Marks & Spencer has come up with a clever new way for people to shop this Christmas without having to queue.
The reopening of non-essential retail across England on Wednesday has seen large queues form outside shops across the country.
Some retailers have started using an app so you can turn up at the shop, grab a place in the queue but wait in your car until it is your turn to go in.
Sainsbury's and Asda are both testing that system.
Others are changing their hours in a bid to reduce queues - opening until midnight or even 24-hours a day.
Now M&S has launched a new system called Book and Shop.
Customers can now go online to reserve a slot to browse their local store, you then arrive at the store at your allotted time and skip ahead of any queue that has formed.
Only two people are admitted per slot booked, and this includes children.
The system is now in place at 566 shops and browsing and purchasing items is not restricted.
Helen Milford, M&S Stores Director, said: “With winter ahead, we know customers are increasingly concerned about queuing, so in response, we wanted to deliver a quick, digital solution to help them shop.
“Designed by our in-house tech teams – Book and Shop does just that, helping Sparks’ customers guarantee a slot at a time that suits them and removing the need to queue should there be one."
