every member of the extended family which made things a lot more civilised than usual.
Mind you we've been under tier 3 for ages now and I think people have got used to being a bit more careful.

Agree with going late in the day. Where I am the nearest supermarket, a small-medium sized Waitrose they are still only letting in 25 people at a time; it’s far healthier to queue outside and easier to social distance and easy to shop once inside. I’ve found that going there 20 mins before it’s due to close is the best time, no queue outside and a fairly good amount of stock. I was forced to go at opening time today and it was no better stocked as the delivery hadn’t come through, so I think I’ll stick to evenings. My nearest Tesco of the same size is out of control: no queuing to get in but some crazy one way system that doesn’t work at all and impossible to distance. It’s tier 4 here so not good at all.

Never mind Christmas day being the super spreading event, its obviously going to be supermarkets pre Christmas which are the super spreaders

I think abort mission was probably sanity saving op

Our superstore was fine at 07:30 this morning.

@Parker231

Why are people buying so much when we can’t have big Christmas’s this year?

We have 3 teenagers in the house who live at home full time and like food.

YANBU to have a go at the twat but I feel sorry for shop staff who have to put away your shopping.