Last minute shopping on Christmas Eve?
Supermarket giants comment on feared bottlenecks
Created: 12/24/2022 10:21 am
By: Stella Henrich
Just before Christmas Eve.
Some people haven't thought of everything.
Where's the champagne, where's the wine to toast your family dinner?
Supermarkets like Rewe and Edeka give the all-clear.
Munich - There are always people who do their shopping at the last minute.
According to the motto "Why should you prepare for Christmas long in advance?
The supermarkets and discounters are still open until December 24th.” That's right.
But it seems as if not everyone has noticed that many products have been missing from the shelves of grocers in recent months.
The shelves could not be refilled.
Not because there was a lack of shelf fillers.
The products simply did not arrive in stores.
What about sparkling wine or wine, for example?
Drinks that should not be missing on Christmas Eve for a convivial meal with the family.
Or to toast loved ones you haven't met in a while.
"It's nice to see you again" is not so good to say with a glass of water.
Is Christmas 2022 in jeopardy?
Christmas 2022 in danger?
Traders had been facing shortages just before Christmas Eve for weeks
In fact, retailers have been warning of delivery bottlenecks just before Christmas for several weeks.
According to a survey by the Munich ifo Institute in October, 74.9 percent of the retailers surveyed complained about problems with supplies.
There was no prospect of a relaxation in the run-up to Christmas.
The situation remains tense.
It is true.
In recent weeks, consumers have repeatedly found themselves in front of empty shelves looking for flour, cooking oil, yoghurt, Coca-Cola or sweets.
Champagne, eggs, mayo: These foods are scarce at Christmas
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The West
has therefore asked some retailers whether important holiday products are in short supply and whether sales volumes could be rationed.
After all, in the past few days, one has observed in amazement several hamster buyers who left the store with several bottles of sparkling wine, wine or other spirits.
One would have liked to ask: where is the party taking place?
Christmas 2002 in danger?
Rewe and Edeka give customers the all-clear
Rewe is confident.
Certain products could become scarce for a short time.
But the retail group is trying to compensate for this.
Edeka also assures the online portal of the Funke Medien Gruppe "sufficient supply" of the products required for the festival, even in all markets.
In neighboring Austria, the situation appears to be somewhat different.
"The Christmas business will be a logistical challenge for which we are already preparing ourselves," said Peter Krug at the beginning of November.
Krug is part of the management of Eurogast Austria, a catering wholesaler.
Additional quantities would have to be delivered at a time when logistics had already reached their capacity limits, the public welfare foundation Oekoreich quoted the managing director as saying.
Bottlenecks threatened in principle with overseas goods.
Coupled with bottlenecks that sometimes exist with the packaging.
Shopping before Christmas Eve: The shelves in stores have not always been so full in the past few weeks.
(Iconic image) © Fleig/Eibner/imago
If you still want to try your luck for a successful party in this country and, for example, are still looking for a good little stuff on the home stretch on Christmas Eve, you should also pay attention to the opening times of the dealers in order not to fail because of closed shop doors.
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This is how the supermarkets and discounters in Germany are open at Christmas:
Aldi North and Aldi South | from 7.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. or 2.00 p.m |
Lidl | from 7.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. or 2.00 p.m |
Edeka | from 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. (branch managers can set their own opening times) |
rewe | between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m., locally also from 6 a.m. or 6.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (branch managers can set their own opening times) |
net | from 6.30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m |
Kaufland | from 6.30 a.m. or 7.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. or 2.00 p.m |
penny | from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m |
The dealers point out that there could be long queues at the cash registers of Aldi, Lidl, Edeka, Kaufland, Penny and Rewe.
But everyone has to reckon with the fact that they are not the only customer who goes shopping for their loved ones at the last minute.
And if you end up being too late, you can - exceptionally - treat yourself to a hearty sip of red wine from the chalice during the pastor's midnight mass.
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