Honestly - how long were you queued for your M&S food pick up?

[IsThisLifeNow]

Very random question I know, and probably changable, but does anyone have experience of how long is the wait on the 23rd around 4pm for an M&S prebooed food order?

How long is a bit of string I know, but it could help logistics! Thanks

It depends on the store. The one at the retail park near me I was queuing for nearly an hour it was absolute bedlam with the queue being out of the store. I changed to the city centre one the following year (with bad parking) and I strolled in and out in 5 minutes, no queue at all.

Agreed it depends on the store. My local one has a separate cue for Xmas delivery orders at the rear of the store. It's never a queue to get the order, but then you have to go to the normal checkout to pay, but I've done it for the last 5 years and don't remember it being excessive.

Just depends on the store.

Last year big store was over an hour evening slot.

Previous years has been 10 mins at a smaller store but morning slot.

Going back to smaller store this year!

It will be interesting at our local store, there are only (occasionally) 2 manned cashier tills, it’s bedlam at the moment, everyone having to use these as there’s no staff. Good or bad, the elder generation have stopped going there, so cannot imagine what it’s going to be like at Christmas pick ups.

Our local store last year had a massive queue to get into the food hall but a shorter, faster moving queue for prebooked order collections.

It was the first time we’d had Christmas food from M&S but once I’d figured out the system it was pretty efficient. I was in and out in about 1/2 hour. I had assumed that once I was in I could just pop into the food hall to pick up some more general bits but that wasn’t the case and I would have had to join the food hall queue so I ditched that idea and got what I needed from our local little Sainsbury instead.

Mine was a morning pick up though, I’m not sure if the efficiency continued as the day progressed.

The car park was manic too. I picked my spot based an on easy get away!

Ours was about 10 minutes (a noon pickup, city centre location). It would have been quicker but we were held up by a member of staff having to explain (repeatedly) to a man that he couldn't pick his order up 2 hours early.

We always collect on the 23rd & 24th and never queued for very long but they fence off a part of the store for collections.

oh my, I’m doing a collection for the first time this year, I didn’t know about the terrible queue!

Our local store is brilliant. Last year I was the last person for collection. No wait at all. They clear out part of mens wear for pick ups so it’s completely away from the foodhall. We have a small store though and they are fierce with pick up times. They aren’t shy in telling you to go away if it’s not your slot but I did ask for help 2 years ago picking up early when DH was in hospital. They were very accommodating.

Our shop has it down to a fine art and have only ever queued for under 10 mins.

Less than ten minutes, just stick to your times.

I’ve always done a 6pm pick up, one year it was half an hour. Every other year, no more than 5 mins.

Manchester City centre is great, they create a makeshift area under the stairs, 2 temporary tills. I go in before my slot to get my last bits, pay at the makeshift till where I collect everything.
much better than my mums local one which is mayhem so I do all our M&S shopping

This is all really encouraging so thank you for all your advice, it may not be the shitshow I am anticipating!