Under the current UK lockdown, going to the supermarket is one of the few things deemed acceptable to go outside for.
When Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the stricter lockdown rules last week, he urged the public that while it was still okay to shop for food products and essential items, this should be done as infrequently as possible, and all while adhering to new supermarket shopping rules during lockdown.
Some days after the announcement though, supermarkets opted to take things into their own hands, enforcing their own specific social distancing measures in order to keep customers and staff safe and healthy.
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The supermarket shopping rules also came in in order to reduce the stockpiling phenomenon, which appears to have taken hold of UK customers.
So what are the new supermarket shopping rules under lockdown?
Supermarket shopping rules during lockdown
Tesco
- NHS staff to have priority shopping hour from 9am - 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays
- On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, there is a priority hour for the elderly.
- Staff will help you park your car, and you may need to wait in your car to limit the number of people in store.
- You may be asked to queue outside the store, in order to limit the number of people inside.
- If queueing outside, you will need to stand on the markers, in order to maintain the required 2m social distance
- Tesco are urging shoppers to shop alone if you can, to avoid large groups in store. That means leaving the kids and any partners at home!
- You'll be asked to follow a set route around the store, meaning you can't chop and change the aisles you visit. Make sure to have a detailed list to hand!
Sainsbury's
- Sainsbury's are limiting the number of people inside their stores at one time
- There are queuing systems in place outside the stores, and customers must stand 2m apart
- They are urging customers to arrive throughout the day, as there are now limits on the amounts people can buy - meaning food is on the shelves for longer during the day
- Sainsbury's are asking people to pay by card if they can, to minimise contact
- However, if you must pay by cash, they ask you to use self-service tills
- They are also encouraging people to use their SmartShop app, which means you can scan your own shopping as you go, put them straight into your own bags, and pay at a special till.
- From 7.30am - 8am on Monday to Saturday, NHS and social care workers are the only customers allowed in store - but they must have a valid ID pass.
- 8am - 9am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays is reserved for elderly customers
Morrisons
- Morrisons now has a one trolley per customer rule
- Like many supermarkets, there will be markers on the floor to help shoppers to abide by social distancing
- Staff will only be allowing a certain number of people into a store at a time
- There is a dedicated hour for NHS shoppers in the first hour of opening
- Morrisons has also increased its contactless payment limit to £45, to reduce the need to touch the card machines.
Asda
- Shoppers must stay 2 metres away from each other.
- They must also stay 2 metres away from all cashiers and supermarket workers
- Asda is urging customers also to only pick up or touch products that they intend to buy
- Every Monday and Wednesday and Friday between 8am and 9am NHS workers will be priortised in larger stores
- They are urging people to pay by card or by the mobile app
- Shoppers can only buy up to three items of each product
- They are closing every other self-checkout till, in order to maintain social distancing
Aldi
- Their opening hours have been reduced to 8am - 8pm every day apart from Sunday (when they are 10am - 4pm) to protect customers and staff, and give them a chance to restock shelves safely
- Markers have been placed on the floor to make clear the social distancing ruless
- Aldi is also limiting people inside their stores at a time, which may mean queues sometimes
Waitrose
- Reports have stated that Waitrose has banned couples from shopping together, to reduce the amount of people in stores
- They are also limiting customer numbers in stores - marshals will manage queues at shop entrances to keep this enforced
- Marshals will also ensure people are adhering to the 2-metre distancing rule in store and in queue
