The Ultimate Supermarket Parking Achievement
A dedicated father from Wiltshire has accomplished what many might consider an unusual yet remarkably thorough personal mission: parking in every single bay at his local Sainsbury's supermarket. Gareth Wild, 44, spent one year, seven months, and two days systematically ticking off all 108 standard parking spaces at the Devizes branch, using nothing but his regular weekly shopping trips and occasional resupply stops to complete the challenge.
From Bromley to Devizes: A Parking Odyssey
This remarkable achievement actually represents Gareth's second supermarket parking conquest. Five years earlier, he completed a similar six-year challenge at a Sainsbury's in Bromley, South East London, where he meticulously charted every one of 211 parking bays. After relocating to Devizes in 2024, the marketing professional decided to resurrect his unique hobby, plotting out the new car park's layout using satellite imagery and creating a detailed tracking system.
"Boredom was probably the starting point," Gareth admitted. "I have to do the weekly shop, so it keeps me amused doing little things like this. It was a little bit sad to see it end because it is part of your routine for so long that when it does finally end you have got to find the next thing to do."
Meticulous Documentation and Financial Tracking
Gareth approached his second parking challenge with even greater precision than the first. He retained every single shopping receipt and recorded the exact times he parked, creating a comprehensive log of his progress. The car park charges 70p per hour on weekdays and £1 on Sundays, resulting in a total parking cost of £89.20 across all his visits.
Beyond the parking fees, Gareth calculated that he spent £9,567.26 on groceries throughout the 19-month period. His experience from the previous challenge proved invaluable, as he strategically prioritized the most desirable spaces first before moving on to less convenient locations.
Space Classification and Family Considerations
The father-of-two developed a sophisticated rating system for the parking bays, categorizing them into three distinct tiers:
- 'God Tier' - Premium spaces directly beside the entrance
- 'Useful' - Convenient but not exceptional locations
- 'Avoid' - Less desirable spots further from the store
His top-rated spaces were A1 and A2, positioned immediately adjacent to the supermarket entrance. Gareth acknowledged that with children aged six and nine, this likely represented the final year he could legitimately use family parking bays before they outgrew the designated age limits.
Public Reception and Future Challenges
The online response to Gareth's parking achievement has been overwhelmingly positive, with numerous people expressing interest in attempting similar challenges at their local supermarkets. "People are really receptive to it," he observed. "I don't know what it is, people really like a spreadsheet. There is almost a universally positive response."
Gareth believes his challenge resonates with what he describes as an emerging appreciation for "dull content" - the celebration of mundane, everyday activities that form the fabric of ordinary life. His wife has been fully supportive of his unusual pursuit, and while some online commentators offered creative suggestions (including using a motorcycle or a relative's blue badge to access disabled spaces), Gareth politely declined, not wanting his "stupid parking challenge" to interfere with accessibility for those who genuinely need it.
Looking Ahead: The Next Parking Frontier
With the Sainsbury's challenge complete, Gareth is already eyeing his next potential project: the local Morrisons supermarket, which boasts over 400 parking spaces. While this would represent a significantly larger undertaking, the determined father seems ready to embrace whatever parking challenges lie ahead, proving that even the most routine activities can be transformed into remarkable personal achievements through dedication and systematic approach.
"I would say it was probably easier this time because I knew what I was getting in to," Gareth reflected on his second parking conquest. "I made sure to get the more sought after spaces first and everything else could follow on from that. It was plain sailing."
