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 🤦🏻‍♀️

@SlothMama

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!

Tick!

We're due to go to Asda or Tesco this evening (both 24 hour). We always do a late night shop before Christmas. I'm hoping they've not been stripped bare, this thread has given me a lot more confidence!

Just got back from North London Sainsbury's (so tier 4). It was absolutely rammed - no different from a usual Christmas Sainsbury's. Car park was full - men directing traffic to available spaces. Social distancing completely out of the window. And whole families shopping together - which I can never understand at the best of times, but why you would choose this as a family outing at this time of year, in the middle of a pandemic completely defeats me.

And I couldn't get the turkey I wanted so have to go back at 6am tomorrow.

Pandemic - what pandemic?!

Decided to be absolutely mental and take my 2year old (who refuses to sit in the trolley) to the biggest Asda in the south west this morning. It was actually fine - no busier than normal.

Was in aldi at 9:45am. The carpark was chocablock. I was freaking out tbh. But, inside was pretty calm. Yes, there was very little SD, but it was well stocked, people were doing their best to keep a distance, everyone wearing masks. I am happy it's done and I wont be going again until I have to, but it was better than I expected.

Sainsbury's in Swansea was busy but lots of fresh fruit and veg.

@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?

GWR put the carriages on directly from paddington to Tesco. Didn’t you see ALLLL the people?

Just remembered I forgot to buy tea bags, so went out again. No queue still.

The week before Christmas you ALWAYS see people with trolleys piled high as if they're planning for a siege.

This year they actually are, though.

What I don’t understand is the folks who get to their supermarkets as soon as they open ans say they were worried about panic buyers. You do understand you’re the panic buyer right?

I’m in Glasgow. Went to Lidl about 8:15, few people but large trollies full of what looked like normal Christmas shopping.
Went on to Aldi at about 9ish. It was scarily empty with shelves groaning with Christmas goodies and all basics.
Do NOT believe the newspaper scare stories.

@tkband3 no one should shop as a family unless for childcare reasons. Indeed shopping should be best done alone, unless for childcare reasons or for a person with mobility limitations or a disability.

Just popped into my coop for milk and bread - could’ve got my whole Christmas shop no bother

Marks and Spencers is apparently "full of old ladies".
Other than that we're ok.

Sounds like the kind of comment my dd makes, she's convinced I live in a retirement community despite all my neighbours being younger than us (and we are 15 years off retirement) many with school aged kids

@OrangeSamphire

I went to our local Waitrose (Saltash) at 7.30 this morning expecting it to be quiet. Not so.

The car park was full and the queues were longer than they have ever been at any stage of the pandemic. It was totally nuts inside and nobody was social distancing.

I haven’t seen it like this before. It was stressful and sad.

The car park was full of vehicles with roof boxes on, so I suspect a lot of holidaymakers and second homers

That waitrose always goes nuts in the lead up to Christmas - often causes queues at carkeel roundabout because people can't get in and out if the car park.

I was in Tesco - very large one at 10am not bad at all busy at the tills but no large queues.

@chomalungma

I'm guessing the DM are at one supermarket in a densely populated area, or possibly my local asda that's always crazy. It perfectly ok here no queues and full shelves

Tier 4 area, arrived at sainsbury's at 7am and already busy but everything was well stocked and didn't have to queue at the tills, just starting to ask people to queue as I was leaving. Lots of couples shopping together!!!!!

We just went to a big Sainsburys in Dorset and it was busy but plenty of food and no one seemed to be panic buying.... Was pleasantly surprised

Re Daily Mail, I saw a meme once that said something along the lines of, ‘there are people who will tell children Father Christmas isn’t real, but still believe what they read in the Daily Mail.’

It was funnier online, I can’t recall the exact wording. In our family, we have instigated a rule whereby if anyone says something and it comes from the DM you have to prefix it with ‘according to the daily Mail’, so that we can all ignore it.

nosswith no one should shop as a family unless for childcare reasons I agree, particularly in small shops. I went to get a prescription for DH, I'm going to swap to getting it delivered by one of those online pharmacies but was trying to support local small businesses. Anyway standing in the cold and rain as only 2 allowed in shop. Couple in front of me so when someone comes out they stand there, I said aren't you going in? No they said we want to go in together so can't go in till another one comes out. I said but one of you could go in and get served and then the other one go in if you have to both go in. No they had to walk in together so one assistant standing doing nothing and then when they are in there no one else can go in. So I went in. They went mental but I think they were totally selfish. No children, adult couple who were both well able to demand their rights so don't think there was an issue. Anyway I'm not going through that in January and February so my business goes elsewhere.

Lidl was rammed - mask compliance about 50%

@Toastedsesame

I'm avoiding that place, its always crazy busy with large families (multiple generations) shopping without masks. I actually need homewares having just moved but can wait

I went to Waitrose at 10 am. All ready to queue. Walked straight in. Plenty of stock. No queue to pay.

But I'm not sure why the guy wearing a baby but with no sign of a basket or trolley or shopping companion found it necessary to spend several minutes standing blocking access to the whole tomato section.

In Shropshire - Lidl was getting very busy by 11am. We then went to Aldi for camembert and there was a large queue outside. Traffic jam outside Saunsburys.