Staff have asked shoppers not to take their frustration out on them as supermarkets struggle with a rush of customers in the run up to Christmas Day
Supermarkets in and around Wales have experienced chaotic scenes this festive season. One worker recalled seeing people offering money to pay for trolleys, as people tried to squeeze in last minute grocery shopping.
On Friday there were lengthy queues on roads closeby to huge supermarkets. Staff are envisaging another busy day today, with shoppers looking last minute essentials for christmas-dinner>Christmas dinner.
Speaking to Wales Online, one Tesco worker said: “A man came over and said to the man with the trolley ‘I will literally give you a fiver for the trolley’. People were that desperate they were literally offering others money.
“Another customer also told me that he had an argument with another customer as they both wanted the same trolley. Queues were filling up the aisles as customers were waiting to pay for their shopping.”
The employee, who did not give their name, said: “I work in Tesco in Spytty, which is quite a big store. People were turning up to the store at 5am to get their shopping done, it was pretty busy. It got to around 8am and the self scan guns were empty, customers were complaining as they wanted to use them.
“Then around 10am, customers were following other customers to their cars as there were no trolleys left. They were queuing by the entrance begging others to give them their trolleys.
“A women I was serving on the checkouts was telling me how a man had promised to give her his trolley. Then another man came over and said to the man with the trolley ‘I will literally give you a fiver for the trolley’.
“People were that desperate they were literally offering others money. Another customer also told me that he had an argument with another customer as they both wanted the same trolley. Queues were filling up the aisles as customers were waiting to pay for their shopping.”
The employee added: “I really feel that this weekend is going to be worse than ever after seeing what it was like today. Even getting out of the car park was a struggles as it was absolutely packed.”
Meanwhile, in Swansea, a Tesco checkout operator spoke about the chaos at her store yesterday, on Friday December 22. Christine Sweener works in Tesco Superstore in Tidal Reach, Pontarddulais, and got in touch to say: “[I] can say our supermarkets have been very busy around Swansea.
“We tend to capture the overflow from shoppers that give up trying to get to Tesco, Trostre Parc, Llanelli, or Tesco, Fforestfach, both of which are Extra stores, therefore larger than our Tesco store in Bont.
“I’ve served shoppers today, that reported cars queuing from Tesco, in the Trostre Retail Parc, back as far as Morrisons, over the Parc Pemberton side. I heard of shoppers fighting for the last of the trolleys available at another store.
“I usually start work at 10am on a Friday, but had been asked to start an hour earlier today and was shocked to see the number in the store as I arrived. I wish all our regular Tesco, Bont shoppers a Merry Xmas, but ask shoppers don’t take their frustration out on store staff, when they’re unable to buy something they wanted to, at this late date, as it’s sold out now.
“It’s unfortunately a gamble you have to be prepared to accept, when you leave a thing until late, often in hope of getting last minute offers. Tesco, Bont (Pontarddulais) will be closed both Christmas Day & Boxing day, but the Tesco Extra stores will be open on Boxing day, if anyone is really needing to shop on Boxing day.”
