This'd be a great idea for a Lovecraftian story.
A Great Old One casts it's influence over normally sane and rational people and causes them to go on an irrational shopping frenzy on Christmas eve. boxing day, new years eve/new years day or qeueue up at insane hours in the morning for the sales.
As a writer of fiction, I have a team of semi-psychotic, warriors armed with both traditional and state of the art weaponry who specialise in DOOM/ALIENS style
missions and they could always take on the demonic entity which has possessed masses of people into irrational shopping urges...
Then again, there could just be Lovecraftuan entities behind the madness which has suddenly gripped the shopping public...:o:o
I went to Tesco last night to buy dinner and it was fine.
West field about a month ago was pure hell so I can only imagine how awful it is today.
I guess people panic buy because they don't want to leave the house for a few days so stock up... then again some of the same people probably camp out to get in to Next at 5am on Boxing day!
I have bought maybe 2 presents in the shops, about a month ago. Everything else was bought in November online.
One Christmas Eve ten years ago I ended up in a Sainsbury's for a minor item in the final hour before it closed for Christmas. To my amazement as I began leaving I noticed a lot of the management in their shirts and ties lined up literally begging customers leaving the store to take heaps of fresh produce from satsumas, grapes, and so much fruit to just about all the vegetables you could name. It was astonishing. Anyone who hadn't got any provisions at that late hour could have filled up the lot for free. I was tempted to grab some but as I'd only cycled there was no way I could get so much home. I wonder if Sainsbury's do this between 5pm and 6pm every Christmas Eve if they have lots of fresh stock left? Get along at 5pm and find out!
I thought I had bought everything for dinner until I went to simmer the ham earlier, looked for the veg to make a stock and haven't even got so much as a baldy potato in.
I can't spend Christmas day with eating only meat.
I thought I had bought everything for dinner until I went to simmer the ham earlier, looked for the veg to make a stock and haven't even got so much as a baldy potato in.
I can't spend Christmas day with eating only meat.
As long as you got the booze and chocs in, you'll be fine
I just went to Asda this morning after work as i forgot bits yesterday ..small cocktail sausages, chocolate, brown sugar, margarine and jelly babies came home, haven't been out since, been nice
Been to asda for the jammies and bits and it wasn't too bad at all, busy but not chaotic, but then I wasn't in for a Big Shop. Able to get parked and no queue at the self service tills.
Getting in and out of our village took longer but then it's always bottle-necked at busy times thanks to dodos parking in tight places.
Surprised so many places are still open. I thought a lot of places closed early C Eve. Hope the staff are on a nice overtime rate but I suspect not.
He'll be running off with Santa when the hour comes tonight, just you watch ... they'll be eating carrots and mince pies with the reindeer, leaving you sobbing into your glass of milk all alone
I had to pop to the chemist to pick up my prescription so as I might need some more wrapping paper I went into my local 'corner shop' Tesco's, and!.... I couldn't believe my eyes!........ at the veg stand there were added crates in the middle of the store piled high with potatoes and every veg you could want!..... Same at the bread stand!, where all fresh baked breads and cakes were piled high still!......... now this was 3pm today so surely they are never going to sell all the stock before closing time today!... I think someone has grossly over stocked....
But if you do need something!.. I reckon the corner shop is definitely the place to go!.....:D
I had to pop to the chemist to pick up my prescription so as I might need some more wrapping paper I went into my local 'corner shop' Tesco's, and!.... I couldn't believe my eyes!........ at the veg stand there were added crates in the middle of the store piled high with potatoes and every veg you could want!..... Same at the bread stand!, where all fresh baked breads and cakes were piled high still!......... now this was 3pm today so surely they are never going to sell all the stock before closing time today!... I think someone has grossly over stocked....
But if you do need something!.. I reckon the corner shop is definitely the place to go!.....:D
Tesco have been struggling for the last few years and this year has been a disaster for them, so I wouldn't be surprised if this Christmas is their worst in a long time. Aldi & Lidl have changed the game for the supermarkets.
As for the sheer greed and panic of the public, I despair at what our nation is becoming, we now have 'Black Friday', 'Cyber Monday', 'Panic Saturday', 'buy enough food to feed 5000 Xmas Eve Day', 'stand out in the cold at 3am to get £5 off a top Next coulden't sell last season Boxing Day'
I like to eat, drink and be merry at Xmas like most do, but I wish people would see past the retailers hype and realise that most of these items have never been 'full price' in the first place and there's no need to be acting like a herd of animals for a meagre discount.
You will not get me anywhere near a supermarket of shopping centre within 3 days of Christmas. With freezers and fridges there is no need for last minute shopping if planned correctly.
However I did go to our local village butcher yesterday for our pre-ordered Christmas order, which I just had to pick up and pay for, no large queues, just a couple ahead of me, though customers were beginning to build up as his shop is very popular and they come for miles away to shop there.
Tesco have been struggling for the last few years and this year has been a disaster for them, so I wouldn't be surprised if this Christmas is their worst in a long time. Aldi & Lidl have changed the game for the supermarkets.
As for the sheer greed and panic of the public, I despair at what our nation is becoming, we now have 'Black Friday', 'Cyber Monday', 'Panic Saturday', 'buy enough food to feed 5000 Xmas Eve Day', 'stand out in the cold at 3am to get £5 off a top Next coulden't sell last season Boxing Day'
I like to eat, drink and be merry at Xmas like most do, but I wish people would see past the retailers hype and realise that most of these items have never been 'full price' in the first place and there's no need to be acting like a herd of animals for a meagre discount.
An excellent post.
It makes you wonder how much debt people get into for the sake of a couple of days. I said somewhere on here I saw a woman bring back £200 of goods to Sainsbury's on Monday, the refunds split between three different Mastercards
Britain's obsession with constant spending is becoming unhealthy, unpleasant and unsustainable. Where will this all end I wonder?
I had to nip into asda for a few bits. Toilet roll, fruit and some batteries etc
I've never seen as many people in my whole life. Asda was packed, every till was in operation, I only needed a few bits but it took me an hour and 15 minutes to get in and out, I only purchased around 10 items.
People had trolleys full of beer and drinks, loafs of people had 2 trolleys full of shopping.
Adults were behaving like animals as they were fighting each other over multi packs of Stella and carling.
One woman even moved a women's trolley out of the way of the till whilst the other woman nipped back down the aisle to get something else.
They started screaming and swearing at each other in front of their own kids and others.
Why is it that we leave shopping to the last minute and then when we do we panic buy half the store.?
Don't people realise that shops are only closed on Xmas day? It's like they are buying the food to prepare for the end of time.
If you thought black Friday was bad then today was like hell on earth .
Have anyone of you been shopping today and had a similar experience?
The world has been ending for the last few days, and I got mixed up in the melee, and was determined to avoid going out today, but our Power Surge failed, and blanked out our telly and colourful lights, so we had to go out to get another one, and hunt a missing parcel posted to another address, was fun and games, and I made the most of it.:D:D Homebase are selling some large tables and I'd buy one tomorrow if I could, as shopping is quite magical:D:D
I used to be on the other side of the scene. I spent two years on the checkouts at Morrisons - working until they closed Christmas Eve. And nothing - absolutely nothing, would get me near a major supermarket since. The staff had to stay until the last shopper was past the checkout - so if you were due off at 4pm - then tough. How many smiles through gritted teeth have last minute shoppers met today?
Grief - it is 24 hours! In fact, my local Co-op corner shop is open from 9 to 12 Christmas Day. Seriously - it is absolutely bl**dy madness.
I'm waiting for one of the presents that I have bought to still be delivered. I ordered it yesterday (Debenhams website) and was told that it will be delivered between 6pm and 10pm tonight. Now I am anxiously waiting and hoping it does. I've paid £7 to make sure it does. I've never got something so late before.
Know the feeling re waiting, as I waited 3 days for my shoes, which came this morning, and felt so happy to get them as I didn't have anything else to wear. Both postie and I were happy bunnies, as he knew I was waiting for them:D:D I'm sure you'll get your parcel too:D
I used to be on the other side of the scene. I spent two years on the checkouts at Morrisons - working until they closed Christmas Eve. And nothing - absolutely nothing, would get me near a major supermarket since. The staff had to stay until the last shopper was past the checkout - so if you were due off at 4pm - then tough. How many smiles through gritted teeth have last minute shoppers met today?
Grief - it is 24 hours! In fact, my local Co-op corner shop is open from 9 to 12 Christmas Day. Seriously - it is absolutely bl**dy madness.
The amount of shoppers has been exceptional this year, which surprised me a lot, but I was lucky to get some bread I needed, and other basic items. My Christmas hasn't any extra trimmings I'm glad to say, and hanging around supermarkets wasn't a pleasant experience, and was thinking of going abroad next year.
I thought I had bought everything for dinner until I went to simmer the ham earlier, looked for the veg to make a stock and haven't even got so much as a baldy potato in.
I can't spend Christmas day with eating only meat.
If you've got a petrol station close by they might have some veggies:) We don't have any corner shops, but if we run out of milk or want some pots and fruit, hub goes to our local petrol station as they're an M&S one which is a blessing:)
In some ways I was fortunate. I realised this morning that I wanted/needed a few items so I thought I'd go early and, hopefully, avoid the nonsense which, by and large, I did.
The only irritation was that the person in front of me - seemingly inevitable - had a trolley full! And then paid by credit card which takes an absolute age.
I just went to Asda this morning after work as i forgot bits yesterday ..small cocktail sausages, chocolate, brown sugar, margarine and jelly babies came home, haven't been out since, been nice
It's daft, local shops are open for a couple of hours on Christmas Day, the rest open Boxing Day, but everyone goes on a panic buy mainly for Food & Drink with enough to stock up for a month, you'd think the world is about to end, & it's the same situation every Christmas.
Comments
A Great Old One casts it's influence over normally sane and rational people and causes them to go on an irrational shopping frenzy on Christmas eve. boxing day, new years eve/new years day or qeueue up at insane hours in the morning for the sales.
As a writer of fiction, I have a team of semi-psychotic, warriors armed with both traditional and state of the art weaponry who specialise in DOOM/ALIENS style
missions and they could always take on the demonic entity which has possessed masses of people into irrational shopping urges...
Then again, there could just be Lovecraftuan entities behind the madness which has suddenly gripped the shopping public...:o:o
West field about a month ago was pure hell so I can only imagine how awful it is today.
I guess people panic buy because they don't want to leave the house for a few days so stock up... then again some of the same people probably camp out to get in to Next at 5am on Boxing day!
I have bought maybe 2 presents in the shops, about a month ago. Everything else was bought in November online.
I can't spend Christmas day with eating only meat.
As long as you got the booze and chocs in, you'll be fine
We always played "Hide the Baileys" by midday on Christmas Day.
Getting in and out of our village took longer but then it's always bottle-necked at busy times thanks to dodos parking in tight places.
Surprised so many places are still open. I thought a lot of places closed early C Eve. Hope the staff are on a nice overtime rate but I suspect not.
Yes, I fear I've lost him.
I wouldn't want to be last minute shopping in New York
Mild, very gloomy, very wet
http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/littleitaly/?cam=littleitaly
But if you do need something!.. I reckon the corner shop is definitely the place to go!.....:D
Tesco have been struggling for the last few years and this year has been a disaster for them, so I wouldn't be surprised if this Christmas is their worst in a long time. Aldi & Lidl have changed the game for the supermarkets.
As for the sheer greed and panic of the public, I despair at what our nation is becoming, we now have 'Black Friday', 'Cyber Monday', 'Panic Saturday', 'buy enough food to feed 5000 Xmas Eve Day', 'stand out in the cold at 3am to get £5 off a top Next coulden't sell last season Boxing Day'
I like to eat, drink and be merry at Xmas like most do, but I wish people would see past the retailers hype and realise that most of these items have never been 'full price' in the first place and there's no need to be acting like a herd of animals for a meagre discount.
However I did go to our local village butcher yesterday for our pre-ordered Christmas order, which I just had to pick up and pay for, no large queues, just a couple ahead of me, though customers were beginning to build up as his shop is very popular and they come for miles away to shop there.
An excellent post.
It makes you wonder how much debt people get into for the sake of a couple of days. I said somewhere on here I saw a woman bring back £200 of goods to Sainsbury's on Monday, the refunds split between three different Mastercards
Britain's obsession with constant spending is becoming unhealthy, unpleasant and unsustainable. Where will this all end I wonder?
I'd call it 'Stupid Saturday' & 'Fools Friday' for example....
FFS, the shops are closed for 1 day!!!
I just laugh at these idiots. These sheep that can't do anything for themselves!
The world has been ending for the last few days, and I got mixed up in the melee, and was determined to avoid going out today, but our Power Surge failed, and blanked out our telly and colourful lights, so we had to go out to get another one, and hunt a missing parcel posted to another address, was fun and games, and I made the most of it.:D:D Homebase are selling some large tables and I'd buy one tomorrow if I could, as shopping is quite magical:D:D
Grief - it is 24 hours! In fact, my local Co-op corner shop is open from 9 to 12 Christmas Day. Seriously - it is absolutely bl**dy madness.
The only irritation was that the person in front of me - seemingly inevitable - had a trolley full! And then paid by credit card which takes an absolute age.
But thankful for small mercies anyway.
Should have got the stuff earlier really.
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