Food shopping

[DahliaMacNamara]

Saturday morning, and DH is unexpectedly in the bath, in the dark, prepared to go out food shopping, 'early'. Now, I don't normally do my food shopping on a Saturday, but as far as I can make out, Saturday morning is usually one of the busiest times of the week, any time of the year. The one he wants to go to is about 25 miles away (we're rural). I reckon we're already too late to beat the crowds, so I might as well stay in bed. What's your thinking? When do you plan to go?

I dont think it will be that busy just now as people will still be buying presents in other shops. Might be wrong though

Ridiculous time to think you’ll ‘get there early’ honestly you’re gonna get there around 9am which is exactly when everyone else getting there ‘early’ will be descending like a plague of locusts!
DH will then get grumpy, start muttering under his breath and short tempered about it because he, just like all the morons who also show up at 9am, will think he has the sole right to shop in ‘quiet peace’ because he showed up ‘early’.

Whole thing will turn into a right bloomin nightmare. I wouldn’t be getting in the car.

Weekend Christmas Shop guide
EARLY=Before 7am
Early ish= Before 8am
Peak Chaos= 9am-2pm)
Chaos= 2pm-6pm
Late ish= 6pm-8pm
Late= 8pm-10pm
GOLDEN TIME= 10pm-6am

Well, I'm still in the house, though sadly not in bed, and he's out with the dog, so I think my logic has prevailed for the moment. He wants to go somewhere else as well, so he can see the queues to get into supermarket car park for himself as we drive past.

I like this from pumpertrumper,
Weekend Christmas Shop guide
EARLY=Before 7am
Early ish= Before 8am
Peak Chaos= 9am-2pm)
Chaos= 2pm-6pm
Late ish= 6pm-8pm
Late= 8pm-10pm
GOLDEN TIME= 10pm-6am

We went yesterday at 7am - it was absolutely fine, not horrendously busy but obviously not empty. We went yesterday because we thought as it was the last day of school at 7am it might be a bit quieter.

Late ish and onwards wouldn't work where I live. Was in Morrisons at 'chaos' time and there were bare shelves. Any later and you'd only be able to buy porridge and a toblerone!
I think weekdays are better than weekends - still busy obviously but more people are at work.

I think it depends where you go. In our town the big Tesco Extra is in a permanent state of chaos regardless when you go (I've tried shopping at night before, but then you can't move/reach shelves for restocking processes). I find the smaller suburban Tesco (the bigger size up from metro, superstore?) , whilst it doesn't have the same excessive/vast range, is normally more relaxed and even quite festive and jolly - it's predominantly people who've popped in for milk or a top-up shop and there's always a nice atmosphere.

My dh is away to tesco just now. He has his headphones with him to help relax him while battling through the aisle blockers

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously

This is a valid point and should be considered along side my timing guide if you don’t know your local supermarkets restocking habits don’t go on an evening!! Lots only stock overnight during mad Christmas week so a 7pm shop will see you faced with bare shelves!!

Personally I think the ‘best’ time to go is between 4-7am. Most stuff has been restocked and most who are shopping tend to be either adults alone or parents with small children strapped into pushchairs/trolleys. I intend to do our Christmas shop on Monday morning at 6am ish. My 9mo DS wakes at 5 anyway so might as well!