I've found going right after lunch hours during the "work week". Basically 2-3pm on Tue/Wed has been the sweet spot for me. Store is restocked after weekend and folks are not there during their lunch time.

This. You can do the game theory alright, but statistically speaking there are many more people who are constrained by their working hours to go to the shop during either lunchtime (12:00-13:00) or just after 18:00.

This has been my strategy too and so far has been working well

In general I agree, but this has been complicated here the last few months due to Covid-19. Stores have both limited hours and developed senior only hours. There were also sometimes people queueing up early to buy “scarce” goods like TP when the store opens. If you go to a store at open you might get turned away, find the store doesn’t open at the posted hours, or find a small crowd.

I’ve been going around 11 these months. Stores are open. Senior hours are over. Working people aren’t on lunch yet. Non-working people have generally not gotten out. And usually I see employees restocking goods.

I think that depends on where you live, my local supermarket is quietest at 11am, and there’s a queue at 8am.