Tips for how to avoid queuing at supermarkets?

Chomeur

basill said:

Look up the shop in Google maps, scroll down and busy or quiet times are shown along with a column for live waiting times.

Thanks. A pity you can't see the waiting times for periods other than the present though, in order to help with planning.

Steve_L

The weather reports aren't looking hopeful for my "cunning plan".

I'm beginning to wonder, if it might be better to simply go at a convenient time for you, plan to have to queue for 2 hours (sweets, pain killers, not water - it's the last thing I'd need!) so you're pleasantly surprised if you have to queue for less.

Murphybear

Bacman said:

Tip - use two hand baskets rather than a trolley as you can then use the self-service small tills (they don't let trolleys use them) - then you can be in and out quicker.

Tip - if you are shopping as a couple, why not both take a small trolley and stand in the queue, then when go into the store both take a basket and leave the trolley inside the store in a corner somewhere - that way you can both shop together all be it with separate baskets; or if it's a large shop both use the smaller trolleys; when you get to the checkout you can both unload at the same time, then use one trolley to load up items before the other one is emptied. After all, most people I am sure are shopping for themselves as well as a relative so they are technically shopping for 2 households anyway. It is unreasonable for a couple, no kids especially, to be split up and one expected to stay outside - especially if it is likely to rain or if the couple are not young and actually need each other to safely get items from the shelves?

Our local Morrison’s won’t let 2 people go in together even with separate trollies.  We tried to pretend we were from separate households (the truth was that we were shopping for 4 different people all 70+) but the guard said he had seen us get out of the same car so one of us had to wait outside.  By the time my OH came out there were a dozen or so people pottering about waiting for their other halves 

Steve_L

If every supermarket had a webcam ....

od244051

Steve_L said:

The weather reports aren't looking hopeful for my "cunning plan".

I'm beginning to wonder, if it might be better to simply go at a convenient time for you, plan to have to queue for 2 hours (sweets, pain killers, not water - it's the last thing I'd need!) so you're pleasantly surprised if you have to queue for less.

Its going to rain next Wed-Sunday pretty much all day where I am in the Midlands so you will be in luck with the rain.

Steve_L

od244051 said:

Steve_L said:

The weather reports aren't looking hopeful for my "cunning plan".

I'm beginning to wonder, if it might be better to simply go at a convenient time for you, plan to have to queue for 2 hours (sweets, pain killers, not water - it's the last thing I'd need!) so you're pleasantly surprised if you have to queue for less.

Its going to rain next Wed-Sunday pretty much all day where I am in the Midlands so you will be in luck with the rain.

I thank you for the intel' and good wishes, but we need potatoes (ordered but unavailable as, apparently, there weren't any others in the store to substitute as requested - see other thread) over the weekend, plus other things that we can't get elsewhere or by home delivery.

Steve_L

We arrived at Tesco at approx 3:15pm and I queued for just 20 minutes, as opposed to 1 hour at 10:15am last time. I rest my case, m'lud.

[Deleted User]

I just goto supermarkets where there’s no queues. Aldi, lidl, farmfoods and homebargains have been fine first thing in the morning. 

The big supermarkets are terrible for queues so I just drive straight past. Why do poeple want to queue and pay more?

rhcp

If nobody goes out when it is raining, imagine the queues when it stops raining.  They'll be three times as long!  Guess we will find out next week.

pumpkin89

Deleted_User said:

I just goto supermarkets where there’s no queues. Aldi, lidl, farmfoods and homebargains have been fine first thing in the morning. 

The big supermarkets are terrible for queues so I just drive straight past. Why do poeple want to queue and pay more?

People want to buy what they normally buy (and shop where they normally shop - I wouldn't want to be trying to navigate an unfamiliar store layout while trying to practise social distancing).  Queuing is a non-issue for many people, having a lot of time on their hands at the moment, and it's actually been quite pleasant standing out in the sunshine the last few weeks.