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?

Unless you are ill, disabled ..I really do not understand people who feel so reliant and to be honest smug about ordering their food online and then complain when an item is missing or not quite what they want. All that resentment when things go wrong for a very basic job that could be done in a couple of hours.

I agree
We do have an online Christmas food shop but don’t rely on it and mostly use it for bulky items such as foil and mixers etc. We pick up all the additional food ourselves. I like doing that without all the hassle of having loo rolls etc in my trolley

I don't care who is picking my shopping , I use online for the heavy , bulky boring stuff, I'm sure anyone is capable of putting toilet rolls in a trolley, Tesco can take the strain instead of me and no, I'm not old, disabled, ill etc, I just can't be bothered hauling a trolley round with the weekly shop. Anything particular I want I go into Waitrose or M&S with a basket, in and out quickly with my head not filled with having to get baked beans and the like and heaving them into my car

I booked click and collect, 80% of it unavailable apparently with no subs, these were the things like yule log, herbs, potatoes etc.. went instore to get a few extra bits I forgot to add on and went snooping for my own subs.. everything that was “unavailable” were instore. I wasn’t too shocked.

I’m rather hoping my click n collect entertaining order tomorrow will have lots of gaps because plans have changed and I dont need the stuff but it was too late to cancel!

That's not the case for everyone on the thread saying it.

I know that - but you asked and I explained why.

I am dreading the thought of having to go out tomorrow to get essentials for Christmas dinner - especially fresh stuff that I can't really do without.

I use online food shopping all year but not really at Christmas. We live rurally and only have a small and very expensive supermarket nearby so doing a full Christmas shop (or any full shop really!) there would be ruinous. We do, however, have a good local butcher and veg box delivery scheme so meat is ordered from the butcher (where it is reserved for me), same with veg delivery. Non perishables like puddings, snacks etc I pick up as I go along in the run up, either at the local supermarket or weekly online deliveries. Then final perishables like cream and eggs come from the milkman or local shop. So basically I don’t get one big Christmas shop any more. It’s happened by accident because of where we live now but it does mean the risk is spread and we’re much much less likely to be in a situation where we have no turkey on Christmas Eve.

I do think there should be a way around it though- seems daft that you have to book your Christmas slot in November but they can’t guarantee a turkey.

I got everything in my order. No substitutions or short dates either.

I also don’t get the moral superiority of going to a supermarket in person. The supermarkets offer the service, customers pay for it, it should be fit for purpose. Fair enough if your chocolate orange is subbed for after eights, it’s a small thing, who cares, but supermarkets are sending out emails and giving customers “exclusive access” to priority Christmas delivery slots months in advance but are then unable to supply basic fundamentals of a Christmas meal like a turkey- that’s not really on. To say “well you should’ve done your own shopping” is ridiculous, Tesco aren’t doing them a favour or putting themselves out for lazy people, they’re providing a service that the customer is paying for and they’re not delivering it adequately.

Also funny how “women’s jobs” like shopping and cleaning are quick jobs that we should just get on an do and not complain if they’re done badly when outsourced, cos that’s our own fault for being lazy and paying someone else to do it, but if the car went to the garage for an oil change and they did a crap job no one would be telling the men they should’ve done it themselves.

I can't say I've ever felt smug about online shopping. What a strange concept.

I don't enjoy shopping. I'd rather pay to have it done for me. I can think of many other enjoyable or productive ways to use the couple of hours I could spend in the supermarket. What's wrong with that.

There are benefits for you. Less people in the store for you to contend with during your couple of hours there.

I wasn't going to bother with an Ocado slot this year but, like you, i was surprised to see plenty of slots when i checked last week.

Just 1 item was missing; lebkuchen.

There have been Christmas things in the shops since September round here, so we bought non perishables weeks ago.

We went shopping at 6pm yesterday in London. Got everything we needed. Barely any queues. We’ve never done a shop online though.

Ocado actually operate a proper stock system so they can tell what will/ won't be in stock for your order. I very rarely have any missing or substituted items so it's perfect for the Christmas delivery.

I can't go to shops so it's essential for me. I've tried deliveries from other supermarkets and they've always been useless for reliability even in a normal week.

I had my Tesco shop delivered yesterday, it had everything in it, no substitutions. I’m not disabled or incapable of going to a supermarket, I just like the convenience of it.

I wouldn't bank on supermarkets have the crucial missing bits. I was at our massive Sainsbury's at 8am this morning and there were only three medium turkey crowns left and the only full turkeys left were free range ones with prices starting at £50!

I received half my order.

Luckily my plans have changed so I need to go to the supermarket to get more food anyway.

Funnily the stuff that wasn't delivered were the bits for meals on Boxing Day and mince pies.

That must be really annoying. It's probably safer to do your order for earlier in the week - but even so - I wouldn't be happy. I had one year where a Tesco delivery forgot to leave my Turkey (it was on the order and paid for). I have never had a problem otherwise - but I think Asda are probably the worst supermarket for deliveries .
IME if you do need to pop out to top up I think there are less queues in the smaller Tesco's and Sainsbury’s and Co-op - and probably more likely to have the stock . Our Lidl and Aldi are always rammed, as are the big superstores . Alternatively, have a look in your freezer centre .

I use Ocado because I prefer their range - they have brand lines not available in Tesco/Asda/Sainsburys. Granted I preferred them paired with waitrose to M&S but its good to be able to get M&S fruit which is better than other supermarket fruit, along with cheaper Ocado essentials, as well as some of the continental lines. And online shopping means I can plan my budget better, whilst sitting at home with a cup of tea. Ocado hardly ever sub - not in the area we are anyway, I appreciate different warehouses will have varying availability.

Just had my email from Waitrose that everything is on my order for later today. However I have been tweaking it this week, mince pies were out of stock by Monday this week and puddings have slowly disappeared. However as we bought these throughout December we were ok.

I do always try and get 23rd to give us a day to rush and get anything urgent that was out of stock.

And yes we do online as I am disabed and whilst my DH does the weekly shop in store, it makes both our lives easier not to have to factor a massive shop in store this week.

It depends on where you get your online shop from. We used to do Asda years ago and the Christmas shop one year was horrendous. Tons of stuff missing with ridiculous substitutes. And the bloody cauliflower was the size of an orange!

We’ve done Morrisons for about 10 years now. If it’s out of stock it won’t let you add it to your basket. I get a sub about once a month and it’s usually a reasonable substitute.

Asda click and collect picked up. 3 items missing Camembert prawns and red cabbage

This is why I go into the shop and get it myself - did it yesterday. My Tesco is only a 5 minute drive, and I was walking with with my trolley just after 7am. It was pretty dead. Things like pigs in blankets have been in my freezer for the better part of a month already!

Im picking mine up soon and haven't had the usual email yet saying what's missing, but did get an email a while ago reassuring me that I'd get my turkey (more in relation to the bird flu and turkey shortage).
As for shopping in person - the last time I did that at Christmas I stood in the check out queue for 45 minutes and it took over an hour to get out of the parking lot! Never again.

And the award for most ignorant comment goes to... 👏👏👏

Guess you are one of those who say homeless people should just get a job/but a house 😂