I’m a supermarket expert and here are the best times to do your food shop, and no you shouldn’t be avoiding Sundays

TACKLING a busy supermarket can be a stressful experience to deal with, especially for those who want to get the job done and dusted.

Predicting when a shop will be quiet or busy is almost impossible, but there are specific periods when shoppers can expect to see more or less other customers.

There are also the “golden times” when supermarkets replenish their reduced items so shoppers can grab bargains for as little as 10p.

Ashleigh Tosh, from , said: “The idea of a jam packed supermarket, where aisles are blocked and people are queuing around the entire store to get to the till is an absolute nightmare.

“That’s why we wanted to create a clear and easy-to-follow timesheet to help people be aware of when they can expect to see fewer shoppers as well as the chaotic no-go times.

“Among these are the golden times, where shoppers may get more than they bargained for by being able to pick up tasty treats such as cakes, bread and sandwiches for only 10 pence.”

The best and worst food shopping times:

Best

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - evenings

Weekday evenings are often some of the best times to head to the shops as it’ll be after the school run and rush hour shoppers have filled up their trolleys and left.

There’s also a higher chance of reduced items being available.

Sunday - late afternoon:

Around 3pm on a Sunday, shops slowly begin to close up and people rush to get out of the door.

This is also one of the prime times to get reduced items. Keep a listen out for announcements as they often let people know which items they have available for as little as 10 or 20p.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - early morning:

Plenty of shoppers like to do their big food shop on Monday or Friday as it’s typically the “start” or “end” of the week.

Getting to stores when the doors first open also increases the chance of fewer shoppers and there will be a greater amount of items available as the night staff would’ve replenished the stock.

Worst

Monday - lunchtime:

A lot of shoppers like to get their shopping completed and out of the way, which is why there tends to be a higher number of people in stores around Monday midday.

It’s made even worse on the first Monday after pay day weekend.

Weekdays - late afternoon:

Late afternoon on weekdays will have the usual shoppers, as well as parents and school kids all at once.

It’s equally as bad around 5pm to 6pm when many will be doing their food shop after work.

Saturday - morning and midday:

Saturday is one of the worst days to head to the supermarket as it’s likely to be full of customers for most of the day. The number of shoppers rises from morning to midday and stays high until the 4pm mark.

Friday - evening:

While other weekday evenings are great times to shop as there will be fewer customers, Friday is the complete opposite. People like to head to the shops on Friday evening to stock up for the weekend so they don’t have to venture out again.

Sunday - midday:

Some shoppers have a last-minute panic so they head to the shops to stock up before Sunday closing hours means they can’t visit again until Monday morning. The influx of customers arrives around midday making lunchtime one of the busiest times of the week.