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!!!

My husband went at 6am this morning - he said it was pretty pleasant. I think early morning or late evening is best (thought early morning better as normally better stocked).

I have found M&S food hall particularly poor for crowd control and customer service during the pandemic. They rarely have any tills open at my branch, resulting in a long snaking queue to self-service tills. We're all squashed into the same corner once we get there, then the machines want authorisation from staff for M&S bog standard mince pies. They also move essentials around in the store each week. Creating a "hunt the eggs" game.

I don't get all the angst, went to Tesco last night and Asda mid-morning today, all fine.

I just got home from Tesco and I didn’t have to queue to get in or for the till. Some of the aisles were busy. Could you go at 7-8pm when it’s quiet?

My angst is that I’m CEV. I’d rather just do without if it’s going to be packed when DH gets there

It wasn't a pleasant experience in Aldi or Tesco this morning, OP. You have my sympathies.

I went at 7.30 this morning, not crowded, but no meat or veg!

Still, there’s always wine!

Remember the person who got killed after being bumped by a trolley in m and s Bromley at Christmas. People lose their minds at this time of year, haha without tier4 and brexit thrown into the mix!!

I did my food shop last week and then went to a farm shop for veg on Sunday.

Nothing on earth would get me in a supermarket this week. Christmas week is always ridiculously busy and this year with the covid restrictions and brexit looming it is obviously going to be worse.

Why do so many people leave their shopping until late?

Maybe it depends where you live our Lidl was fine this morning but on FB saw ASDA and Tesco were awful. We went to wholesalers/retailers for our veg. this morning a sack of potatoes which will last months in the garage, salad stuff, limes, lemons, satsumas, was a great experience. But we are in a more rural area. I have been hoarding, chocs, crisps, crackers etc in spare room for a month or so just have to get fresh this week.

@lynsey91

I did my food shop last week and then went to a farm shop for veg on Sunday.

Nothing on earth would get me in a supermarket this week. Christmas week is always ridiculously busy and this year with the covid restrictions and brexit looming it is obviously going to be worse.

Why do so many people leave their shopping until late?

They probably leave it late because they haven't got much freezer space. That's why we leave it late anyway.

@justasking111

Maybe it depends where you live our Lidl was fine this morning but on FB saw ASDA and Tesco were awful. We went to wholesalers/retailers for our veg. this morning a sack of potatoes which will last months in the garage, salad stuff, limes, lemons, satsumas, was a great experience. But we are in a more rural area. I have been hoarding, chocs, crisps, crackers etc in spare room for a month or so just have to get fresh this week.

I tried to stockpile chocolate but some greedy git kept eating it all...

it was me

Anyway, OP - YABU to go to a supermarket in the middle of the day 3 days before Christmas and expect anything other than chaos. And that’s not even considering the current circumstances...

Go early or late next time.

I went to Asda at 9am and the car park was half empty, park quickly ran in, got what I needed and left pretty quickly. I hate supermarket shopping but had to go for an emergency item, usually I can’t cope when it’s busy. I’m hoping I don’t have to go again as it will get busy. Luckily I’m picking up meat and a veg box from my local butcher tomorrow though I’m expecting a queue it won’t be as bad as the supermarkets.

I once went to our big Asda xmas week 23rd I think to get the only dog food the fussy beast would eat. Was very entertaining saw a couple of punch ups, one by the deli. two men, the other by the checkouts women.

Why do so many people leave their shopping until late?
Because fresh food goes off.
I went shopping last week wednesday and none of the fresh stuff was dated later than today.
Im going tonight, will get enough stuff so that I dont need to buy anything else except fresh fruit unil new year.

@Parker231

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

Because our school closed several days early, won't have pupils in till mid-January at the earliest, and they've already eaten their way through my winter reserves with their growth spurts.

@Belladonna12 never thought about people not having freezer space. I haven't bought anything frozen so not sure what other people buy.

We downsized so short on fridge space luckily family nearby so will be dropping off turkey there tomorrow until it needs stuffing which is when we will bring it back.

[quote lynsey91]**@Belladonna12 never thought about people not having freezer space. I haven't bought anything frozen so not sure what other people buy.[/quote]
So you don't buy the week before Christmas and don't freeze anything? How does that work ?A lot of meat and veg go off after a week in the fridge.

It’s hell at the moment. I’m a dot com picker and have never seen it like this before. It’s very like the awful panic buying when Covid first hit. We had one of our pickers have a full blown panic attack it was so bad.

All the customers are pushing and shoving and grabbing and so damn aggressive. We start at 4 in the morning and customers were already queuing up outside. At 5 when the doors opened they all came sprinting in like you see in videos of the American Black Friday sales.

So many people were furious that they were having to compete with us pickers and work around the night restockers. What the hell do they expect? This stuff is always done first thing in the morning because the shop is usually completely dead. If they insist on turning up in droves at that time then they should be prepared to deal with it. Crazy thing was that by 9:30 it was pretty quiet again.

@alltheadrenalin did you go to the new one on eastway? It's meant to be nice!

Supermarkets round here have been monitoring numbers for months but have done nothing to stop couples or families having a day out in the supermarket. Putting aside disabilities or single parents etc, I am finding the number of grown adults incapable of buying groceries on their own infuriating.

Back in March at the scariest time I had one week where the entire queue was full of people lined up in pairs like Noah’s Ark. I also find it’s the people who think nothing about taking the whole family out that leave the kids to run around and even into other people while Mum and Dad block the aisles deliberating about what to have for dinner. Gah!

I was going to do the Christmas food shop Thursday morning but I think I might go tonight just in case. In a normal year I always do the shop late without any problem but I think the panic buyers plus people who have had their Christmas plans cancelled might be an issue.

That sounds horrible. There's really no need for an attitude like that, is there?

I went to my local Morrison’s at 11am and it had even more stock than normal and wasn’t busy at all. If I wanted to completely avoid people then going at night is a good idea.