Busiest and quietest supermarket times and how to avoid long queues at Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons and Tesco in Sheffield

Demand on retailers has been huge ever since the country went into lockdown around four weeks ago due to the coronavirus crisis but, unlike when the first reached the UK shores, the majority are shelves are now well stocked.

Often the longest queues outside supermarkets in the city are in the morning, normally after the dedicated shopping time for NHS and emergency service workers, with the majority of shoppers waiting, two metres apart, to go inside for their essentials.

Major stores including Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Tesco, have been continually introducing new measures and changed their opening times to allow for ‘quieter’ times and help staff stock the shelves.

But as opening hours are extended again - with stores such as Aldi now closing at 10pm after it had previously been moved forward – there is a trick customers can try to avoid long queues.

Google uses customer data to determine how busy each individual store is.

Shopping habits have changed considerably since the coronavirus outbreak but the live times, highlighted in pink, will give a good indication of how busy each is right now.

The blue graph shows an average of how busy stores at different times, but this does include data from before the lockdown restrictions were imposed.

Here is a rough guide as to when some supermarkets in Sheffield are at their busiest:

Sainsbury’s

The Moor – Although reasonably quiet in the week, there is a steady flow of people throughout the day. Peak times such as midday and 5pm are busier on weekdays. The best times to go Monday to Thursday are before 11am or after 6pm. Friday is slightly busier, but figures show the busiest days tend to be Saturday and Sunday.

Archer Road – On weekdays, this store tends to be busier in the afternoon and into the evening and gets quieter shortly before it closes at 8pm. Friday, Saturday and Sunday appear to be the most popular days.

Clay Wheels Lane – Peak times can vary, but usually sit between 12pm and 5pm. The quietest day on average is Wednesday.

Asda

Handsworth Road – This store gets busier from 11am in the week, with peak times averaging between 12pm and 1pm. It stays slightly busy throughout the day and tails off later on. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday see the largest footfall.

Chaucer Road – Throughout the week it can get busier on the lead up to midday. Peak times tend to be between 4pm and 5pm but it quietens down as the evening progresses. Saturday and Sunday are the busiest days.

Queens Road – Friday and Sunday, on average, are the busiest days. Peak times range daily however they normally fall around 5pm in the week.

Morrisons

Meadowhead – There is a steady flow of people throughout the week, with peak times averaging around midday. Friday stays busy much of the day but Saturday and Sunday are the busiest.

Fulwood Road – This store tends to be busy towards the end of the week, from Thursday to Sunday. Peak time is around 4pm but it is quieter in the morning.

Hillsborough – On weekdays, the store gets busier after 9am and it is at it’s busiest around midday. Monday and Tuesday are the busiest, as are Saturday and Sunday.

Tesco

Abbeydale Road – Although reasonably quiet in the week, this store can sometimes get busy around midday. It is usually a little busy on Friday. Saturday, between 1pm and 4pm is the busiest. Sunday between 12pm and 2pm also sees a large footfall.

Spital Hill – Throughout the week peak times are around 12pm and 5pm. Figures show that, on a Friday, this store is very busy around midday. Weekends are the busiest on average.

Montgomery Terrace Road – Fairly quiet in the mornings on weekdays however it can see a larger footfall in the evening. Saturday is the busiest from 12pm and quietens down after 5pm. Sunday is the busier around 2pm.

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