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

[FavouritePi]

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 cancelled my online delivery tomorrow for this very reason and went in person today. It was horrific but at least I’m not worrying about it.

My Christmas shopping is arriving tonight and the only thing not available is trex and chicken fillets. I have stocked up on meat in the freezer and I can live without making more mince pies until later. I have another slot booked for the 27th.

We did M&S and Waitrose this morning first thing and both were fine, we got the nice bits we wanted without any problem (including the bird!). But I have a big Tesco delivery tomorrow with stuff like the spuds, veg, booze etc - stuff I can’t carry due to an injury. Hopefully most of it will come! I just checked and the really nice dessert I ordered appears to be out of stock - luckily I didn’t try to amend my basket so it’s still ‘in’ there, am hoping (prob in vain) that it’ll be restocked by tomorrow and I’ll get it or an acceptable sub.

I'd be too nervous about this exact situation, I'd rather brave the crowds and shop myself. I appreciate that's not an option for everyone.

Often I get up really early on about the 23rd to go to the supermarket. Shop done, packed away and back in bed with a coffee before anyone else in the house has woken up.

I know what you meant, I just found the use of the word 'generic' amusing - made it sound as though you had a turkey hand reared to your own specifications.

YANBU I thought that was the whole point of booking a Christmas slot - so they could ensure they had enough stock. Mine arrived today and I was feeling pretty smug as everything was on it but then I noticed the blinking bird has a use by date of the 23rd Dec! What half witted stock picker sent that one out?!!! Off to the shops tomorrow to hunt for a Bird that will be edible on Xmas day.

600 thousand free range turkeys have been culled due to avian flu, supermarkets were told they could buy the birds earlier and freeze them on the condition customers were informed that the birds ( whether it be chicken, turkey etc) were pre frozen.
People who usually buy free range will now be looking at other options.
it may seem in many areas there are dozens of turkeys for sale it may mean the Supermarket/ supplier was better prepared with their pre- orders.

Ah, I know it’s really Christmas once the MN online festive shop disaster threads start.

You booked a delivery slot, not a guarantee of those items. Same thing if you went in to do your shop and tried to get them - they're not there.

Mine came today
all there and no substitutions

Try Iceland. Granted it is not the height of luxury,but I got most of my delivery. Was a last minute decision. Failing that go first thing tomorrow. As for the person who said go to the supermarket it is not always convenient. Add to this that if u choose to wear mask,as I do,people still invade your personal space

Ditto!

Totally agree! So much easier to get it delivered when you have work / kids!

This is SO usual that I would never rely on a Christmas delivery for Christmas food.

I hope you can find some bits in store.

I decided to leave the country for Christmas. Cheaper all round 🤣

I ordered the Hello Fresh Christmas box (dinner and desert) on 14th October. Today they delivered it without the desert - didn’t include any of the ingredients or instructions 🤬. Bastards!! I love white choc cheesecake and would never bother making it apart from at Christmas.

Honestly these threads 😂

Yeah, I get that not everyone can easily get to supermarket but all my friends can and EVERY YEAR they moan about items not available and substitutes. Just go to the damn supermarket then!

I fucking hate food planning/shopping but it takes an hour (scan and shop) and you get everything you need with decent use by dates. Job done.

They don't know how many people are gong to go shopping in person so they can't guarantee everything will be in stock.
They could reserve stuff but that would piss off the people who are shopping in person and there's an issue of how and where to store it.
By now everyone knows online grocery shopping doesn't work on a reserve basis so it's a risk you take

You reserve the delivery, not the food.

I work for Tesco on click and collect today i worked 6 hours and served 90 customers and that’s just my shift without the deliveries.
how would that work ringing everyone and checking they are happy with subs as a PP suggested!!
if a customer says no subs it’s not worth the hassle to try and sub because 9/10 they complain and we get it in the neck.
it comes with having someone else do your shop. yes it’s frustrating but so much has sold out so quickly this year. Not one single cheese cracker left today.

I get an online shop every week so Christmas is no different, I plan to go to Waitrose and M&S with a basket anyway like I usually do. Getting the bulk online means I don't have to haul a trolley round and can go to the 10 items or fewer checkout in Waitrose rather than queue with a large trolley.

it's not very good though if no Christmas stuff is available but it must be the same if you went into that store to shop so you would still need to go elsewhere.

There is a shortage of Jacob cream crackers as there was a strike at the factory, it's over now but I guess they were catching up, there have been none in Tesco for ages but I did manage to grab a couple of packs in Waitrose a week or so ago

To all the pp who say we've not reserved the food, I get that but 6/7 years and never a big issue. We always order for 21st or 22nd just in case too.

Asda have now let me know they'll be an hour late so no getting out to Aldi tonight

We went to Asda tonight, well stocked, turkeys available, veg for 30p a bag. Not busy and sell by dates until 27th. So it’s all done and dusted.

I know too many people who've had half the shop missing, i don't risk online. I now go 6am on 22nd, nice & quiet works perfectly for me.

I only did one online shop when I had a back injury. Wasn't even Christmas and there were more missing items than you may reasonably expect. But an acquaintance who worked for Sainsburys and has advised never to rely on delivery orders for Christmas. It all depends on what is in store the very time and day a staff member collects your order an item could be missing at that moment but be back in stock 30 mins later. Also that it is normally a rush so they pick up the first item on hand and the ones at the front are usually the ones closer to expiry.