Major supermarkets have taken extra steps to keep staff and customers safe whilst making sure everyone has access to the items needed -in particular the elderly and vulnerable.
On 15th March, leading supermarkets issued a joint statement asking customers to be more “considerate in the way they shop” following a surge in ‘panic buying’ due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With customers stockpiling items, such as soaps, pasta/rice, bread and toilet roll – stores are struggling to meet the demands of shoppers and shelves are being left emptied quicker than they can be restocked.
Here’s the latest information (18 March)
Aldi
- Customers are currently limited to buying four items of any one product during each visit
Morrisons
Bag Returns
- Not accepting returned bags – please keep them, they will collect them all once we are able to do so.
Doorstop Rejections & Substituted Items
- Not accepting returned or rejected items at your doorstep.
Please refer to the Help Hub to find out what to do.
Product Quantity Limits
- Restricted quantity permitted per order on certain high demand products.
Delivery Drivers & Social Distancing
- Delivery drivers are not permitted to enter houses or hand bags over on your doorstep.
Use the Delivery Instructions section of the website if you are self-isolating so that drivers can organise with you how to best deliver your order.
Sainsbury’s
Elderly and vulnerable
In Store Shopping
The first hour in every supermarket this Thursday, (19th March) will be for elderly and vulnerable customers.
If you or an elderly family member, friend or neighbour would like to shop during this hour, please check online here for your local supermarket opening hours.
For all other customers, supermarkets will open one hour after the published opening time.
Online Shopping
- From Monday, 23rd March, online customers who are over 70 years of age or have a disability will have priority access to online delivery slots. Customers will be contacted in the coming days with more details.
- Online customer who can travel to the stores, from Monday 23rd March, the ‘click and collect’ service will expanded.
Customers can place their order online as usual and pick it up from a collection point in the store car park.
Let them know if you are self-isolating to help them provide this service for you too.
To help get more essential items onto the shelves, from this Thursday, 19th March.
- Cafes and meat, fish and pizza counters in supermarkets will close.
This action will free up warehouse and lorry capacity for products that customers really need. It will also free up time for our store employees to focus on keeping the shelves as well stocked as possible.
Further restrictions on a larger number of products from today, (18th March).
• Customers will be able to buy a maximum of three of any grocery product and a maximum of two on the most popular products including toilet paper, soap and UHT milk.
“We still have enough food for everyone – if we all just buy what we need for us and our families.”
Tesco
- Suspended all night shopping with its 24-hour stores now closing at 10pm and opening at 6am.
- Restrictions on the number of items customers can purchase
Asda
- As of 18th March, customers will ONLY be able to buy up to three of any product across all food items, toiletries and cleaning products
Iceland
- Have introduced reserved time slots and give store managers the flexibility to give the vulnerable and the elderly a chance to shop in store.
Other Useful Information
Restrictions on peak time free travel for elderly and disabled lifted
For more information on steps you can take to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, please visit the Department of Health & Social Care website.
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