Ocado Christmas delivery slots available to book now - but only for some customers

Martin Lewis has revealed how some Ocado shoppers will be able to order a food shop for Christmas already and has shared some tips for ensuring your food arrives in time

Shoppers can finally start to book Christmas food shops with M&S and Ocado - but it might depend on whether you have priority access.

Martin Lewis has shared a way to beat the Christmas rush this year and get ahead of the madness, by pre-booking a delivery shop. The money saving expert announced that the well-anticipated wait to kickstart your festivities is finally over for certain customers.

He said: "Planning on having your Christmas food shop delivered by Ocado? Bookings are now open if you bought a delivery pass on or before 1 September 2024, though it's not clear yet when other shoppers will be able to book their slots."

The finance guru revealed that the only way to get an M&S food delivery, is to order via Ocado as the store doesn't have a separate delivery service. You can, however, order food for collection at an M&S store through its Food to Order service.

According to Martin, you can book your festive food if you are a 'Smart Pass' customer. Anyone who signed up for the pass before September 1 this year, can get started on the order. However, it is now too late for non-pass holders to get priority access.

He continued: "Buying a Smart 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."

Some shoppers took to Twitter to express their excitement. One woman said: "Not even October and I've just sorted @ Ocado christmas food wooo! Countdown begins now." Ocado replied: "We love to hear it! Not long now." Another person wrote: "Don’t want to show off or get piled on but, well, I’ve got my Christmas @Ocado slot! Salivating as we speak #NeverTooSoon."

For those who are wondering how to sign up without a pass, Ocado has confirmed that it will issue a staggered release of dates. Although it hasn't released any dates yet, the company usually announces the next round of bookings a few weeks after Smart shoppers get access. Existing customers can expect to recieve a text message or email once slots become available.

What should you look out for when booking a Christmas food shop online?

• Try to book your slot early so you don't miss out
• Check if you can edit your food order in case you change your mind
• Delivery slots have often gone quickly in previous years
• Make sure you check delivery fees before you book
• Compare prices for food items between different supermarkets
• Some shops don't release specific dates for Christmas

Delivery dates range between December 20 to December 24 for Ocado delivery.