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Yet to order your Christmas food shop online? Co-op and Iceland open bookings – bag your slot now

A Christmas cracker on a festive dinner table
Molly Greeves
Molly GreevesEmily White & Petar Lekarski
17 December 2024

If you're planning to order your Christmas food shop online, but you've yet to do so, Co-op and Iceland are now taking bookings from shoppers.

Delivery slots at other major supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons, have been open for some time, so you may now struggle to get one – though it's still worth a look as availability can vary by region. M&S' 'Christmas Food to Order' service is now closed for 2024, for example.

If you've already reserved a Christmas delivery slot, make sure to complete your order before the cut-off point to make edits (see below for more on this).

You can book your slot with Co-op or Iceland five days before your delivery date

Tap the table headings below to switch from home delivery to click & collect. For the majority of supermarkets, you can get your order delivered or ready for collection up to and including 24 December.

What to watch out for when booking Christmas supermarket delivery slots

  1. Bag your slot quickly if you've yet to do so. They've been snatched up in previous years.

  2. The time and date of when you can place bookings varies considerably. Priority is typically given to shoppers with delivery passes. Buying a delivery pass upfront means you don't have to pay delivery charges each time you order, plus you're offered certain discounts and other perks. But you'll need to weigh up whether this is worth it based on how often you do an online shop and how much you normally spend.

    In most cases, if you're not already a delivery pass customer, you can sign up before the general Christmas release date to bag early access – though it's now too late to do this for Christmas 2024, as bookings have already opened to all.

  3. Check if you can edit orders. Most shops let you make multiple changes to your order by certain deadlines. These include:

    - Asda: 11pm on the day before your delivery date.
    - Iceland: 11pm on the day before your delivery date.
    - Morrisons: cut-off time varies; check your order confirmation email.
    - Ocado: 11.30pm two days before your delivery date.
    - Sainsbury's: 11pm on the day before your delivery date.
    - Tesco: 11.45pm on the day before your delivery date.

    We often recommend getting your order in with a few items to bag your slot, then making edits later. Now that the big day is fast approaching, make sure you add the rest of your shopping ahead of your deadline.

  4. Beware delivery fees. Most supermarkets will deliver up to and including Christmas Eve, but opting for click & collect will invariably be cheaper than choosing a home delivery.

  5. Not all supermarkets release specific Christmas dates for orders. Some will just run their usual delivery services.

  6. Remember to factor in food costs, as these will vary by supermarket. Try using a comparison tool, such as Trolley, to benchmark the cost of items at major supermarkets including Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury's and more. You can also use Trolley to set alerts for when the price of your favourite items drop. For more ways to save on food, see our Supermarket shopping tips guide.

To find out how to save yourself financial stress this festive season, including banning unnecessary presents and booking train tickets in advance, see our 48 Christmas MoneySaving Tips.

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