To think if you pre-book Christmas shopping...

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The Christmas stuff should bloody arrive?

Not a single mince pie, Christmas pudding, cranberry sauce or turkey (in any form) in the whole shop apparently.

Surely IANBU?

I had my Tesco delivery this afternoon, 4 items missing; apple juice, mince pies, 2 blind bags that were stocking fillers and paracetamol, I hadn't asked for any of these to be substituted so they weren't. They had 2 items that I had requested were substituted which were the yorkshire puddings and some bread rolls but they were both unbranded from value versions to tesco finest.

I always leave myself with time to go shopping just in case but I've never needed to, I also received my receipt at 9am and my delivery was 4-5pm so I had plenty of notification of what wasn't coming

Maybe someone ran over their toe with a trolley in Morrisons piled high with turkeys

I went to the supermarket last night and the whole Christmas Aisle was empty. A few crackers on an aisle end but no crackers, tins of chocolate etc.

I go TO the shops now but when I've previously been reliant on Christmas delivery, I've always ordered bits a few weeks before that will keep.

Yesterday at 7pm my Tesco was out of eggs, cranberry sauce, sausages, bacon, smoked salmon, bagels, shortbread and chocolate tins.

Thankfully I'd got sauces, chocolates, shortbread etc weeks ago.

I’m getting worried about ours. Was due early evening today and had a message this morning saying delayed until 10pm. I’m not even sure it will arrive.

@AllThingsServeTheBeam, that reminds me of one year when someone tried to yank the meat / poultry I had chosen (can't remember as it was several years ago) out of my hands.
After a bit of to and fro with two sets of hands on the 'prize' she gave in!
My DCs were horrified.

@BooksAndHooks, call customer services to see what's going on if you haven't already.

Just off to collect our shop - already know what has been substituted as read my email receipt for once. Just some alcohol and gravy been swapped out. Phew!! It is a gamble OP but at least with a collection (all the delivery slots had gone when I booked) I can pop into the shop if necessary.

Shopping in a supermarket this time of year turns people crazy! I used to work in a supermarket. This time of year was horrible. People pushing trolleys into the backs of my legs when I was trying to stack shelves!

Yanbu op. Sympathies. They always seem to miss the turkey and then if you go in store there are gazillion of them. So what's so difficult about getting one in a van?! As ordered.

I suspect it's because if you decide you don't want a substitute when that is all they have then it is spoilt goods (due to time out of proper fridge) and they are not prepared to take the hit. But they need a better system or better customer service ideas (ringing in advance to check you accept the substitute for eg) as it's really really annoying to customers.

Is pre-booking different to booking? It's about a decade sinxe I did an online shop so don't get the obsession with the Christmas slots, are there different ways to do it

I'm popping to Tesco now, fully expecting the shelves to be stocked but we shall aee

I’ve never trusted a Christmas food delivery. Anyway I like picking my own veg etc. I did most of it on Tuesday at Aldi, just have to pick up the meat from the butcher tomorrow and get the last minute fresh bits like cream/milk/bread.

OP it's annoying yes. Unfortunately it's common and to be expected when everyone else is wanting the same stuff.
Unfortunately when you book a home delivery you're getting the luxury of it arriving at your door, NOT items being guaranteed.

It's just the way it is.

That's horrible! I hope it turns up 😩

Ocado is decent for this as they dont have shops so can see what's reserved for online shops. In a week of shopping for 10 people (have guests) there were only two things missing- olives and lardons

It's never, ever happened before and I say that having lived in 3 different areas of the UK.

I usually book a slot for couple of days before Christmas and have done so for the last 6-7 years. I don't do the rat race of quickly getting a slot when they're released and generally tend to book it about a week or so before Christmas (the rush to reserve a slot is a new thing since Covid that the supermarkets seem to want people to indulge in). Then one of us would go to the shops to get any bits that didn't come. The odd item has been missing but never this much.

And no, to the PP who asked, we never get a whole turkey. Just a small crown as DC won't eat much but can't understand there being no variation of turkey at all in stock? Not even a substitute of a turkey leg, it's not the same but I'd understand a substitute like that being offered.

I just can't believe how much didn't come, it's more shock than anything!

Same here, from Asda. We have 15 missing items - basically the whole Christmas dinner. It’s never been like this before, either for a Christmas delivery or a regular one.

Supermarkets at any time of year give me panic attacks let alone this time of year so I always dread the online shop and what's going to be left off the order. Thankfully this year hasn't been too horrendous so far but I do have to go to the shops tomorrow for some bits.

This is the first time in 7 years that pretty much everything I ordered was delivered. Normal carrots instead of chanterey carrots, and loose parsnips instead of a pack of them. So we were very lucky.

It's totally hit and miss, every other year we've had more important stuff missing.

I have a feeling it's something like this. When we've had to pop to the shops just before Christmas, they've always still been pretty well stocked.

To anyone waiting for their deliveries, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Having shopped online for years now and more so since I had my eldest, I've had minimal issues with doing so (even with regular deliveries). My biggest issue is sometimes they're early but I can't complain about that.

I agree @Luredbyapomegranate and I use online food shopping all the time, but that's when availability is normal and not everyone is trying to buy the same limited items that I am.

When it's important that I get what I want, I prefer to physically go and then I can make decisions on the spot about any subs or compromises rather than waiting for a delivery and then having to go in person anyway to try and cobble something together.

It's either that or buy the Christmas larder and freezer stuff several weeks in advance so that there's only the fresh to buy the week before.

Tesco cancelled my mum’s Turkey by text with a a link to rebook. She clicked and they were sold out. Ended up driving 45 minutes to get to Sainsbury and bought one there. How can you pre order a Turkey in November and they just cancel like that?

Panic attack. I've been to our local co-op in the past. Quiet, loads of lovely vegetables. Lots of Christmas bits and no crowds.

Whereas the big Asda in town my friend works at, they have had punch ups in the past.

Our out of town Tesco shelves full they're having a very quiet Christmas up till now they said this morning. Only M&S is manic as usual

Yes, ours was from Asda and we had 13 missing items too. Whilst I've been happy with the service previously, the price hikes (I'm talking a £1.30 price hike for one of the items, within a few days) and this might be the end of us using them.

Half of me wants to check whether there's stock in to complain and the other half knows Aldi will probably be much nicer anyway.

Although we're covid free, either me or DH will have to pop to the shops with a mask on just before close or as soon as they open.

@Luredbyapomegranate I find the opposite! I tried online shopping when we had Covid and had to isolate and found it to be soulless and dull. I love wandering around the supermarket and choosing my food.

Good thing we're all different!

Really? I love online shopping for food. It takes me a few minutes to do book the slot, the easy ordering option puts in everything I normally buy, and I spend a few more minutes tweaking it over the next few days. Then it turns up. Compare this with trekking to the supermarket (nearest big one is over a mile away), trudging round the aisles, queuing up to use the tills, waiting for a taxi home or lugging my trolley onto the bus (I don't drive and we don't have a car).