In the next few days, too, you will need good nerves and a lot of patience when shopping. At Aldi Süd, Aldi Nord, Lidl, Rewe and Edeka it is getting full again. New Year’s Eve and New Year are coming up. CHIP says what you have to be prepared for in the coming days and reveals how you can now get food easily and stress-free.
If you still need groceries for the first few days of the new year, you should hurry. Long queues and waiting times at Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Kaufland and other supermarkets threaten from December 30th at the latest.
This time, too, record sales of food, beverages and drugstore items are lurking for retailers. Because contact restrictions also apply, there are significantly more celebrations in small groups. Conversely, this means that raclette cheese and sparkling wine flow in streams in many households.
Last-minute shoppers can expect a mask requirement, minimum clearances, long queues and an important change at the entrance in the next few days.
Admission restriction in the supermarket due to New Year’s Eve
After the shopping cart obligation returned shortly before Christmas Eve in the supermarket, customers are now asked again before New Year’s Eve to take a shopping cart or basket with them before entering the store. If no shopping aids are available, customers will have to wait outside.
Some supermarkets and discounters use security guards for this. Vaccination cards or recovery certificates are not requested in the grocery store.
The shopping cart and shopping basket obligation is an important tool for counting the customers in the store and for better managing the number of customers.
In many places, the following applies: every customer should have ten square meters of space in the branches, otherwise infection protection measures that provide a distance of at least 1.5 meters will be violated. Nothing works without a shopping cart or basket.
Customers should expect waiting times in front of the branch from Wednesday evening, all Thursday and possibly around midday on Friday from 12 noon.
All supermarkets, discounters and drugstores are open until 2 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
What do customers have to pay attention to during the days?
Customers must wear mouth and nose protection already in the customer parking lot.
So that customers don’t freeze while waiting outside, they should put on a winter jacket or coat, gloves and a scarf. Ideally, this can help.
Anyone who has already thought about their purchases and has noted down all the necessary groceries on a shopping list saves time and does not get annoyed at the end if they forget about butter, yeast or other important products.
Is it busier now than at Christmas?
It is possible that in the coming days there will actually be more going on at Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka and Co. than a week earlier.
Many employers pay the monthly salary between December 29th and December 31st. Potential customers therefore have more money in their account and therefore buy long-lasting food and beverages at the beginning of the month.
Because the holiday “New Year” falls on a Saturday, but you cannot shop, the shopping is shifted to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. One reason is that employees still reduce their remaining vacation between the two years. This also gives them more time to go shopping.
“Many customers bought long-lasting food for New Year’s Eve before Christmas. The days before New Year’s Eve use them to buy meat, fruit, vegetables and yoghurt,” says Silke B., an employee of an Edeka branch in Munich.
Sparkling wine, raclette cheese, soft drinks, ham and chips are at the top of the shopping list. “Here in Bavaria the clubs are closed. Young people celebrate at home. You need a few more drinks,” jokes the employee.
When is it less going on again?
It will only be more relaxed in the supermarket in the New Year.
Those who want to avoid crowds should use grocery services now. Similar to Christmas, the following applies: most of the time slots are fully booked.
Ideally, take a look at the grocery delivery services and book a time slot before New Year’s Eve and before 2 p.m.
If you are ordering there for the first time: watch out for discounts and offers for new customers. As a rule, you also have to shop for a certain amount.
You can also easily buy sausage, meat and cheese products from the butcher. However, there are also long queues here. Many regional providers offer delivery services for a fee. In many cases it can be worthwhile.
If you only need milk or butter, you can buy it at gas stations on New Year’s Eve. Bread is usually available again at the bakery from Sunday January 2nd.