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Original poster

Have you been non-essential shopping yet and was it busy?

83 replies

PuzzledObserver · 17/04/2021 19:44

We went to Solihull yesterday - nearest big shopping centre, 15 miles away. Seriously exciting to get outside of home turf for the first time in months..... not that Solihull town centre is exciting in itself, just that it’s the furthest I’ve been from home since July.

I wouldn’t say it was particularly busy, either in the streets, or inside the shops we went in. Apart from Marks and Spencer - we had to dodge people in there.

Sad to see several empty shops. Especially since one of them was Cotswold Outdoor, which was our main reason for going there.

OP posts:
Snog · 17/04/2021 21:11

Rammed in my town.
All shops had queues and LOADS of open air drinking. Not quite at pre xmas levels but definitely busy.

Aposterhasnoname · 17/04/2021 21:14

Been to Leeds today. Apart from primark, it wasn’t particularly busy. Got some fab bargains though.

MimosaFields · 17/04/2021 21:15

London today was absolutely packed

HolmeH · 17/04/2021 21:16

Yep, Leeds yesterday. Was busy-ish, nothing awful. Spent a happy hour in Primark 😂 and pottered round the centre, had lunch .. was fab. I’m not a huge shopper, to be honest I don’t have time with kids but I really enjoy a a few odd trips a year!

AuntieZoflo · 17/04/2021 21:21

Car park really busy but shops not too bad. Outside hospitality was absolutely heaving though...everyone must’ve gone in the car for “just the one drink”, hope they stick to it!
The motorway has been so much busier this week though. My route to work involves a road that leads to North Wales and the Lake District and I’ve seen tonnes of caravans and camper vans.

CravingTheSun · 17/04/2021 21:33

Went to Westfield today, a lot quieter than I expected but got progressively busy as the afternoon went on.

No queues around really, and where there was ot was only one or two people long!

HairyToity · 17/04/2021 21:36

We went shopping for the first time today, to my surprise it wasn't busy.

JustMeAndWheatley · 17/04/2021 21:45

Waterstones was empty
Boots empty
Local department store empty
Wilkos very busy

LucilleTheVampireBat · 17/04/2021 21:52

Yes, been to town (Manchester) today. It was busy, brilliantly busy. Had to queue up to get into Primark but was only 30 mins. Lunch at the pub, coffee (wine) at another pub later and cocktails before the train home. Fanfuckingtastic.

Hairbrush123 · 17/04/2021 22:43

I went into Birmingham on Monday and it was busy! However I missed the buzz of the city so was happy to see it. Loved seeing restaurants full and seeing different types of people wander around the city.

I didn’t go into Primark but the queue was the longest queue I’ve seen for anything in my life! Alas, Waterstones was too quiet (hopefully it picked up by the time I left) but H&M, Cos, FatFace and M&S were delightfully quiet with minimal queuing. I missed shopping in store so it was a welcome experience!

Snally82 · 17/04/2021 23:14

Went in to a main shopping town centre today and was quiet, no where near like a pre covid Saturday

DrunkenKoala · 17/04/2021 23:36

It was very quiet at my local shopping centre earlier this week, got a parking space very easily and was in and out very quickly.

Bythemillpond · 17/04/2021 23:44

Went to our local town earlier in the week and it was empty. It looked so sad as a lot of the shops and restaurants won’t be reopening again.

Goawaymuppet · 17/04/2021 23:48

I went to Covent Garden on Thursday and it was busy but not pre Covid busy. I had to queue outside a few shops but it felt ok.
I really want to support shops where I can.

CornishYarg · 18/04/2021 00:11

I did some essential shopping at a shop on a retail park as there's a limit on how long children can keep wearing holey, bald trainers and undersized clothes

😃 Yes, my shopping yesterday was technically non-essential but I'd argue it was pretty essential to replace my trainers that are so worn out that the shop assistant asked if I'd walked from Lands End to John O'Groats in them! I don't particularly enjoy shopping so buy a lot online, but not shoes.

It was far less busy than I feared. I walked straight in to 3 of the 4 shops I went to and I only waited a minute to go into the 4th.

Flowerlane · 18/04/2021 05:02

Traffic has been a lot worse this past week so did think the shopping centres would be rammed. From what I have heard on the local pages they haven’t been. I personally have not been and don’t plan on going till mid May when I need to pick a couple of bits up for a upcoming holiday that I like to buy in person rather then online.

Strange as I use to be such a shopaholic loved hitting the shops at least once a week for a big day out lunch etc now sadly I couldn’t think of anything worse. I prefer to order online now and less then before as I now search a particular item I need rather then buying something that catches my eye when out and about that I didn’t need. Covid has certainly changed my shopping habits.
A few of my family and friends think the same now and are looking forward to more time in restaurants/pubs having a drink and something to eat.

Think online shopping is definitely taking over the high street stores sadly.

LovingBob · 18/04/2021 06:55

Went to Rushden Lakes on Monday and it was fairly busy, some smaller clothes shops sadly quite empty though, large queue for Primark. On holiday now and went to York city centre on Thursday and it didn't seem as busy as other times I had been though it was midweek, going to designer village outlet on Monday, don't really know what to expect

LovingBob · 18/04/2021 07:02

I do fear for Cotswold Outdoor PuzzledObserver, DH gets a lot of stuff from there and it was always fairly empty before Covid, ours is unfortunately next to Decathlon which is cheaper and busier. DH likes Cotswold though as it is like John Lewis and gives advice on things.

Tumbleweed101 · 18/04/2021 07:05

Popped into town on my day off and it was comfortably busy, but less than I expected. I would browse more but dislike the masks so tend to get what I need and leave. Once
masks and other restrictions start going I’d imagine it will be more enjoyable again.

HedgleyTheHedgehog · 18/04/2021 07:21

There's no enjoyment in going round shops wearing a face covering. Until they are no longer a requirement you'll find most ppl stay away

We only go food shopping because we have to, online food deliveries have never been very successful. Items missing/substituted so we end up needing to go shopping, it defeats the object of having a delivery

AtlasPine · 18/04/2021 07:25

I went to Tottenham Court Road and Covent Garden to the outdoor clothing shops which had a few customers - slightly less than you might have expected on a Saturday at the start of the season. Service was great and I was so pleased to be able to get new walking kit. The tube was busier than it has been at the weekend for a while but by no means crowded. It was lovely to feel a sense of some sort of normality again - very up-lifting. I didn’t visit the main shopping drag on Oxford Street though so can’t comment on that.

Lovelydovey · 18/04/2021 07:29

I went to buy school shoes - fairly essential in my books. Was surprised at how busy the town centre was, though Clark’s itself was very organised and not busy.

LovingBob · 18/04/2021 07:29

Yes the masks do put me off, luckily our shopping centre is an outdoor mall but some are all inside so you have to wear a mask the whole time so I imagine those won't be as popular. I wear a Seasalt handyband which is fine as it is cooler and easy to pull up and down to enter shops but I will struggle in the warmer weather and probably won't bother to go to the shops as usually shop online anyway

SkankingMopoke · 18/04/2021 07:35

I went to Milton Keynes on Tuesday. We got there for opening, and it was pretty quiet although a lot busier by the time we left. We needed school shoes (narrow feet that are hard to get a good fit with, so online was out), DCs were desperate to look around the Lego shop to spend their Christmas money, and I wanted to look in John Lewis for clothing for me. DCs also dragged me into a few other shops between the 3 planned.

Wednesday DH and I went to Ikea as our sofa broke back in September. We had nursed it through with the plan to get a new one in the Jan sales, and it is now really urgent. I didn't want to buy a sofa online I'd never sat on to try first. We went at lunchtime to fit around DH's lunch break, and was dreading the queues - walked straight in! Inside it was busy but not crowded. The queue for hotdogs was horrific though...

Yesterday DH went to get his hair cut and popped into Debenhams' closing down sale. He said it was rammed with crazy queues. He went in because he wanted to see what was so good it was worth that level of fuss 🙄 (he did come away with loads of heavily discounted clothes for DCs in their next size up and some much-needed new frying pans though). I would have given it a very wide berth!

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 18/04/2021 07:36

Went to IKEA on Tuesday.
Arrived at 10am opening time. Was in by 10 past. No queue really for checkouts. But had to wait a while in hotdog queue (as only the kiosk was open, Not the cafe). We have made the mistake going on a bank holiday weekend before and spent an hour queuing at the checkout!

Think DH has moved into B&Q as he keeps disappearing there..

(We've just moved house!)