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 find kids running amok more of an issue than elderly people.

It does actually. A cross between a bun fight and a bin fire😂😂

lol - my late dad used to curse pensioners on
a weekend. Come retirement,
when did he shop? Whenever he bloody well
liked including Saturday!

I now have to shop Saturday and some of the older folks I see do seem to be relying on their children for lifts so that may be a reason!

Online is my friend.

I hate to describe myself as the 'e' word (I'm 72) but sometimes I just clean forget that it is Saturday (this happens when your week is unstructured by work/school etc). Then I find myself in a jam-packed shop with queues at the check out and think 'why are all these bloody annoying people in this shop today?' before I realise 'Shit. It's Saturday'.

That's my take, for what it's worth.

my mum liked shopping on a Saturday to see different people and a bit of 'life' as she called it

That’s an office bonding exercise or away day I’d definitely be up for.

Still not answered why you don't get your shopping delivered.

I suspect it is to do with buses being available or a lift to help carry any shopping that they cannot.

The shops do not open just for those with children at the weekend. We all live in our society.

Try not to be cross with someone shopping who is old.

FFS. Where are all these poster who are crying ageism when there is a post about gen z? Bloody hypocrites the lot of you.

I saw an elderly woman once in Sainsbury’s. Walking around the shop. But not buying anything. We left and then had to come back. She was still there. Just wandering around.
We realised the shop was warm.

Yes, it's ageist.

HTH

Same! And I have young kids 😆... delivery all the way!

Imagine hoards of people and kids acting like idiots in a supermarket! Can they maybe not control themselves and be civillised, maybe that would make your supermarket experience a bit more pleasant, and you wouldn't notice older people doing their shopping.

Because it is ageist

Blimey. What a shit attitude towards elderly people. Get your shopping delivered if elderly people doing their shopping bothers you so much.

People on MNs don’t understand what ageism is. Stereotyping young people, disparaging children isn’t ageism but recognising that people get old is.

It’s the downside of a forum having a lot of (whisper) old people on it!

As for online delivery - good idea except my work hours mean zero flexibility so I can’t be mucked about by cancelled or late deliveries.

Cancelled/late deliveries are extremely rare.

You're making so many excuses on this thread.

Plus you have teenagers who can help out.

Why do inpatient people (you, OP) go shopping on a Saturday?
Surely you could go before or after work one day? Typical hours are 7am-10pm at least, you can't be working 15 hours a day 5 days a week.

A small but fairly prosperous town in Ireland. Street parking is free until 10.00. Sensible council policy to encourage shoppers to stay local and not to drive to the nearby city. We get a couple of weeks of free parking round Christmas too, but the car parks really do get full then.

Luckily we don't have people randomly disapproving of age cohorts.

Er, no. I call out ageist threads towards younger people as well. Because that's ageism too. Quite obviously.

I’m getting old now and I do everything I can to not have to go to a supermarket at the weekend. I can’t think of anything worse and make sure that I get everything I’m going to need on Friday.

As a mid 70’s old crone and maybe one of the annoying old biddies you encountered today, I went because my daughter unexpectedly invited me to have dinner with them this evening. I didn’t want to go empty handed so I called in to Tesco for some treats.

I wouldn’t normally go near a supermarket on a Saturday as it’s too busy for me. I never make a hair appointment for a weekend so as to leave those slots free for those working all week. I hope that scores me some Brownie points 😊

I don't know if I am old enough to be elderly, but I was at the supermarket this morning. I went to get some fruit because I ran out. While I was there I picked up a couple of other items. 🤷‍♀️

If you work long hours then why don’t you online shop. Yea it’s probably slightly more expensive to use Tesco/Sainsbury’s instead of Aldi/lidl but you will same yourself hours every week.