Can’t believe how quiet the shops are!

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Just picked DD up from her job at a large designer outlet - loads of spaces she says today has been like any other Saturday.

We drove to another retail park, again lots of space in what you’d think would be the busiest shopping day since it’s the last weekend before Xmas.

Aldi was quiet, no queues at the tills. There’s no need to impose restrictions, people are doing it themselves.

This is South Wales - what’s it like where you are?

My mum told me that her big tescos in Sussex was super busy like people were doing their Christmas shop today.

Our town centre was quieter than a normal Saturday today.

Definitely a very quiet city centre today, compared to normal Saturdays and taking into account students having gone home.

Yup, I drove through our SW market town at about 4pm and it was empty. It's the sort of place with loads of independent shops and coffee houses. Usually packed the last weekend before Christmas (pre-covid).

We haven't even got many cases locally. Poor shop-keepers.

Absolutely packed here. We had to queue to park and 3 cars waiting for our space afterwards.
We went to a cafe for breakfast and we got the last table and have booked in for Christmas Eve.

Waitrose was busy, I imagine Rushden Lakes has the usual traffic jam getting into it, I avoided it today but it was busy on Thursday

Everywhere jam packed where I am even coffee shops and restaurants.

Traffic outside my house is usually backed up on a Christmas markets Saturday leading into the city centre, I was just wondering what was going on because it’s literally like a midweek day at midday. Eerily quiet.

The stealth lockdown is here.

I go xmas shopping the week before every year - it’s always quieter the last week

Last few days inc xmas Eve is dead

City centre yesterday, rammed. Queues at the Waitrose car park I drove by earlier. Toy shop we went to earlier fairly busy, steady trade, not rammed but plenty of people. Cafe I went in earlier fairly full and had to queue to buy my takeaway bread. Florist I went in earlier I had to wait for person in front, someone then had to wait for me.

I’m in a south coast city & it’s heaving today - no difference to normal. I’m very glad.

I guess everyone must be here then, it’s business as usual here. All shops, coffee shops, pubs, and restaurants are busier than usual.

Just what you would expect for this time of year.

If it wasn’t for the masks you could easily forget about the pandemic.

Have been into Sainsburys, Waitrose and M&S today (about 3pm) and it seemed relatively quiet. Not empty or anything but certainly not the madness I'd expect the last Saturday before Christmas.

Oh and I'm in London (Zone 1)

This is South Wales - what’s it like where you are?

I'm in same area - had to go into city center yesterday as well as today (Saturday)and it was much busier Friday.

The roads around here (home counties) were quiet today, which was weird, because normally on a Saturday they are dreadful and it takes ages to get anywhere. I went into town at 8.30am and it was dead, despite it being market day. Took DS to the station this afternoon and again, roads were quiet. Last Saturday though, everywhere was rammed. I feel like a lot of people have finished their Christmas shopping now.

I went to Sainsbury's yesterday (massive shop, small town) and it was rammed. I had to leave without some of my stuff because it was annoying not being able to move.

This was 1ish

Rammed here too with a rate of over 900. Expecting panto tomorrow to be full also.

Busy today in our SW city, queue in Waterstones was right round the shop.

DD is a KP at a local pub. Still busy, and she usually ends up running over her shifts to finish up at the moment. DS went to Tesco's today and said it was really busy. Went out for lunch at another pub yesterday fairly quiet.

Heaving here. NE.

We are in the south

I'm currently in Nottingham and it's heaving. The Christmas market is on.

🤣😂 is it just me or is this one of this echo chamber threads again? Where everyone tries to ‘out busy’ their incredibly heaving overly busy chaotic towns to prove people aren’t being cautious? 😆 I think OP was genuinely asking hence my initial reply but now reading the responses it appears places are either super cautiously quieter or completely out of control wildly busy.

🤔

We went into sainburys on way home from booster for a few small things was very busy! It’s in a retail park and all the parking was very busy.

I’ve been doing my shopping as and when so I expect others have been too which might contribute to it being less busy