TESCO is warning customers that it’s almost sold out of Christmas delivery slots – a day before they are released.

A message on the supermarket’s website says it now has “very few slots left” for deliveries on the days leading up to Christmas Day.

Demand for Christmas delivery slots is bigger than ever because of Coronavirus

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Demand for Christmas delivery slots is bigger than ever because of CoronavirusCredit: Alamy

The Christmas slots are due to go on general release at 7am tomorrow (Friday November 19) after delivery saver scheme customers got priority access last week.

These early shoppers were left frustrated after having to wait hours to secure their slots in a virtual queue.

And now non-priority customers may not be able to secure a delivery at all for the peak dates of 20-24 December which go on sale tomorrow.

Despite making more than a million delivery slots a week available the supermarket has said there are not enough to go round.

Tesco has apologised to customers for the lack of delivery slots for the festive period

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Tesco has apologised to customers for the lack of delivery slots for the festive period

Shoppers are being urged to shop in store if they can, shop earlier, or use click and collect where available.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We have more than doubled our online capacity since the start of the covid crisis, with around 1.5m slots available every week.

“We are doing everything we can to meet the record demand this Christmas, however we know that there are still not enough slots for everyone who may want one.”

“We have worked hard to make our stores safe and, as we have throughout the pandemic, we would ask anyone who is able to safely shop in store to please do so.

“If customers are looking for an online slot, we would encourage them to consider shopping a little earlier in the Christmas period, or to choose click and collect, where we have better availability.”

The website warning that there are very few slots has left some customers confused though, as they can’t see or book the remaining slots closer to Christmas until Friday morning.

One shopper complained to Tesco on Twitter: “My app keeps telling me there’s very few delivery slots left for Xmas and gives me a link to click then only offers slots until mid December?”

Supermarket Christmas delivery slots

Here’s when you can start booking an online delivery slot at each supermarket:

Tesco: 7am on November 13 for delivery saver scheme customers and 7am on November 20 for everyone else

Asda: already open

Morrisons: not revealed yet

Sainsbury’s:

  • For delivery on 20 December, slots can be booked from 29 November
  • For delivery on 21 December, slots can be booked from 30 November
  • For delivery on 22 December, slots can be booked from 1 December
  • For delivery on 23 December, slots can be booked from 2 December

Iceland: business as usual with delivery slots released six days in advance so keep an eye out from December 14 to bag a slot for December 20

Waitrose: already available

Ocado (including M&S): already sold out

Check out how Christmas delivery slots work and how to get them.

Another said: “@Tesco hi – I’m confused. The Tesco app says there aren’t many delivery slots from 20-24 December. But it says ‘book a slot for the week before’. When you go to the calendar, it finishes on 9 Dec?! Who is allowed to book a slot further ahead than that?”

Supermarkets have been put under increasing pressure to meet demand since the coronavirus crisis hit and in the lead up to the already busy Christmas period.

The pandemic has seen a surge in households relying on online shopping and retailers have hired thousands of seasonal workers to try and keep up.

And shoppers have been warned by retail experts that they should shop early because of the combination of Christmas and the second lockdown, or risk delivery chaos.

Christmas delivery slots from supermarkets are in high demand every year and often sell out even when there’s not a pandemic.

Ocado has already filled up its slots this year while other supermarkets will make them available closer to the day,

Sainsbury’s is planning to release its slots staggered over several days between November 29 and December 2, while Morrisons has not revealed a schedule.

Asda and Sainsbury’s have both hiked the prices of some of their delivery slots, leaving shoppers furious. 

Tesco, GAME and Currys websites crashed today when customers tried to buy the newly released Playstation 5 console.

We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about when to book Christmas delivery slots at all the major supermarkets.

Tesco’s cheeky Christmas ad 2020 says none of us are on the naughty list this year

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk

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