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Original poster

Anyone up at 5.30am to go food shopping??

162 replies

MrsWhites · 23/12/2019 05:38

Right I’m up! I’m about to brave Tesco...wish me luck!

Anyone else food shopping at this ungodly hour and regretting it already?

OP posts:
SlayingDragons · 23/12/2019 19:26

Very glad we went early this morning. The shopping centre with M&S (which opened at 5am) and Tesco (which opened at 7am) had queues of cars out the gates and down the main road by 9am. The whole main road has been nose to bumper all day and is still busy now. Tesco closes at 10pm tonight, M&S at midnight - I suspect that to avoid the queues you either had to be there before 8am, or after 9pm tonight.

Faez · 23/12/2019 19:47

Just did Lidl and wasn't that busy, was able to do a full shop, just didn't have port.

MrsFrostyTheSnowman · 23/12/2019 19:59

Our Tesco order came 5 minutes early at 855 this morning, 2 substitutions but we were better off. No nipping out today.

ToTheRegimentIWishIWasThere · 23/12/2019 20:36

Was up and at sainsburys at 7:30. Got everything on the list, butchers by 8:45 to pick up the ordered meat, queued for 40 minutes but home by 10am.

I know people were queueing for an hour to get into the massive carpark of the massive Tesco later in the day.

Guess which knobhead forgot nappies though. We'll go 7am tomorrow and hope for the best Grin

Delatron · 23/12/2019 20:43

Ooh no way. By the sounds of it first thing was the busiest time? We went about 4pm and was fine.
Then went to John Lewis at 6pm and it was the quietest it had been for a month.

Must remember thus for next year.

VeryMerryChristmas · 23/12/2019 20:50

DH just came back from local Tesco superstore (last minute dash for a frying pan) and Aldi (popped in for extra wine) and said both were carnage. Half empty shelves in Tesco. Aldi well stocked but packed and he saw some people pushing around two trolleys Xmas Grin

EveHolt · 23/12/2019 21:42

The cream I bought this morning from M&S has a use-by date of 20th Dec!! Grrrr.

mrsanflowerpot · 23/12/2019 22:17

I'm planning on a 5.30 alarm, Sainsbury's at 6am and M&S at 7...

Alicia870 · 23/12/2019 22:26

@mrsanflowerpot that's what I did- be wary of m&s it was packed at 7 this morning lol. But this was a smaller store. Remember no alcohol u til 8am

mrsanflowerpot · 23/12/2019 22:31

Waaah I forgot the no alcohol. Are Sainsbury's the same?!?

PhilomenaChristmasPie · 23/12/2019 22:31

God no!

WireBrushAndDettolMaam · 23/12/2019 22:37

You people are bonkers!

You know the shops are open every day before 23rd of December? Why wouldn’t you just get your shopping earlier and freeze what won’t keep? Confused i don’t understand this madness about going at 2am on the 23rd. Do they give out free gin on the 23rd?

HelenaJustina · 23/12/2019 22:38

Planning 7am Waitrose and then market for last fruit and veg. Very few bits to get so fingers crossed!

A friend works for Waitrose and she said the best time for a bargain is after about 3pm Christmas Eve... however, some years they judge it just right and there is almost nothing to discount!

Alicia870 · 23/12/2019 22:40

@mrsanflowerpot I'm not sure actually I know that was the case in Asda Tesco and m&s this morning! Royal pain the arse x

mrsanflowerpot · 23/12/2019 22:41

@alicia870 keeping everything tightly crossed. Otherwise Sainsbury's, M&S and back again...

Alicia870 · 23/12/2019 22:44

@mrsanflowerpot yes you could do that - what a faff but at least it would be all over before 9 :)

LemonPrism · 23/12/2019 22:53

Why wouldn't you just do it the day before? Weird

Alicia870 · 23/12/2019 22:55

@LemonPrism I like to keep Christmas Eve for prepping the dinner and takes the stress off having to both get the shopping and prep all in the one day

penberrh · 23/12/2019 23:06

It was bedlam in Aldi this morning - looked like a jumble sale and not a parsnip in sight - no way could you have done your full Christmas shop there. Conversely, Tesco (2 minutes away) was vaguely sane and plenty of produce.

managedmis · 23/12/2019 23:08

Wtaf is wrong with you all

5.30am

GrinShock

SunshineInMySprocket · 24/12/2019 03:44

It’s nearly 8am on Christmas Eve where we live and we only have a turkey so far! Fruit & veg delivery this morning and I’m just off to get the rest. DH went to the shops last night and it was heaving. Hopefully better this morning!

earsup · 24/12/2019 04:00

Don't people have freezers...??..I got everything a few weeks ago...no queue no stress...it's only a roast dinner..do people get up at 5 am each time they want a roast..?? Bonkers behaviour !!

MaitlandGirl · 24/12/2019 05:56

I always do this, left at 5:30 am and got to the supermarket just as it opened at 6am.

It makes life so much easier for us, always lots of choice and easy parking at the complex. Every year I wonder what I’m doing leaving the house so early but when I’m home by 8am with all the shopping put away I remember why it’s a good idea.

Peridot1 · 24/12/2019 06:06

There are lots of reasons some people want to go at 5am or whatever. Lots of reasons people have to leave the shopping till now. And given how busy the shops are at that time it is quite a lot of people!

Yes shops are open all day but again there are lots of reasons people can’t do in the day or just don’t want to!

Our M&S had the alcohol licensing issue yesterday when i went but they managed to sort it. The system said no but they took for alcohol on a separate counter and manually input the code and override the system somehow. You would think the supermarkets would be aware of this by now. Apparently they can override the systems but it needs to be done 24 hours before.

Anyway. I’m awake so could go shopping again! Been awake since 4 again.

Local farm shop for turkey collection and veg today for us. They are not open till 8.

NaughtyLittleElf · 24/12/2019 06:16

Why do people open a thread that's clearly about getting up early to do the Christmas shop just to call people who like to do it early bonkers. This isn't the thread for you. Lots of us are early risers, have dc we'd rather leave at home, working up to the last minute and various other reasons, including just because we want to

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