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?

Unbelievable prejudiced ageist post.
As a matter of interest, what age do you consider elderly?
What are your views on wheelchair users and people shopping with prams /pushchairs /people with carers shopping on busy Saturday mornings?

Many supermarkets are open 6-10 and many even 24/7 so most people don’t need to shop on a Saturday, even if working full time they could plan to stop at the supermarket on the way home or go in the evening after the kids are in bed or get a delivery.

People go on Saturday because it’s more convenient and you have no evidence that this isn’t also the case for the elderly people; they might have somebody who can drop them off and/ or pick them up on Saturday. They might have caring duties for their spouse with dementia or any other age-related condition and Saturday is the only day other relatives can come and sit with the spouse so they can leave the house. They might have to walk but be limited regarding how much they can carry home so they go every day as they have no stock. They might living in poverty and their weekly pension only goes into their account on Friday and so they couldn’t shop earlier in the week. They might have fluctuating health conditions and so some weeks Saturday is the only day they feel well enough to go. They might have been in the week but forgot or ran out of something and so need to go again. They might care for young grandchildren so that their own adult children can work in the week so actually Saturday is their first day to themselves. They might not have been able to afford to retire yet and actually they still work full time even though they’re in their 70s. You can’t just assume that because somebody is older they have no commitments in the week and no restrictions regarding when and where they can shop.

I do love those suggesting that they are doing it deliberately to annoy OP and her ilk. 🤣

Maybe I will do that when the time comes. I'm 60 though, so probably won't meet the MN criteria for elderly for at least another 20 years. 🙄🤣

Supermarkets love everyone's money. Op, maybe suggest fast lanes or supportive lanes for the elderly/ disabled.

Yes, we all know how, we’ll be different. Until it happens

This is such a strange idea for a thread. Why on earth would you not expect to see a wide cross section of the general public when you go to a supermarket at the weekend? “The elderly” aren’t a borg, they’re just individual people who probably have as many variables influencing when they choose to shop as anyone else. Lots of elderly people have volunteering commitments, or they do childcare for grandchildren, or they might rely on younger relatives to drive them. Or maybe they just prefer shopping at the weekend. They probably aren’t aware that in your mind they have entered the social category of “the elderly”, and should therefore make themselves scarce whenever you might be out and about 🙄

I work full time. Shifts.

i’ve been to the supermarket this morning because it’s my day off and I had no idea it was Saturday 🤣

I’m not far off 60 so I probably come under the o/p’s description of “elderly” 🤣

I once lived in a very small flat with my child. All I could afford. One cupboard, under the counter fridge, no freezer.

you bet I was in the supermarket Saturday morning, with my child, because we’d drunk the last of the milk and there was nothing for tea. I had no car, so shopping was what I could carry from the little Tesco. I shopped pretty much daily.

See also, going city centre shopping on a Saturday. The PIL (getting on a bit, slow walkers) do this all the time, even right before Xmas, Saturdays before Bank Holidays, or when there are big events on - then return and tell you breathlessly how awful and absolutely rammed it was. Me and DH are generally like, really? Imagine that? All those people who can't go any other time than AT weekends, all going at weekends, who'd have thunk it? I don't know why they do it. Personally, when I retire, I will never go supermarket or city centre shopping on a Saturday EVER again

I work full time and I can’t be arsed to go a big supermarket to do my big shop. Pay 6.99 a month to Tesco and get it delivered. Best money spent.

"The elderly" even the OP's language gives away her ageist attitude. Not elderly people, or better sitll older people. Talking about older human beings as if they are one amophous blob whose sole mission is to annoy her by clogging up the aisles in the stpermarket.

Who are you to make rules on who should shop at what time? There could be several hundred elderly people shopping on weekdays, and several hundred on weekends. Are you following everyone's routines? Why do you care? You could also go on weekdays later in the night when the shop is quiet. Why aren't you doing that? Weird attitude.

My parents do this and it drives me mad. No idea why as they can go any other time and (the killer) they get a tesco delivery every week! Its not like they dont get out during the week and this is their one "day out". I think its because neither of them like the thought that they have missed out on an offer or new product that they missed online shopping, its the only reason I can come up with anyway!

My dad has bad mobility and my mother hates leaving the house now, yet they go and then complain about how busy it is, kids being around etc. So I have told them to stop moaning to me about it, its their choice to go when they could go at any other time.

I wonder if she thinks she'll never get older?
These threads on this topic - and there have been many - always go the same way. The OP is irritated by older people, so they have to modify their lives accordingly.

OP, are either of your parents still around? If so, how old are they and when do they do they go shopping?

Iirc, State Pension used to be paid to retired people on a set day once a month so people budgeted for that

A work colleague of mine asked me the other day why on earth on her commute to work on public transport it is always busy with the retired generation then they complain there’s no seats and no where for their pull along shopping trolleys or Rollator and they never have the 30p fare ready
I personally don’t understand why they go out so early especially when it’s rush hour and school run I can assure you I will not be doing that when I’m retired.
I am Monday to Friday at work and I no longer go food shopping (in person) I get a home delivery due to how busy they supermarkets are I was so fed up of wasting 4 hours of my Saturday or Sunday listening to other peoples kids screaming and whinging and then people blocking shelves or fridges because someone’s bumped in to Susan who they haven’t seen for 2 years and they need to catch up in front of the fridges causing congestion on that aisle honestly just typing this gives me supermarket anxiety 😂

Maybe because they want to and they are free thinking adults who can go where they want, when they want to. You are very judgemental

To be annoying.

I always promised myself when I worked, that when retired, I would shop to cause the maximum inconvenience to very important working people.

I wouldn't dream of swooping in on an elderly person without waiting a minute or so and then saying excuse me. Mind you I'm getting to that age myself 😁

Many reasons why, I'm guessing. I don't understand why anyone would choose to bring multiple kids to the supermarket but again people have their reasons!

WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND lets their kids swoop in and out like that? In a busy supermarket on a Saturday morning. FFS.

Ah, lovely memories 💖

My ILs do this, and then complain about Tesco being full of fellow retirees on a Saturday … the irony! They also seem to need to go to the big supermarket about 4 times a week despite having 3x freezers and it only being 2 of them 🤷🏻‍♀️ Ocado every week for me!

I am old and I go to the supermarket on a Saturday because that's the best day for the newspapers, with their lovely colour supplements. It's my weekly treat! Fortunately, I go to a small local supermarket where most of the other customers are also elderly, so we have a very nice time in the checkout queue chatting to each other. But I reserve my right to go to a big supermarket whenever it happens to suit me - even it if that's a Saturday!.

This.

You may but plenty don't. There was a thread a while back where the OP was complaining about ageism being left up on here. Then someone did a username search and it turns out she had referred to millennials or gen z as snowflakes. And I doubt she's alone. Many only see it as ageism if they feel targeted.