SUPERMARKET SWEEP
Aldi reveals quietest times to shop in supermarkets ahead of Christmas
Scroll down to see a host of changes Aldi is making or has made this year
ALDI has revealed the quietest times to shop in its stores and swerve the crowds ahead of Christmas.
The UK's fourth largest supermarket said its stores will be least busy on December 17, 22, 23 or 24 this year.
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On these days, shoppers should visit between 8pm and 10pm when customer numbers will be lowest.
Remember, you can find your nearest Aldi store by using the retailer's branch locator tool on its website.
You simply enter your town or postcode and it will bring up the closest shop to you.
For shoppers looking to head to Aldi for their festive shop, the retailer is slashing the price of its Christmas dinner from Thursday.
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The feast costs £11.45, with Aldi claiming it feeds a family of six, coming with a turkey, potatoes, brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, parsnips, stuffing, Yorkshire puds and gravy.
The retailer is also slashing the cost of its festive veg to just 15p on the same date.
The German discounter is reducing prices on two kilo bags of white potatoes, one kilo sacks of carrots and 500g of parsnips on December 19.
Red and white cabbages, 500g bags of brussels sprouts and broccoli will also be reduced to 15p.
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But shoppers won't have long to snap up the cheap veg as the offer is only running until December 24, and while stocks last.
Shoppers looking to get a Too Good to Go "Surprise Bag" can reserve them earlier than usual this Christmas too.
ALDI BARGAIN BUYS
The mystery bags cost just £3.30 but come with £10 or more worth of food approaching its sell-by or use-by date inside.
Shoppers will be able to reserve the bags for collection five days in advance rather than 24 hours normally.
Bags for Christmas Eve will be available to order for collection from December 19 while bags to collect on New Year's Eve can be ordered from December 27.
It comes after Aldi revealed it will close its more than 1,000 branches on Boxing Day as a thank you to staff.
The retailer said it will pull down the shutters on stores so workers can spend two days with their families and friends over Christmas.
Rival discount chain Lidl followed, confirming it would close all its stores on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, as well as New Year's Day.
ALL CHANGE AT ALDI
It's been a busy year at Aldi, with the retailer confirming a number of major changes across branches.
In August, it confirmed it was axing click and collect across 174 stores after launching the service just four years prior.
The £4.99 service let customers browse grocery items like canned goods and fresh produce online and choose a slot to pick up them up from the nearest branch.
Aldi launches the service at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in September 2020 and by 2021 it was offered across more than 200 stores.
But it started axing the service from dozens of branches, including 12 in July 2023 saying it had only launched the feature on a trial basis.
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Aldi is also expanding its number of operational stores across the UK as well, with a number opening this month.
The supermarket has said it wants to invest £800million into its store network and eventually run 1,500 stores across the UK.
How to save money on Christmas shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents - buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you're not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead - if you've got the stamina and budget, it's worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you're not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales - some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores - you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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