When to do the big food shop?

[CatStoleMyChocolate]

Bit of a first world problem but due to a (cough) bit of a fuck-up on my part, compounded by misbehaviour by Sainsbury’s website, we are now in a position of having to do a full food shop in person.

When would you go? Choice is first thing Monday, late afternoon Monday, or Monday evening. We are not actually buying very Christmassy food, if that makes a difference - no joints of meat. Traffic tends to be dreadful where we are, but wondering when would be best in terms of busy-ness and stock levels.

I’d go to a 24 hour supermarket and do it after 10pm.

It'll be busy at most times now.

I've just had mine delivered but a few things were out of stock and the gammon joint is way too small.

So I'll be going to Morrisons tomorrow afternoon, which is the only time my son can take me 😫

Yes, 23rd about 10pm. I usually do it at that time and it's never been busy.

We tried yesterday and all the dates are really short. We dont just eat christmas food on christmas day we like it to last for a week after so we eat our way through the time off we have, most of it was use by dates of christmas day or boxing day. Useless

I went today as soon as it opened. Glad I did as got one of only 2 turkeys that were the right size and was starting to get really busy as we were leaving. Mostly everything has a date of after 26th or has been able to go in the freezer.

I would go as soon as it opens tomorrow morning or as PP has said, go to a 24 hour place in the middle of the night.

Be prepared to go to another shop if they don't have what you want in the first.

We ordered our actual Christmas dinner from M&S and collect it tomorrow but needed to get everything else including all food for hosting my family over three days. I went to Aldi yesterday and it was actually not that busy and they had loads of stock. Then DH and I have been to Morrisons this morning and again it wasn't that bad, and plenty of food with a decent shelf life. I was expecting a lot worse!

Sainsbury's was fine today, I have just come back. Good stock suppply and no wait at the tills. It was super-expensive and the size of things have shrunk to say the least.

Our Sainsbury’s was absolutely rammed today - DH popped in to get 3 items that weren’t for Christmas. We are going to Tesco (we don’t have one local to us so only go once a year!) for when it opens at 6am tomorrow.

Hmm. Maybe first thing then… we don’t have a 24 hour supermarket anywhere near us. I know it’s going to be busy, just wondering if there’s a sweet spot of not being insanely busy!

I’d go 9pm it will be quiet by then the morning and all day will be absolute hell.

Check the opening times of your local supermarket. Ours isn't 24 hours but stays open until midnight before Christmas.

Will be doing it tommorrow about 5pm

6am tomorrow for me. It’s always quiet for at least the first hour when I’m usually done by then.

Just done it. Went to Sainsbury's for about 4. Wasn't too bad. Busy but no bad tempers. I'd set the list out in the order of the shop 👏. Ran out of time but can get the rest at local shops.

I thought supermarkets shut at 4 on a Sunday

Our big Sainsbury's is 5. I think lots assume 4, which is good as means it's less busy.

I think it depends on the shop, @soupfiend - where we lived before, everything was open 11-5 on Sunday but here it’s 10-4. But big supermarket opens at 0600 tomorrow!

All round here are 6pm or 7pm on a Sunday except the large Tesco next big town over which is open to midnight every day.
I'm in Scotland so don't know if that makes a difference.

We did ours first thing this morning. Plenty of stock and able to get everything we needed in Aldi. The queues weren’t that bad either, but the car park was a bit mad! I remember Christmas 2015, when, for some reason, I decided to do the big shop on Christmas Eve, with a three year old and a seven month old in tow! I no longer fear hell.