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 🤦🏻‍♀️

Lovely girl at M&S at the entrance told me never to come mid morning. Its full of families, old people looking around and wondering why it is so busy and people getting very nervous when anyone comes close to them!

God - if I can get up at 630 and get myself out then anyone can. I think some people dont like to move from their routine and selfishly wont come what may.

I am hearing that Sainsbury's are saying that there is likely to be a shortage of lettuce and citrus fruits! Why do the media do this? People will panic buy all sorts now. If there are no citrus fruits for a few weeks so what!!

You can tell I am not having a good start to the week. Had to tell my DM that she couldnt come to us for Xmas - just like tons of other people. She is nearly 90 and lives 100 miles away. Floods of tears but we need to keep her safe.

Been to Lidl to do my weekly shop (we don't celebrate Christmas so I wasn't going for anything in particular)
Very quiet and fully stocked hardly anyone there
This said the lady in the shop said they were expecting it to go crazy.
I went early as I have arthritis and struggle with shopping anyway so I didn't want to get stuck with lots of people there making it more difficult for me

Venturing to sainsbury's (South Wales) soon. I expect it to be busy. Our Turkey and nice nibbles are for collection on Thursday but I need the veg and odd things like rinse aid for dishwasher and bleach.
I will just do a shop and scan as quick as I can.

That reassuring! What sort of dates do the turkeys that are already on the shelves have on them?

I went to M&S this morning on the way to work.

Busier than you'd expect at 8am on a rainy Monday, but calm and well-stocked.
They had signs for different queues for pre-orders and normal shopping, but nobody actually queuing, I walked straight in.

I wasn't buying huge amounts, but managed to get everything I wanted with dates for after Christmas.

I now just have to pick up my pre-order from the butcher and we'll be all set.

Just drove past our local Tesco - all looks completely normal🤞....think the media are trying whip up a frenzy, it’s what makes them more money after all....(& their super rich owners who make proper dosh out of the chaos!).

i was going to go on wednesday afterwork or even thursday
i thought it was too soon to be buying a turkey

I've been. Was there about 8am. No queues and fully stocked. Not particularly busy. I was worried it would be awful.

For context, this supermarket still has a proper queuing system and had lengthy queues during the first lockdown. I went straight in today.

Ports are closed for exports not imports – food will still be coming in, as long as lorry drivers will bring it...

Given how busy it is every single year in the last few days before Christmas, and how people buy utterly vast amounts anyhow (as if the shops were going to be shut for a fortnight, not two days tops) - can we really tell who is panic-buying and who is just doing what they planned to all along?

I’m not sure the media are whipping up anything. It generally Mumsnet that gets very excited about food shopping as were predominantly the people that do it. I’m sure if we ventured over to Piston Heads they wouldn’t be discussing it at all.

@ilovesushi

It's going to be heaving later isn't it. Maybe I'll get up early tomorrow and do a quick run around. Christmas day plans are still up in the air, so don't whether I'm cooking for my brother's family too or just us.

I don't think it will be. The majority of people I know had already stocked up for Christmas in late November. Most at work when lockdown was announced said they just needed veg/short sell by stuff.

I think the media needs to stop this. They are also rubbing their hands in glee with all this bad news. I have Sky on in the background and the presenter (not that Burley has been put to one side) has his phone in his hand and keeps stopping to tell us about breaking news. Twat. We need this Oxford vaccine NOW! Just something that will stop this downwards spiral

Dont - I dont know anyone who has stocked up for Xmas in Nov. Not one person....

My local supermarket is open until 11 tonight so I shall go later.
In need of gift tags and wrapping paper, which I would normally get elsewhere, but needs must... Plus it means I only visit one shop.

I'm now fully stocked- don't expect to need to go out until New Year. I can drink black tea and eat plain pasta if needed, so won't go just for milk etc.

Yes I have. It was absolutely manic in Tesco! Lidl was a lot quieter but didn't have any turkeys. They had most other stuff though. Sadly I also needed a turkey so had to brave Tesco. Glad it's done now though.

That post re Piston Heads - yes, you are right. Men dont worry about food shopping do they? Maybe its because they dont have to?

Ports are closed for exports not imports – food will still be coming in, as long as lorry drivers will bring it...

Yeah, that's the crux of the problem, they're not. Who wants to be trapped in a queue in a disused RAF station for Christmas?

Unaccompanied freight and accompanied freight on ferries from other destinations should still arrive as expected. But that doesn't cover the absence of everything that would be transiting France and the Channel - fresh food being the most obvious category in trouble.

Sainsbury's is fine. Busy, but I totally recommend the scan and shop system.

The only thing they didn't have was limes. Meh, got lemons instead.

I'm about to go. Veggie here so easy. And if there are poor stocks I will go to our massive market tomorrow

hopefully people have more sense and just get their normal Christmassy shop.

I think the extra busyness will be that there are now people suddenly having to buy food for the Christmas period when they had originally planned to be away at family’s houses for Christmas Day etc.

(Rather than panic buyers.)

I went to my local Lidl at 9 am - it wasn’t too busy, partly because they had more tills open, and well stocked. I’m shopping to avoid supermarkets between now and the second week of January - today was the festive cheese haul. Just veg and milk now which I can get at the market.

Panic shopping here largely takes place at the ‘hypermarket’ stores on the edge of town rather than my local ward.

Bathroom12345 Actually, I did (just the longer life and frozen stuff) after getting caught out last year.

But I don't think I've ever mentioned it to anyone, because it's piss boring and nobody cares what I buy or when.

So maybe you do know somebody. Maybe you even know me!

@ThelmaNotLouise not surprised the wine is running out - is it too early for a glass today?!

Joking aside it’s all very worrying, and glad to hear supermarkets are ok at the moment.