Take the stress out of Christmas shopping: How to avoid busy parking lots and long queues

Created: 12/20/2022, 12:59 p.m

By: Ines Baur

Not all customers can go shopping that relaxed just before the holidays.

(symbol photo).

© IMAGO/Jochen Tack

Currently there are overcrowded parking lots and long queues at supermarket checkouts.

With a few tricks you can save your nerves when shopping for Christmas.

Munich - It's the same every year.

Before the Christmas holidays, discounters and supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl and Rewe are rushed as if there were no tomorrow.

Corona is no longer an issue when it comes to dense crowds and crowds.

But to spare your nerves, it always pays off to avoid the hustle and bustle in the supermarkets.

Christmas: Shop early and avoid full parking lots and queues

The closer the holidays get, the busier it is in retail.

It is true that sharply increased prices are more of a shopping brake for people when it comes to shopping sprees.

But before the Christmas shopping season, there is hope in the retail sector.

According to a survey, people are more willing to buy something again.

Additionally, Christmas falls on a weekend this year.

Many customers plan to go shopping on Thursday or Friday.

Then they would only have the freshest produce for Christmas dinner in the fridge.

The following applies: Please allow for waiting times.

If you want to avoid queuing, you should start at the beginning of the week.

Buy non-perishable goods in good time and avoid long queues at the checkout

The best days are Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and - if possible - "against the current". So not at peak times.

For example, in the early morning.

Many parents do their shopping when they have brought their children to daycare or school.

After that, the market quiets down again until the time slot after lunch.

If you don't have to work, you go shopping.

From 5 p.m. the after-work shoppers come.

It often gets really crowded in the parking lots and in the market.

The situation calmed down shortly before closing time.

How can you shop in a way that saves time and nerves?

Groceries that don't spoil - like pasta, long-life milk, butter, vinegar, oil, citrus fruits and so on - are bought weeks before December 24th.

If you have a larger freezer or a freezer, you can buy fresh produce at the beginning of the week and freeze them.

For example bread, baguette, meat or fish.

Consumers must not forget to defrost their frozen food in good time.

Those who shop in the bakery, butcher or weekly market often don't have to wait that long

It also makes sense not to do everything in a supermarket or discounter.

In bakeries, butchers or at organic, fruit and vegetable stands at weekly markets, the rush is usually better distributed.

Furthermore, many bakeries are in need and can use the solidarity of the customers well.

If there is a lot going on at the fruit stand, you just go to the bread shop.

also read

Saving heating costs and electricity with aluminum foil: home remedies are a real secret trick

READ

Supermarket employees speak plain language: Which sentences totally annoy us - "You hear it 100 times a day"

READ

ProSieben and Sat.1 suddenly shut down TV stations

READ

Recall at dm: There is a risk of diarrhea, nausea and fever - drugstore recalls organic product

READ

"How brazenly do Lidl and Ferrero gamble away their customers?" Woman uncovers sales ploy

READ

Fancy a voyage of discovery?

My space

The regular customers of the specialist shops know how to avoid peak times.

Or order their products days and weeks in advance.

Groceries then only have to be picked up and paid for.

It takes less time than looking for a parking space, pushing shopping trolleys through rows of shelves, searching and queuing at the checkout.

Delivery services are convenient for workers

Employees who have no alternative but to do their Christmas shopping on Friday evening or Saturday morning can use the supermarket delivery service.

Groups of companies such as Rewe and Edeka offer a delivery service.

The customers order the goods online and the in-house delivery service brings the groceries directly to their homes.

One of the disadvantages of the delivery service is that you cannot look at and choose the individual tomatoes, oranges or other unpackaged items yourself.