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Original poster

Anyone else hate shopping after lockdown ?

94 replies

Veeveeoxox · 13/11/2021 17:55

Euugh I went Christmas shopping today , the noise , the crowds it was sensory overload I feel exhausted and just want to lie down. Prior to COVID I loved it will this be a forever thing or will I be able tolerate it again ?

Anyone else now hate crowds ?

OP posts:
PussyCatEatingPigsInBlankets · 13/11/2021 20:27

@HelplesslyHoping

It's horrible- even supermarkets are unbearable. At most I saw 2 people wearing masks today and those that weren't gave me dirty looks. Selfish twats.
I went shopping this morning too (supermarket) and I think about half were wearing masks. Luckily I don't really make eye contact with people never have so if anyone was giving me a dirty look for being a responsible citizen they were completely wasting their time.

I don't really browse anymore, not that I did much anyway. Always whizz round with a list. My bank account is healthier for it!

cowburp · 13/11/2021 20:28

I book an afternoon off and aim to hit the shops around 2:45 mid week. It's usually so quiet.

SpangoDweller · 13/11/2021 20:35

Is anyone making the connection between high street shops closing down and… people saying they no longer like shopping on the high street?

Just a thought.

I live in a large city and I never notice it being excessively busy, but I suppose I don’t get anxious about things like that.

Mantlemoose · 13/11/2021 20:36

Can I ask everyone to reconsider online shopping if they can - obviously at less busier times. For each time someone shops online, that's another nail in the coffin of employment. Shops employ people to work on the till, to stack the shelves and to clean the shop. They subcontract people to maintain the fire and security alarms. These fire and security alarm companies employ people to clean and maintain their factories and offices. When you park in a car park someone is employed to litterpick in the car park, to paint the car park lines, to maintain the ticket machines and the grounds. These companies have offices, they employ people to clean the offices............do you see where I'm going with this? Unless you work in a healthcare if everyone stays home and shops from home somewhere in the middle you're connected and its going to be your job you're fighting to save.

wolfstarling · 13/11/2021 20:38

Yes I have to agree. The huge Debenhams seemed to anchor the other shops and the Winter displays made everything seem festive. The small city I visited had multiple shop closures and look tired and dirty. Sad

wolfstarling · 13/11/2021 20:39

I did buy a bit in WHSmith, Waterstones and M&S because I fear these shops may be next and that will be the end of the highstreet for me.

ToykotoLosAngeles · 13/11/2021 20:42

I still quite like a mooch, but weekdays only. My nearest proper town is Bath though so even with shops empty it's bustling/nice architecture.

HappyDays40 · 13/11/2021 20:45

I hated it before now really loathe shopping. I can walk into a shop snd lose track of how to do it. Never again.

Ricetwisty · 13/11/2021 20:55

@Mantlemoose

Can I ask everyone to reconsider online shopping if they can - obviously at less busier times. For each time someone shops online, that's another nail in the coffin of employment. Shops employ people to work on the till, to stack the shelves and to clean the shop. They subcontract people to maintain the fire and security alarms. These fire and security alarm companies employ people to clean and maintain their factories and offices. When you park in a car park someone is employed to litterpick in the car park, to paint the car park lines, to maintain the ticket machines and the grounds. These companies have offices, they employ people to clean the offices............do you see where I'm going with this? Unless you work in a healthcare if everyone stays home and shops from home somewhere in the middle you're connected and its going to be your job you're fighting to save.
I do like shops and I would hate to see stuff close, but it's not just online shopping that threatens it, and there are jobs in online shopping. Someone still picks the items, people develop and maintain the website etc- lots of free boot camps and courses at the moment to get into tech which opens up those sorts of jobs to people who want them. Realistically though if I want a pair of socks, rather than doing a food shop and then separately sitting in traffic, paying to park, walking around shops that are likely to be more expensive, probably not finding an open loo when I need one; I'd rather just grab a pair from tesco while I'm already in there.

The world is changing, the challenge is what can change to entice people to the high street?

Theunamedcat · 13/11/2021 20:58

@SpangoDweller

Is anyone making the connection between high street shops closing down and… people saying they no longer like shopping on the high street?

Just a thought.

I live in a large city and I never notice it being excessively busy, but I suppose I don’t get anxious about things like that.

Its been happening way before covid Hmm
XenoBitch · 13/11/2021 21:00

I have never been able to cope with shops at xmas. Far too busy. Where I live has a crap town centre anyway, so not an issue.
Saying that, I hated shops in lockdown. The queues, the masks, everyone scowling at each other. Very unpleasant!

bestcattoyintheworld · 13/11/2021 21:02

Shops are poor now, they have so little stock. Clothes shops are rubbish for not having the right sizes.

No public toilets.

Coffee shops are rubbish. Bitter coffee, scowling staff who bark at you and stale scones on offer.

Parking can be expensive and obscured signs means you are risking getting a ticket if you don't know the area.

onceandneveragain · 13/11/2021 21:13

We've never stopped having to wear masks in Wales and I find it SO HOT! Particularly now when the shops are all cranking up their heating despite it still being really mild, mixed with all the bodies creating their own heat...it's like a sauna! I live 20 minutes from two major city centres and haven't been 'proper' shopping to either of them for nearly two years because of it.

Whoopsmahoot · 13/11/2021 21:36

Nope, hated it before lockdown, still do. I buy online or local.

DoctorSnortles · 13/11/2021 22:10

I've stopped going shopping. John Lewis closed my nearest store, making it pretty pointless to travel to my nearest city (an hour away) as that's why I used to go there to shop. Other JL stores are too far away to visit during the time when DD is in school. I am so angry that I have even stopped buying from JL online. That was one of my favourite things to do - drop DD at school, zoom off to JL for coffee then spend hours mooching round the store and buying lovely things, do the other shops then be back in time for school pick up.

NowEvenBetter · 14/11/2021 00:45

I’ve never enjoyed crowds, but were you seeing crowds shopping in a town? Are towns not just druggies and empty premises now? People shopping for tat do it online now, largely. I wouldn’t set aside time from my life to travel to a town and source tat. Especially in a pandemic, no real need.

Owambe2021 · 14/11/2021 02:02

I’ve always found shopping incredibly tedious and done things online for years. Clothes, food, literally everything. So, currently have no idea what irl shopping is even like. I am pretty happy about that.

Owambe2021 · 14/11/2021 02:09

@NowEvenBetter

I’ve never enjoyed crowds, but were you seeing crowds shopping in a town? Are towns not just druggies and empty premises now? People shopping for tat do it online now, largely. I wouldn’t set aside time from my life to travel to a town and source tat. Especially in a pandemic, no real need.
What a remarkably odd comment. OP said nothing about sourcing tat. Also, you are aware that people still actually live in towns, yes? And cities? Only about 17% of the U.K. lives in rural areas, so most of us live in a town of city. All of which have shops (not just empty premises) and are populated by millions of people (the majority of whom are not addicted to drugs).
notangelinajolie · 14/11/2021 02:16

@Veeveeoxox

Euugh I went Christmas shopping today , the noise , the crowds it was sensory overload I feel exhausted and just want to lie down. Prior to COVID I loved it will this be a forever thing or will I be able tolerate it again ?

Anyone else now hate crowds ?

Shopping has always been sensory overload for me. It was nice for a while when the shops were quiet and most people respected personal space but now it's nearly back to how it was before so I'm back to online shopping. It isn't like that everywhere though. News that lockdown restrictions have been lifted hasn't reached my local Sainsbury's and Coop and everyone is still wearing masks and keeping their distance. It suits me and I will continue to shop there in person as long as it lasts.
notangelinajolie · 14/11/2021 02:20

@NowEvenBetter

I’ve never enjoyed crowds, but were you seeing crowds shopping in a town? Are towns not just druggies and empty premises now? People shopping for tat do it online now, largely. I wouldn’t set aside time from my life to travel to a town and source tat. Especially in a pandemic, no real need.
Not my town. It's the opposite to what you describe and very busy.
Nat6999 · 14/11/2021 02:21

We have a new retail park near home, I thought I would be in there all the time before it was built & opened, it doesn't have masses of shops, just Next, Superdrug, Mountain warehouse, TK Maxx/Homesense, Wilkinson's, M & S simply food, Shoezone & a massive Aldi. I have been to the opticians twice & called in Next once since it opened 3 years ago. I used to love going to Meadowhall but I haven't been for years, it is too noisy & tiring. I do all my shopping online, it is much easier, the pandemic has been good for me in the sense I have learned to shop online more, some of our local independent food shops have started delivering, I buy stuff on Amazon, the only thing I miss is a good look around John Lewis but they have closed down in Sheffield so even if I was going out I couldn't go there.

Nat6999 · 14/11/2021 02:28

Mantlemoose A lot of the big shops are their own worse enemy, they never sell a full range of sizes, you have to order if you want things at either end of the range, places like Next do lovely home ranges but you have to order most things

Bananarice · 14/11/2021 02:43

I enjoyed it. There were do many happy, smiling faces yesterday. Dc loved looking at Christmas decorations. We just went through our local shopping centre and didn't buy anything.

WaterAndRichTea · 14/11/2021 02:43

Iv seen the delivery drivers at-least 3 times a week

Online all the way now!

MissMarplesGoddaughter · 14/11/2021 02:47

I'm loving getting back to shopping too. I went to our local shopping centre and it was wonderful seeing all the Christmas decorations and people out and about and busy shopping. :)