The Tesco website crashed this morning as hundreds of thousands of people tried to book delivery slots for Christmas.
Shoppers queued up at the crack of dawn to bag their slot, which were meant to be available to book from 6am.
But many people logged in to find themselves at the back of a queue of almost 300,000 people.
Tesco has acknowledged that the website was receiving a 'high number of visits' once its festive bookings opened and that it was 'working hard to fix it'.
Tesco opened its Christmas delivery slots this morning. Credit: Ben Stevens / Parsons Media
Several people compared the virtual queue to book slots to the struggle to get Glastonbury tickets, or this weekend's mad scenes when Peter Kay tickets went on sale.
Another wrote: "Also. How boring am I? Didn't queue for Glastonbury. Didn't bother with Peter Kay tickets. But Tesco Christmas food shop? There with (jingle) bells on. What a time to be alive."
One person tweeted: "I'm at the stage of life where I don't queue for glasto tickets but for Tesco delivery slots," alongside a screenshot that showed them in a queue position of 182,618.
Someone else asked: "Is Peter Kay performing at Tesco this Christmas?"
Some disgruntled shoppers asked if Tesco had opened the booking early, as they logged on right on time to find themselves at the back of enormous queues.
Someone said: "what time did the queue to book a Christmas delivery slot open, as we were only told slots available from 6am, so now I am 75000+.In the queue! If I was made aware a queue was open earlier, I would have joined earlier than I did."
Another tweeted: "Thanks @Tesco for another Christmas delivery farce. ‘Priority’ slots released at 6. Joins queue at 5.45am. Get to number 70000 something, app refreshes and kicks me out. Now 150000ish. Glad I’m paying for the privilege of delivery saver."
One person wrote: "Truly unbelievable @Tesco.You send me an email informing me that Christmas Delivery slots open up at 6am so I log in 5 minutes to 6am only to find a queue with 112,000 people in it already. As a disabled person who relies on a delivery, why do it like this?"
One asked: "Is anyone actually got passed this point in the @Tesco queue? Finally getting through after being 100,000 odds from before 6 and now getting this. Wonder what the point in delivery saver is when you can't get the slots sorted at Christmas."
Tesco has said: "We're sorry that you're experiencing an issue with our app whilst booking your slot this morning. We’re currently seeing a high number of visits to our Grocery & Clubcard app and some customers are temporarily having difficulty logging on or placing orders.
"We are aware of the issue and we're working hard to fix it. In the meantime, we'd recommend using the website to place your order."
Featured image: Tesco
Shopping
Independent Nordic-inspired homeware shop closes Leeds store after six years
After six years in the city, independent homeware retailer North Home is closing its Leeds city centre shop.
If you're a lover of all things home then you'll have most likely visited the gorgeous North Home shop in the Victoria Quarter.
Stacked to the brim with unique pieces from striking ceramics to stylish soft furnishings, North Home is known for its well-curated stock and great customer service.
Seriously, we've probably spent a good hour in here in awe of all the beautiful pieces.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Last week, curious shoppers noticed the three-storey store was suddenly empty and now the company have confirmed that they have closed for good.
In a statement, they said: "After nearly 6 wonderful years trading in Leeds, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our physical store while we restructure the business and explore the next chapter for North Home.
"Retail has changed significantly in recent years and, like many independent businesses, we’ve faced increasing costs.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"Taking this step now gives us the opportunity to protect what we’ve built and focus on the future of the brand. North Home continues to operate online and all existing customer orders will be fulfilled as normal although delivery times may be slightly extended.
"We’ve loved being part of the Leeds retail community since 2020 and are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. We hope to share more about our plans soon."
We'll be sad to see them go and we hope this isn't goodbye forever, but you can still shop from North Home online here.
A new female-founded business has opened in Leeds and it’s a trinket-lover’s paradise
Clementine Hall
Lisa Angel has just opened inside the Victoria Gate and it’s an Aladdin’s Cave full of jewellery, prints, gifts and everything in between.
The best part? It’s a female-founded brand that has chosen our wonderful city for their first Yorkshire site. We absolutely don't blame them.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has gone from strength to strength every since.
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Shoppers can expect beautifully handcrafted jewellery, unique trinkets and wonderful staff who are open to have a natter.
It's the perfect shop for when you don't exactly know what to buy that someone special, just pop in here and you'll be hit with a wave of inspiration immediately.
We could've genuinely spent a good hour in there and come out with a much lighter wallet.
Lisa herself spoke about the opening: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Managing Director James Moody said: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
Daisy Jackson -
15th November 2022 
