Shopping Centre Nightmares!

[LokiBear]

The shopping centres near me are already horrendous. A grown woman actually hit my three year old in the back of her head today whilst pushing past us. No apology, just a tut and swear words under her breath. The car park was chaos too. Horrible man in a zoomy, sporty type car cut me up and then screamed at me. It is only November! I always have a dream of pottering around the shops, soaking in the atmosphere and feeling all festive, but it is always a nightmare. Any survival tips? Does anyone know what times are the quietest? Ever since I had dd I have found pushy crowds too much. I get anxious and panicked. I can't face it this year, which is why I've done mist of my shopping early, but I know DH is going to want to do a shopping trip nearer the time. Are late nights less crazy than weekends?

My tips:

1. go early. Or really late. My local centre used to be open until 10pm and was pretty quiet. Westfield Stratford is heaving after midday, but isn't too bad at opening.

2. target the shops you need. I browse online, write a list and then go specifically to the shops I want. No browsing.

3. familiarise yourself with the layout of the shopping centre in advance and plan your route around that.

4). Don't stop for lunch/coffee etc. I normally eat before I go, but may grab something I can eat whilst I walk around. I also take a bottle of water with me.

5. take a shopper bag with you for your purchases, to limit amount of bags you have to carry. I also take a purse for my receipts so they can be kept together.

6. wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Layers are great as the centres do get hot.

7. a cross body bag will keep your hands free for browsing and paying.

They are all like that. Some woman walked into ds when he was 3 (walking right next to me) and he went flying across the floor. She didn't even stop to see if he was OK He's 15 and people still walk into him! I hate shopping!

We do ours whilst the children are at school in November now
.Found the same I'm in a wheelchair now and seriously ill and I've had people nearly fall on me before because they're trying to push past everyone.Had people's bags hit me in the face ect no apologies no nothing.

Online shopping is the way forward.

I have done most of mine online or click and collect. We went to the range last week and it was crazy .

Shop online to break the back of heavy/cumbersome stuff.

Go in the week from 5 onward. Bluewater's open til 10 from next Friday.

I work next to a main shopping street and even going to get lunch is a nightmare from now on.

People still walk into or even over dd, she's almost 9 but slight.

I have a lot already sorted over the summer, sales, and some online. But I still have a few things to get. And regular things to get like scripts in chemist, coffee pods (I refuse to pay the equivalent of 2 sleeves of pods for online p&p), stuff to repair a hem, jumpers to replace washing machine disasters.....but thequeues are horrendous in the most unusual of places!

I didn't do much food shopping recently due to. Few mad events at home, but I am going back to on.ine for the next few weeks, we went in for just mil, croissants and meat for 1 diner yesterday and couldn't move around the store! Ugh.

I can really see why internet shopping is taking off. Who on Earth wants to get crushed/pushed over/walked into/carry heavy bags etc. It's a real shame that shops are closing though. I don't think there's an answer

One local shopping centre has used n empty outlet the past 2 years as a shopping park. You pay once but can drop as many times as you like in a single day, all your shopping bags are minded for you and you can either skip trips back to the car park or just walk out to taxi rank (or bus stop) outside with the loot at the end of the day.

Great way for SC management to show some initiative for a low price (I think it's about €4 for the day, unlimited bags), employ a couple of young people to run it, and have 1 less hoarded up unit.

I don't go into town/shopping centres unless I can go without the DC's which is a rarity. DH had a rare afternoon off on Friday so I went in as soon as I finished work at half1 and didn't have to worry about the school run.
I use click and collect for most things so it's ready and waiting for me. Online is deff the way forward at this time of year. I only went in on Friday because I wanted stocking fillers which I like to mooch round for.
As for going in to town for the atmosphere - we go when we don't want to actually buy anything so there's zero stress. We usually pick a day to take DC's to see santa and get there early so there's no queue then just bimble round until we've seen enough

I've started doing mine earlier now, but then you get it all done before a lot of the Christmas stuff comes out in the shops and see things which you wish you'd waited to buy instead of something you got in September IYSWIM. So, having done a lot of mine now, I've just been into the local M&S food, which was very quiet, and been greeted with a fabulous array of beautiful things, many of which I would like to buy for people and I'm wishing I'd not done so much of it so soon.

Click and collect is your friend. You get access to the whole online range, you can guarantee that it will be waiting for you when you get there and you don't even have to queue to pay!

If your other half wants a mooch shop, use it for buying things like napkins, crackers or decorations so that you don't feel the pressure of having to get exactly the right thing. And I'm a big fan of using public transport to get to and from the town centre - not having to worry about finding a parking space or hurrying to get back before your ticket runs out really cuts down on the stress.

I have almost finished all my shopping for this exact reason. We went to a large shopping centre yesterday and got the DC's Christmas party clothes to avoid the mile long queues next month.

However DH and I also love a festive mooch... but we go without DC's, leave the car and take the train, have hot choc to get us warmed up then wine and nibbles. We only pick up anything we really fancy and have NO LIST to stress over. Bliss.

That said DH has booked a Christmas market trip for us all in December... help!!!

We go to our local Christmas market, it is fabulous, but definitely best done either as soon as it opens in the morning or in the last hour in the evening.

I used to work in a large shopping centre. The quietest times to go are Monday and Tuesday during the day. These are the quietest evenings too. Avoid weekends full stop. Its also worth thinking about the weather; indoor places are busier if its wet. But tbh, as soon as it hits December there isn't really a quiet time.

Love late night shopping - it's often quieter.

I've bought pretty much everything now. Just mum and brother to get something for. I'm avoiding shopping at the weekend from now until February! We have decided to go on a late night to show dd the lights and allow her to buy a present for each parent, but we are going early, straight after school!