Anyone been to the supermarket this morning?

[MobLife]

Is it hell or is it ok??

Today was due to be the day for 'the big Christmas shop'

I'm going to look like a proper panic buying twat with my loaded Christmas trolley aren't I 🤦🏻‍♀️

Just got back from Sainsbury's in tier 3 - no queues, loads of stock, got everything I wanted. And they were giving out 10x Nectar points coupons for shopping today & tomorrow.

@Whattimeisdinner

I must be on another planet... Are people buying enough food for weeks and weeks? Or just for Christmas day? I was going to go on the 23 or 24th for veg and a few treat. I now feel like I should be rushing out and filling a huge trolly... What do people know that I don't?

from which planet are you coming from?

There's a manic food shop EVERY SINGLE CHRISTMAS!

Because people buy and eat more, because they don't want to go shopping again for a week or so and fill their fridge, because they know supermarkets are ALWAYS pretty much empty when they reopen and they haven't had time to refill their shelves..

The traffic jams and queues in supermarkets on the 23rd and 24th are nothing new.

I was hoping they would be quieter this year as most people fear the virus and would have tried to avoid these busy times, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Just got back from M&S, there was a five min queue to get in, but inside the shop was pretty quiet as they are limiting the amount of people inside - plenty left on the shelves too.

@winechateauxjoy

Why does it always seem to be Waitrose with the queues? I have six supermarkets within a 5 min drive from my house - plus an M and S with a fairly sizable food section. The only one that ever has a queue is Waitrose. I just don't understand why people don't drive on to another supermarket - plenty of choice.

In my experience Waitrose have been the best at limiting footfall so that's probably why they have longer queues.

Just got back from Tesco (I’m near Cardiff) - 5 min queue to get in, but it was more pleasant inside than the usual Christmas shop due to limited numbers. No sign of shopmageddon - no empty shelves, got everything I needed.

Tier 2 Tesco in the South West - queue to get in which I assume is down to controlled entry. I didn’t join it so no idea about the situation inside! We’ve had a lot of flooding which is affecting deliveries, hoping everything I’ve ordered manages to get through in time otherwise we’ll be having a slightly prolonged Christmas!
Whatever happens we’ll make do.

@Whattimeisdinner

I must be on another planet... Are people buying enough food for weeks and weeks? Or just for Christmas day? I was going to go on the 23 or 24th for veg and a few treat. I now feel like I should be rushing out and filling a huge trolly... What do people know that I don't?

People always do. The week before Christmas you ALWAYS see people with trolleys piled high as if they're planning for a siege. This year is no different.

GS phoned this morning, stepfather been violent so my totally isolated Christmas now includes a 15 year old with hollow legs so yes I had to go and get extra.

Went to Lidl and it was very busy with people checking out with £200 worth of food. I bought £50, extras and some stuff I will cross off my Sainsbury's order so probably spent an extra £20 or £30.

They had lots of stuff but somethings seemed low e.g. double cream. Not sure what that is about as they had plenty of milk.

Feeling a bit stressed as DH extremely vulnerable and GS has been at school last week and out with a friend at the weekend. Fingers crossed we stay safe. Don't know what 2021 is going to bring.

Yes, busy but not crazy, however we are tier two so a bit less frantic in general

I did an Asda run for this week's stuff, DH did Morrisons for Christmas stuff as they're our teo nearest shops. M&S was done last week.

Morrisons was OK, DH tells me, Asda however was busy and they had millions of workers and trolleys out, clearly restacking the shelves. That's great but honestly with the number of customers there, I felt there were far too many people and far too close, they haven't thought it through.

Just got back. Its fine. No one is panicking.

Tier 3 here. Went to Aldi this morning for my big Xmas shop. Not only was it generally quiet and calm, but I've never seen the shelves so full of stock!!

Went this morning at 9am, it was busy like a saturday would be, but there was plenty of stock.

@Whattimeisdinner

I must be on another planet... Are people buying enough food for weeks and weeks? Or just for Christmas day? I was going to go on the 23 or 24th for veg and a few treat. I now feel like I should be rushing out and filling a huge trolly... What do people know that I don't?

For me, this year, I wanted to get in and done in case we have to isolate, I will have to do a shop for bread and milk this week but I don’t want to set foot in another shop for as long as I can.

I think there’s also the worry about the lorries and brexit so people just want to get done.

I hate shopping at this time of year but now I have to buy Christmas dinner since I can't go to relatives anymore because of the restrictions. It was ok yesterday when I went out to get some basic things.

Medium sized Sainsbury’s in North London today- went because we had to cancel visit to inlaws so needed to get a turkey and trimmings. Arrived about 10.45. Car park was full, which is very unusual, but store itself not too bad- 5 min queue to get in, only 1 person in front of me at the checkout.
Shelves very well stocked, apart from turkeys/Turkey crowns of which there were maybe only 6 of each size/price option. Cheese was flying off shelves as fast as they could unpack it. Mountains of sprouts and plenty of pigs in blankets, stuffing etc. Much better than I had feared given that so many people who had not been intending to do Christmas lunch will now be having to shop for one.

I'm back-Sainsbury's in Tier 4

It was ok! Really not too bad at all-standard Christmas week levels of human traffic with plenty of fresh food still left
The only things that were almost cleared out were bags of salad and joints of beef.
Sounds like the border is reopening for two way freight traffic so that's good

Marks and Spencer in tier 3. Arrived at midday.

The retail park was very busy and there was a long queue to get in.

Queue for the tills all around the edge of the store but flowing quickly and we'll managed.

All food available in abundance. No empty shelves.

I'm confused.
According to the Daily Mail, there are massive queues and empty shelves as food flies off and panic buying grips the nation.

Are they possibly exaggerating?

I went to Waitrose (London) at 11 am expecting it to be awful but it was fine. No queue to get in, people being sensible. A few shelves not very full, but could get most things. Good luck! I do hope people don’t start crazy panic buying again!

I've been to Tesco this morning and there was a big queue but only waited 5 mins. It's one of those big Tesco extra stores so although it was busy it didn't feel packed. We also did scan as you shop so no queuing at the tills. Winner!

It's manic every year with the 23rd being the worse day, I worked at Sainsbury's for 5 years. Weirdly Christmas was my favourite time to work because the shifts went so quickly. Even if every year I'd ruin someones Christmas because we had no brandy butter or brandy sauce.

So get your brandy butter earlier than Christmas eve!

Oh yeah and no shortages except for raw beetroot but you can live without that 😀

@chomalungma

I'm confused. According to the Daily Mail, there are massive queues and empty shelves as food flies off and panic buying grips the nation.

Are they possibly exaggerating?

You can complain about the DM's irresponsible reporting here;

www.ipso.co.uk/complain/

@chomalungma

I'm confused. According to the Daily Mail, there are massive queues and empty shelves as food flies off and panic buying grips the nation.

Are they possibly exaggerating?

NO! THE DM? Shocking.