Have people finally had enough of shops and greedy prices

[budlights]

I can't speak for other areas, but while I was out shopping this morning, I was surprised at how much was still available on the shelves. Morrisons had plenty of gift sets, candles, home accessories, Christmas chocolates, toys, etc. It was the same in Sainsbury's, B&M and Tesco. There were also a lot of items on sale, so they're obviously eager to shift it all. I typically do my shopping at the last minute because of work, and usually, most items are sold out, but this year seems different. Have people reached their limit?

About that should read not "but".

No it’s not some moral decision but the cost of living crisis has got hugely worse since the change in goverment so people now have a lot less to spend, this shops take less.

This seems to be a thing in my local Lidl for the pat few weeks, don't know about meat and fish but certainly notice it among bread, rolls and wraps. Not reducing it even with 1 day left, so I leave it.
It's a shame because never had this before, but it won't stop me doing my main shop there.

Crikey, maybe not then!

DD is working in a bookstore..... It's been full on for the last two weeks. They have had their best year ever.

Did the owner possibly sell them to my dh?!
He’s just come home from the nice wine shop with an alarming amount of boxes of what looks like very fancy wine 😂
(Full disclosure, we do host for a lot of people, we are not pissheads!)

Hate this as a shopper, it's too loud and total shite.
😡If I was a member of staff I'd be murderous having to listen to endless 'Last christmas' and 'All I want for christmas is you' all day.😡

I live in Bath and it’s somewhat like this generally , an awful lot of visitors a lot of the time who just come really to walk round fairly aimlessly , grab coffee and sausages/noodles etc in street - it’s particularly noticeable at Xmas market time , and you see far more local people ‘with bags’ post 14th December

Agreed. I lived in Bath when we first moved down here in 2007 and now live nearby. I think I've been to 15 Christmas Markets and bought something non-food maybe 3 of those years. It was busy on the 12th in the city centre but honestly mostly because everyone was in Starbucks, Primark and TK Maxx!

YANBU. I worked in retail/sourcing for years and know the starting price for so many things. The vast majority is sourced from China and (obviously!) do not involve child labour. I have no qualms ordering from Amazon/Aliexpress/Temu because those are the identical items that you find in stores, only with a 5-10x markup. This is mostly generic everyday stuff like party items, decor, balloons, gift wrapping, kitchen scales, organisers, bedsheets, crafting materials etc. I think you're being taken for an absolute mug if you buy generic birthday balloons from a party supply shop for insane prices just because the shop is local.

Just because a shop is local doesn't necessarily make them better or more deserving of business. Lots of chain shops sell the same shit and are owned by multimillion conglomerates. They don't give a crap about the community either, they just want to make money by pricing up imported goods. Several decades ago, people had no choice but to buy from stores near them but today, we actually have choice. If a shop is failing it means they are not innovating with the times. They are offering the wrong products at the wrong prices, and it's not the responsibility of the customer to keep them alive out of pity.

A few obvious exceptions would be food, cosmetics, luxury goods etc. However I also prefer ordering directly from the brand (eg Jellycat) instead of a smaller store that has stock sitting for ages on the shelves and never exactly what you're looking for.

Thats because you love in the affluent SE darhling. Here in the North shops are empty, no people anywhere.

tastes change and sometimes shops get caught out, most the remaining gifts seem to be overpriced toiletries whereas other items are sold out, perhaps people don’t want them. Based on my town, money is definitely being spent but perhaps more on experiences than gifts

I (like I'd imagine lots of people) am trying to not buy the extra gifts this year that no one really needs or wants but makes you feel you are giving more. No selection boxes, Xmas pj's/socks, smellies,. B&m and the like are full of useless plastic Xmas crap. No one really wants bisto gift sets for Xmas. Or 5 different hot sauces. Or grinch toasters.

Yep - it’s why we have our share of shops that don’t work because retailers see the footfall and think -‘ ‘ yep I swill have some of that’ without necessarily realising it’s an awful lot of moochers who come for the vibe, the pretty shop windows and a nice stroll round and coffee and very often go back ‘shopping bag free’ and shop at the Range or home base in Llanelli or wherever. ( we have none of those type of shops within 7 miles ) ! Obviously the locals do spend here but as you say places like TK Maxx and Primark are just as big as they are anywhere else in terms of shoppers, they aren’t all swarming into little independent niche shops.

Exactly this, short and long term forecasting technology is changing so much so quickly. Supply chains are becoming leaner and even in the 15 years I've been in logistics it seems unrecognisable from when I started out.

Well I wish supermarkets would apply that to the cinnamon stick supplier. None to be had for love nor money round here.

I went into town shopping with middle DD yesterday and I thought it was very quiet everywhere given it was the last weekend before Christmas.

I definitely have been buying less. I no longer buy gift sets as no one wants the body lotion . I’d buy the shower gel individually as I know it would be used. I also buy a lot from vinted ans charity shops Bnwt as I feel I can get more individualised gifts and less generic like the big shops sell

For me, it is moral, thank you. Lots of other people feel the same, and are being more mindful of what they are buying, due to environmental factors.

A few shops on Friday afternoon seemed to be taking the Christmas goods away. The Pound world in our town isn’t that big, but the front shelves were all cleared and today it was all cleaning goods and toilet rolls on there, not even any signs up for reductions , so I assume a lot is put away till next year.

I think it can both mindful and cost saving. I’m a typical consumer and I am sick of stuff everywhere. It overwhelms me. I am having conversations with various friends/family members who feel that the over buying culture is changing

Not at all.
Where I live, Waitrose was heaving. There was hardly any space in the car park. I've never seen M&S Foodhall so busy. All the tills going all the time.
John Lewis very busy as well.
Seems to me like a bumper year!

I saw creme eggs on sale earlier!

Nooooo! 😱

I think shops seem to buy in stock that’s designed to be one sale. I shop in Tescos but you get loads of half price Christmas sets from November. I know from experience that they will be 75% off post Christmas so half the “sale price” which can be a good way of stocking up on toiletries. I got a few original source / Vaseline lip balms/ Dove last year.