GETTING a New Year’s Eve supermarket delivery can be a tough task – but some big retailers still have slots to go.
But availability differs by area and your luck could go either way.
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Many supermarkets ran out of delivery slots altogether in the run-up to Christmas.
New Year’s Eve is another challenging day for shops to get vans full of food and drink to UK homes.
Here’s the latest news on which supermarkets still have deliveries available for December 31.
Tesco
If you have a Tesco Delivery Saver membership, getting a prime slot on the supermarket’s schedule should be straightforward enough.
For £8 a month, Delivery Saver members get free delivery and collection on grocery spends above £40 or £25 if you use click and collect.
You get extra time to plan deliveries ahead and access to popular slots well before the masses.
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If you’re not paying for the monthly loyalty scheme, however, you’ll need a slice of good fortune this New Year’s Eve.
Central London and Manchester delivery slots appear to be out.
But there are some morning and evening spaces if you’re ordering to Essex and other areas outside major cities.
Asda
With delivery slots still available on New Year’s Eve both inside and outside London – as of mid-afternoon on December 28 – latecomer Asda shoppers should be okay for the big day.
Just make sure you’re spending £40 or more to avoid a delivery charge.
Fees differ depending on when the slot is, with morning deliveries costing £4.50 on December 31 and a more modest £3.75 later in the day.
If you want a delivery slot late at night tomorrow, however, some spaces are going for just £2, depending where you live.
Morrisons
Like Tesco, the Morrisons Delivery Pass should make life easier for frequent shoppers to get competitive slots.
You can have a seven-day or mid-week pass from just £5 a month, £20 every six months or £40 a year.
And you’ll need a dose of luck if you haven’t booked a spot already.
At some of the postcodes outside the M25 we checked, Morrisons has no availability for deliveries till January 3.
That was the case in Essex, Kent and Manchester.
It’s true of London postcodes we searched for, too.
Sainsbury’s
Unfortunately Sainsbury’s has no delivery slots at the London, South East and Manchester postcodes we searched for.
But you might be luckier where you are.
If you book your delivery before 11pm, you can usually take advantage of next-day delivery for £1 or more.
Iceland
The frozen foods specialists were overwhelmed with delivery demand in the run-up to Christmas.
And the grocer took advantage of the fact rivals Lidl and Aldi don’t offer home deliveries, making thousands of extra slots available before December 25.
If you want Iceland foods and fizz delivered on New Year’s Eve, however, you shouldn’t need luck on your side.
We found plenty of slots free on December 31 in London and Essex.
Marks & Spencer
M&S introduced its special festive delivery service in the run-up to Christmas, with slots quickly booked up.
As the short-time offer is set to run till January 15, you can take advantage of the deal on December 31 too.
We found a select few slots on New Year’s Eve at London and Essex postcodes, so it’s a good bet you should find one where you are.
Waitrose
With the pricier grocery giant taking advantage of Christmas and New Year’s Eve delivery slots to meet seasonal demand, you should usually find the time you’re looking for in advance of the big date.
However, this close to New Year’s Eve might be a different story.
We found no slots available till January 2 in London, Essex or the North West.
With deliveries becoming available again late on New Year’s Day, you might be able to take advantage then.
Ocado
The delivery-only supermarket is always a hot ticket in the run-up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
And this year appears to be no different, with slots no longer available at the London, Essex and Manchester postcodes we searched for.
If you manage to find a slot near you, consider yourself lucky.
We totted up our top tips for booking sought-after supermarket delivery slots at the busiest times of year.
They include getting in early and checking if certain grocery picks are slowing you down.
I used to work at Whole Foods and people ask us the wildest things – one even demanded to see how we paint our oranges
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