Supermarkets reveal the quietest times to shop in stores ahead of Christmas
FOUR of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains have revealed the quietest times to shop in stores ahead of Christmas.
Aldi, Waitrose, Lidl and Asda have all shared the best times for shoppers to head down to their local branch to beat the crowds.
It comes after a host of retailers slashed the price of essential Christmas lunch veggies, with prices starting from 8p.
Morrisons, Lidl, Asda and Aldi have all dropped costs on carrots, parsnips, sprouts, broccoli and more.
If you’re planning on heading out to buy some of the cheap deals, and any other festive bits, here are the least busy times to do it.
Aldi
The UK’s fourth largest supermarket said the best days to visit its stores to avoid crowds and queues are December 22, 23 or 24.
On these days, it said branches will be least busy between 8pm and 10pm.
You can find your nearest Aldi store by using the retailer’s branch locator tool on its website.
You just have to enter your town or postcode and it will bring up the closest shop to you.
Aldi also recently extended the reservation window for its Too Good to Go “Mystery Bags” from 24 hours to five days.
The mystery bags cost just £3.30 but come with £10 or more worth of food approaching its sell-by or use-by date inside.
Bags for Christmas Eve will be available to order for collection from December 19 while bags to collect on New Year’s Eve can be ordered from December 27.
Waitrose
Upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose didn’t reveal the quietest days to shop in its more than 300 stores.
However, it did share the least busy times of day across the week when shoppers can avoid the masses.
The chain said its stores tend to be quietest just after opening and just before closing.
Waitrose stores across the UK open and close at different times so you should check your local branch for its opening hours.
You can do this by using the retailer’s store locator tool which is on its website.
It comes after Waitrose changed its free coffee deal, offering in-store bevs in disposable cups for the first time in six years.
Lidl
Lidl, like Waitrose, didn’t say what specific days were the quietest to shop in its branches ahead of Christmas.
But, it did reveal the best times of day to head down throughout the year to avoid any crowds.
A spokesperson said customers who want to miss the midday rush should shop between 8am and 10am, or 6pm onwards.
You can check your local Lidl branch’s opening hours by using the retailer’s store locator tool on its website.
In any case, make sure you don’t head to Lidl on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, when the vast majority of stores will be closed.
Asda
Asda said the quietest times to visit its stores throughout the year were early in the morning or late at night, on weekdays.
It did not say what the quietest times to visit branches were on Saturdays and Sundays.
It also did not reveal the least busy days of the week to visit in the run up to Christmas.
As with the other retailers, you can find your nearest Asda shop by using its store locator tool, found on its website, to find out what its opening hours are.
Earlier this month, Asda launched a 12-week trial of electronic shelf labels at one of its Express stores in Manchester.
The labels feature all the normal information you get on a paper one like cost, weight and unit price except all the information is displayed on digital screens.
Asda said the trial will mean staff can spend more time dealing with customers.
How to save money on Christmas shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
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