Tesco in Eastville mounted its own lockdown today - hours ahead of PM Boris Johnson's expected UK lockdown announcement.
Shoppers were shut out of the busy store around 1.30pm.
One frustrated onlooker told Bristol Live: "There was a massive queue all 'round the block.
"I asked a Tesco lady why and she said it was because they were really busy earlier and there was a bit of a flood.
"When the re-opened I went in, it was absolutely dead and there were loads of staff re-stocking stuff."
Mr Johnson has so far resisted pressure to introduce nationwide restrictions, opting instead for a localised tier system, but he is reportedly considering closing everything except essential shops and education settings for a month from Wednesday.
The policy shift comes after new data showed the extent of cases across England. The Office for National Statistics estimated that 568,100 people in households were infected with coronavirus in the week ending October 23.
A Tesco spokesman was unavailable for comment.
