Why do the elderly go to supermarkets on Saturday?

[CheeseLover2026]

I’ve just got back from doing the family shop. I work full time long hours, so it’s shopping on weekend or nobody eats.

Shop is heaving. Everyone is slightly tetchy, rightly. The meat aisle is practically a bin fight. Trolleys in the way. Kids messing about.

And yet, so many elderly people, many of whom have mobility issues and are probably slightly frightened by the way my kind swoop in and swoop out to get an item while they are stood there pondering over this or that.

Yes, they have a right to do what they like. But WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would choose a frenetic Saturday when they have more civilised options?

i’ve switched my main shop to Aldi, the downside means no deliveries

I went to the supermarket today to buy stuff. Like everyone else, whatever their age.

Because they can.

Can you define "elderly" ? I'm in my 60s but went to the supermarket this morning because when I went yesterday there were no croissants at the bakery and we do like an almond croissant with coffee on a Saturday morning !

Didn't realise I should go without because it might interfere with family shopping!

Shock horror I will probably be in there again tomorrow as I enjoy another croissant on a Sunday after a session at the gym.

As others have said - when I worked fulltime and had to take my 80 year old mother shopping I had to do that at the weekend. When I did shopping for my own family I left the kids at home with dh.

My MIL is in there. Sat is supermarket day
Ialso try and avoid the supermarket on weekends, get a delivery mid week.

Shopping on Saturday is hell on earth. I was about say I dont know why any same person does this, then remembered I do go out at the weekend to get food for our Sunday roast.

Thank god for online shopping!

@letshaveteaso why you think it’s ageist to direct a question at different age groups?

Many don't like or don't want to do their shopping online. They want to see what they're buying (especially fruit, veg etc) or maybe swap things round if there's a special offer.
Their children may only be able to drive them at the weekend.
They may still work themselves? I've got an NHS pension but still work part time.
There maybe something else in town they want to see or do so they kill 2 birds with one stone.
But at the end of the day it's not really any of your business.....there's nothing to say older people are only allowed in the supermarket in a particular day. Get your shopping online if it bothers you that much.

Why don't the young and IT proficient use home delivery so that the elderly can enjoy their slower pace of life? Why oh why oh why wouldn't the young rather do this?

Can't you debate without accusing someone of lying?

I've been having in line deliveries since 2012 and I've never had a late or cancelled one. You really would save a lot of stress and time.

Two reasons an old person might choose to go into our town on a Saturday: 3 hours free parking in the car parks; weekly market.

And once we're in town anyway, going to the supermarket (not particularly busy this morning) makes sense.

Yes- and elderly people doing long complicated transactions in the post office AT LUNCHTIME. Drives me mad.

Maybe some of them like the hustle and bustle if they’ve been stuck at home alone. Or maybe whoever gives them a lift (if they’ve don’t drive themselves) can only do it on a Saturday because they’re working all week. Maybe the provider of said lift is elsewhere in the supermarket doing their own shopping at the same time. My mum never really got out of the habit of shopping almost daily for small amounts, so she was in the supermarket a lot. Gasp!

BTW what the feck is a ‘bin fight’? And how does that play out in the meat aisle? Ta.

Omg

But apparently this questioning is ageist

@ilovesootylikewise can’t that poster debate without lying? The OP never said anything about allowing.

Sorry bun fight.

Bin fight sounds funnier though.

Think about it.

if they’re getting a bus then they’re carrying their shopping home, and it may be a 10 or 20 minute walk from the bus stop.

do you really think they go on Saturday because that’s the only day the bus goes?

or do you think it could be because if they’re on public transport that can’t carry a full weeks supply of groceries so they are going nearly every day to bring home what they can carry.

or has it crossed your mind some people don’t have massive storage, so they need to shop daily?

even if they have a car they may not physically be able to carry lots of bags in at once, so spread it out over the week.

Because they are poor and shop in LIdl & Aldi which don’t do deliveries!

I’m ‘elderly’ and will do a shop on a Saturday if I’m cooking a huge Sunday roast for my family

Because they want to, or need to.

Click and collect.

Changed my life. I have much more time since switching to click and collect

I take my grandma shopping every Saturday, she could go any time by herself, but she wants to come with me and I enjoy spending Saturday's with her ... God forbid!

In my grandparents case it was because during the week most of the days were taken up with a medical appointment or trip to the bank for one or the other and a Saturday was the only day they would reliably have free for a supermarket shop which seemed to take them 3 to 4 hours and was pretty much a day out in itself.

Where’s all this free parking? I’ve not seen that incentive for donkeys years.

And, judging by the frequency of responses, it would appear the majority of older people are getting lifts and support from family.