Lockdown or no lockdown, we’ll always have to deal with the weekly food shop. We’re all trying to take as many precautions as we can during the pandemic, so it’s important to know the best time to shop at Asda.
Of course, the best time to shop at Asda depends on what your priorities are. Many of us will want to know the quietest times to shop at Asda, because this reduces the risk of Covid-19 transmission. However, your priorities might be about getting to Asda at the right time to snag those reduced BBQ chicken wings!
According to Opening Times, the regular opening times of most Asda stores are 7am-12pm on Monday to Friday, 7am-10pm on Saturday and 10am- 4pm on Sunday. We spoke to Opening Times about how customers can find out the best times to shop at their local Asdas, as well as priority opening times for vulnerable customers and NHS staff.
Let’s dive right in, and look at the best time to shop at Asda.
What is the best time to shop at Asda?
The best time to shop at Asda during the week are early mornings and late evenings, to avoid the busiest times. Typically, it’s a good idea to go before 11am and after 7pm on weekdays.
Weekends are much busier at Asda, and the best time to shop at Asda during the weekend is before 9am and after 8pm on Saturday, and just after 10am on a Sunday.
Let’s look more closely at the best times to shop at Asda during the weeks and weekends.
What is the best time to shop at Asda during the week?
Generally, the best time to shop at Asda during the week is before 11am and after 7pm on weekdays, because the stores get busier during the day, and start calming down towards evening.
Due to Covid-19, some Asda stores are now open for 24 hours, so if you want a really quiet shopping trip, try going after midnight! As much as some of us miss the pre-pandemic night life, there’s a lot to be said for gliding around Asda at 3am with your trolley, knowing you won’t bump into drunken revellers looking for a snack.
Of course, the best time for you to shop at Asda will depend on the store you want to visit, and the opening times of your local Asda stores. Opening Times says that it’s a good idea to check Google’s ‘popular times’ function, which will appear under any local Asda store you search. This shows you in real time how busy your local Asda is at the moment, as well as how busy it usually is at different times.
What is the best time to shop at Asda during the weekend?
According to Google data, 2pm is as busy as it gets for Asda at the weekend (on both Saturday and Sunday), so definitely don’t go at this time if you want to beat the crowds.
We’ve done our own Google data check, and the best time to shop at Asda on Saturday is before 9am in the morning and after 8pm in the evening. Obviously Sunday is a little different, as the store closes at 4pm. Go just after the store opens at 10am on a Sunday if you want to catch the quietest time.
Asda has put a number of precautions in place to protect you from Covid-19, including a ‘Scan and Go’ mobile phone function. You don’t have to worry about grabbing any sweaty barcode scanners here, as you can just use your own device to scan your shopping and pack it up as you go. This saves you time, too, so you don’t have to be in the shop around crowds of shoppers for too long.
What is the best time to shop at Asda to get reduced food?
A big motivator for shopping at Asda or any other large-chain supermarket is the lure of those yellow stickers, knocking the price of products down to pennies. We’ve all heard the myths – beef joints for 20p, fancy cream cakes for nearly nothing, and the woman who got Christmas dinner for a fiver.
The best time to shop at Asda to get reduced food is between 7pm and closing time. This is because most products that can be reduced on a particular day, will be nearing their sell-by dates at this time, so staff have to mark their price down. A useful hack for shopping at Asda to get reduced food, is not to hang around awkwardly by the reduced aisle as a member of staff scans each item for reduction. Rather, avoid the busyness of the reduced aisle by filling your basket with products that have a ‘use by’ date of that same day, and politely ask a member of staff if your shopping qualifies for a reduction. Usually, they will say yes and reduce it then and there.
What time does Asda open for NHS staff and vulnerable customers?
Asda is not currently providing any priority opening hours for NHS staff and vulnerable customers in store. However, stores are open 24 hours a day, so you have a wider range of access if, for example, you’re NHS staff working a night shift.
Asda has taken several steps to support vulnerable and self isolating customers. For example, if you are shielding (defined by the government as ‘extremely clinically vulnerable), you’re entitled to a Priority Pass to access home delivery slots before everyone else. These passes have been extended to the end of August 2021. If you don’t currently have a pass, you’ll need to register as extremely clinically vulnerable through the government website. Once you do this, your data is supplied to Asda, and they will try to match up this data with their online account holders. This also means that you have to sign up for an online shopping account with Asda. Having access to priority slots with Asda mean that you don’t have to worry about finding the least busy time to visit the store, or accessing food.
Asda also provide a volunteer shopping card that others can use to shop on your behalf, so that you don’t have to risk going out to the supermarket.
Now that we’ve covered the best time to shop at Asda during the week and weekend, and how Asda is supporting vulnerable customers, we hope you’ve found this a useful read. Remember to always shop in the early mornings and late evenings to avoid the rush at Asda.
