BEAT the Christmas rush and swerve the checkout queues by locking down a delivery slot now for your festive food shop.
Supermarkets have already started to release times that you can book in the run-up to the big day.
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Some are giving first dibs to customers who pay for an annual delivery pass – so now is the perfect time to consider signing up.
If you buy your groceries online each week from the same supermarket, a delivery pass can save you up to £280 a year.
And if you don’t end up using it as much as you planned, supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons will refund you the difference in vouchers between the price of the pass and the cost in charges without it.
Here Harriet Cooke looks at which delivery plans offer the best value and shares tips on how to save money on your Christmas shop.
READ MORE MONEY SAVING TIPS
CHRISTMAS DELIVERY SLOTS: Customers on Anytime delivery plans can book Xmas slots from 6am on November 7, and slots will open to all on November 21 at 6am.
CHEAPEST PASS: £29.94, six months, off-peak delivery (after 3pm). It works out as £1.15 per shop if you use it weekly.
MOST-FLEXIBLE PASS: £83.88, 12-month Anytime, £1.61 per shop.
PAY-MONTHLY OPTIONS: £7.99 per month for Anytime deliveries or £4.99 for off-peak slots (both over six months). Also monthly plans over a year.
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COST PER SHOP WITHOUT A PASS: £3 to £7.
ANNUAL SAVING WITH PASS: Up to £280.
MINIMUM SPEND FOR DELIVERY: £50, or there is a £5 charge.
CHRISTMAS DELIVERY SLOTS: Delivery Pass customers can book from tomorrow, with general booking the following week from October 23.
CHEAPEST PASS: £40, 12 months, Tuesday to Thursday deliveries only. It works out as 77p per shop if you use it weekly.
MOST-FLEXIBLE PASS: £80, anytime, 12 months, which is £1.54 per shop.
PAY-MONTHLY OPTIONS: £7.50 per month for anytime deliveries or £4 for midweek slots.
COST PER SHOP WITHOUT A PASS: £1 to £5.50.
ANNUAL SAVING WITH PASS: Up to £206.
MINIMUM SPEND FOR DELIVERY: £40 per order or there is a £7 charge even if you have a pass.
CHRISTMAS DELIVERY SLOTS: Open now and available for everyone to book. Be quick as slots are snapped up fast.
CHEAPEST PASS: £35 for 12 months for midweek deliveries. It works out to 67p per shop if you use it weekly.
MOST-FLEXIBLE PASS: £65, anytime for 12 months, which is £1.25 weekly.
PAY-MONTHLY OPTIONS: £6.50 per month for anytime deliveries or £3.50 for midweek slots.
COST PER SHOP WITHOUT A PASS: £1.50 to £5.
ANNUAL SAVING WITH PASS: Up to £195.
MINIMUM SPEND FOR DELIVERY: £40, or shoppers will have to pay a £3 charge.
CHRISTMAS DELIVERY SLOTS: Delivery Pass customers will be able to book their slot from Wednesday, while slots are open to everyone else a week later from October 25.
CHEAPEST PASS: £25, midweek, six months. It works out to 96p per shop if you use the pass weekly.
MOST-FLEXIBLE PASS: £70, anytime, 12 months, which is £1.35 per shop.
PAY-MONTHLY OPTIONS: £8 monthly for anytime deliveries or £5 for midweek slots.
COST PER SHOP WITHOUT A PASS: £1.50 to £6.50 per order.
ANNUAL SAVING WITH PASS: Up to £268.
MINIMUM SPEND FOR DELIVERY: £25 to check out an order.
+PLUS+ other stores
ICELAND: Doesn’t do passes, but you will get free next-day delivery on orders more than £40. Same-day deliveries are also available for orders over £25, but there’s a charge of around £1 to £4. New customers can get it free for orders over £40.
ALDI AND LIDL: Neither of the budget stores offer home deliveries, but Aldi does a Click and Collect service.
WAITROSE: Doesn’t do passes, but delivers for around £3 per order. Christmas delivery slots are available now and open for everyone to book.
CO-OP: Doesn’t do passes, but charges from 99p for a £15 minimum spend. Orders are released up to five days in advance, no Christmas slots are available yet.
HOW TO SAVE
TO get around minimum spends and basket charges, bulk-buy items such as loo rolls and toiletries, or join your shopping list with a pal or neighbour’s and get one delivery.
If you’re buying a Tesco pass, you can use Clubcard vouchers towards the cost.
Watch out if you tend to click the button to reorder the same shopping list every week, as it might mean you miss out on new offers and promotions.
Plus it’s easy to accidentally end up with items you might not need to buy again so soon.
The cheapest time and day for a supermarket delivery is Wednesday between 9pm and 10pm, with an average price of £2.80, says britsuperstore.com.
Iceland offers the cheapest delivery slots, free for orders over £40, followed by Co-op at 99p and Sainsbury’s at £1 – but you have to be willing to wait at home during a four-hour window.
When reserving a Xmas delivery, add a token item to your basket, such as a bottle of expensive whisky, to get you over the minimum spend and hold your spot.
You can swap it for what you really want closer to the time.
THINGS TO BUY EARLY
MANY supermarkets already have offers on Christmas food and drink. Here are some of the best deals.
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CHOCS: Sainsbury’s has the Cadbury Chocolate Christmas large stocking selection box on a Nectar offer at £3.75 from £4 and Ferrero Rocher chocolate pralines box at £6.50, from £9.50.
SAVING: £3
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BISCUITS: McVitie’s Victoria biscuit selection is £4.50 with a Tesco Clubcard, down from £5.
SAVING: 50p
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SPIRITS: Festive favourite Baileys Irish Cream 70cl is £10 at Sainsbury’s on a Nectar card, down from £16.50. This is always a popular deal over Christmas, so never pay more than £10.
SAVING: £6.50
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PARTY FOOD: Iceland is the place to go if you’re planning a big party on a tight budget. It’s offering three for £5 on packs of 15 duck spring rolls, ten tempura king prawns and 25 chicken goujons, normally £2.50 each.
Tesco also has a four-for-three Clubcard deal on frozen party food, including 12-packs of pigs in blankets, £3, and 12-packs of Camembert bites, £2.50.
SAVING: £3
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WINE: Buy six or more bottles of white, red, rose or prosecco to save 25 per cent at Asda.
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This offer tends to run across supermarkets, so if you’re planning on buying wine hold out for a quarter-off-six deal.
SAVING: £8.22 or more
