Ocado tips, hacks, Toblerone and Christmas

[GaryUnicorn]

Carrying on from the old thread....

Still no email about the Christmas slots.

I've been tinkering with my Christmas Waitrose shop this morning and by comparison almost everything is available.

I've got reserved slots until the end of November now and I have been able to edit and check those out (not that it wont stop them cancelling them I imagine)
Stock here for Thursdays delivery looks ok, flour, yeast, pasta, loo rolls etc all seem to be in stock, only thing I've struggled with is the long life milk MIL insists on buying.

I cant see the christmas star and the app still hasn't come back for me if that helps anyone.

there were 4 types of brandy butter listed but non in stock. cheapest turkey crown was over £50. I think i may get basics and shop elsewhere for meat

@bruffin

They were out of stock the first day. I assumed that they would be available nearer the time

I really hope so. But I know that in previous years, I have had my Christmas orders wrapped up by now.

Even things like thick sliced ham which is a bit Cristmassy but not specifically so = all sold out for the Christmas week.

Christmas puddings - over 50% of the choice showing as out of stock

Marzipan = all out of stock

Christmas cakes = at least 50% of the options out of stock

I just cannot remember any year being so bad as this one. Suspect Covid and the move to M&S has properly screwed them up :(

Turkeys! Another great example. 2/3 of the options are out of stock

After my third email (slightly snippy I must admit) I have had a reply asking me for the list of items I am specifically wanting to order that are OOS and they will check. Seriously?

I was really surprised that Waitrose managed to fulfil my lunchtime order today. Reading the reports in the media I assumed that the shelves would have been stripped bare by lunchtime, but I just had a couple of sensible subs (carrots, subbed with carrots etc). Maybe all the locusts are still queuing for loo roll at Costco and people are bored with baking?

That said, I need to deduct one housepoint because they delivered some milk with BB date of yesterday. Other than that everything had lovely long use-by dates.

I think I'm going to let others take my Ocado spaces and hope Ocado/M&S get their act together after Christmas. If it is like the Spring the local M&S shop in my town centre will be virtually deserted (especially if some of the Uni students sneak back home too).

Despite using Ocado for years I have never relied on an online shop for Christmas essentials (all the Christmas dinner stuff, etc). It's been a bit of a tradition to send DH off to m&s in the city centre on the 23rd to do it, although we've moved out of the city now so i went to a retail park early morning last year! Ironically m&s has stopped feeling like so much of a treat so I'll probably go to the local Waitrose this year...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/02/ocado-raises-profit-forecast-as-covid-fuels-online-grocery-demand

Ocado profits are soaring because of lockdown. (Even though it's Chairman Stuart Rose is all over the media complaining about lockdown. )

Quarantino. Absolutely agree re M&S not seeming as much of a treat now. I'm now thinking it is overpriced and poor quality.

Its Chairman

I think the quality of M&S stuff sold through Ocado is lower than Waitrose. So many things I'm finding are poorer quality for the same price. Not terrible quality, just worse than I previously got with Waitrose. There's not much that feels like any improvement. And then I realised that the price charged through Ocado for many items is higher than the price charged by M&S in store.

What with that and stock issue, it's left me feeling a bit disappointed with the move between suppliers and very much devalued M&S for me.

I guess they won't care if lockdown profits are so good, but it does make me regret sticking with them and I really hope it gets better than this.

Their lock down profits won't last if they carry on like this

We’ve noticed the quality issues with M&S stuff. There are so many of the things we order every time that we’ve found to be a very poor substitute for the Waitrose equivalent, particularly the fruit and veg. And the processed stuff that we’ve had tastes too salty. Dcs are very unhappy about the M&S scotch eggs!

Ocado texted me today to say the deadline to edit my next order has been brought forward - order is due on Thurs morning and I need to now finish editing by 11pm tonight. Just a heads up if you have upcoming orders to edit early - I remember last lockdown they suddenly took away the option to edit completely for a week or two... hopefully they have learned their lessons though.

Yep, same text for my Thursday order

I've had the same message (Yorkshire based)

I can’t get a Waitrose slot now!!! It only shows the next 7 days, and all slots are full - is this lockdown panicking?

Might I get one if I look just after midnight?

Ocado now saying to people they can't guarantee all Smart Pass members will get a Christmas slot as demand is so high?!

I didn't even get an email about it. Have been with Ocado for many years, since they started delivery here. Have had smart pass for years - well over 10 years afaik.

I spotted the Christmas calendar thing when I was in hospital a couple of weeks or so ago but couldn't get it to work. Tried when home and all gone.

Disappointed to have not even had the email!

The £10 Xmas slot delivery charge for smart pass holders is a piss take.

You see, I've never really had a massive issue with that. It's annoying yes, and feels a bit grabby BUT I've always been able to get a slot, it's always turned up and it's never had subs - over the many years of using them.

I tried Waitrose three years running as an extra and not once did they actually show up. Each time I had to go and collect it, and there were so many subs and missing items it was pointless.

But this year I didn't even get the chance!

Just had the text about my Thursday order too

Another Thursday delivery editing email. Forewarned by others' experiences I've been updating my order intermittently since the weekend so can leave it as it is.

And I'm rather carefully avoiding most M&S produce ...

I’ve edited my orders ahead of time too.

I don’t understand the panic buying. Everything will still be there. Stores will be open.

Just had my Ocado delivery - pleased to report that for the first time since M&S hook-up there were no subs or missing items; and a free bar of chocolate.

@Westfacing

Just had my Ocado delivery - pleased to report that for the first time since M&S hook-up there were no subs or missing items; and a free bar of chocolate.

Ditto! Including the pies that have been subbed or missing so many times I'd given up hope of them actually existing.

Thanks for the heads up. I'd had the email about Thursdays delivery, but hadn't realised they might remove the edit time for next Thursdays. I do not need that much booze!