Supermarkets have struggled to deliver Christmas groceries after many UK roads became impassable due to heavy snow.
Many customers complained their online orders had been cancelled over the weekend according to The Daily Telegraph, and fears reigned that no slots would be available before Christmas.
Ocado said that about 20% of an estimated 3,500 deliveries could not be delivered. Online retailers generally were already being affected by the end of last week, when several suspended non-food deliveries in Scotland and brought forward order deadlines in other parts of the UK.
The problems with deliveries came as heavy snow resulted in shoppers staying in at the weekend and disruption to trading. Brent Cross shopping centre had to be closed in Saturday and shoppers in Bluewater in Kent had problems entering and exiting the car park.
The New West End Company, which promotes the capital’s central shoppping districts, said that about 1m people visited over the weekend compared to the 1.2m originally expected.
Industry analysts forecast that supermarkets would benefit from the big freeze because shoppers may buy presents while doing their key food shopping.
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