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Coronavirus: Can supermarkets provide regular online deliveries? Coronavirus: How are supermarkets managing social distancing?
(2 days later)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the nation to stay at home and - apart from essential trips to the shops - use online delivery services for food. The government has asked people to keep at least 2m (6ft) from other people if they have to leave home to go shopping for food and essentials.
However, supermarkets' online delivery services seem to have no spare slots, and special schemes to prioritise elderly and vulnerable customers are facing issues. It is one of many ways coronavirus has changed the way we shop.
So how can Britain buy food easily? What are supermarkets doing to keep customers safe?
There is plenty to go round Branches of the main supermarkets have introduced policies to keep customers at a safe distance from one other.
The good news is that there is no shortage of food for everyone. As has been reported before, empty shelves have been caused by panic buying by shoppers, stripping the shelves of goods the second they are put out. Many have somebody on the door controlling the number of people going in and out, so there are not too many people inside. Those queuing outside are usually asked to spread out, to meet social distancing rules.
Supermarkets have confirmed that the issue is not lack of supplies, but the speed with which they have been bought. Inside, many supermarkets are providing hand sanitiser for customers and floor markers to show people where to stand at the tills.
However, the stores have taken action to combat this by introducing strict purchase limits on individual items. In addition, some are putting up screens between the cashiers and the public to try to stop the spread of the virus.
They have also cut opening hours to give staff time to properly restock shelves. Other initiatives include Tesco introducing floor markings showing which direction to walk down the aisles in some of its larger stores. Morrisons has a queuing zone if there are too many customers to be separated by the floor markings, while Asda is bringing in directional barriers.
How are online deliveries holding up?How are online deliveries holding up?
This has been a sticking point for many people, who are finding themselves unable to stick to Mr Johnson's request. This has been a sticking point for many people, who are finding themselves unable to book slots and follow Prime Minister Boris Johnson's request to use online deliveries and stay at home.
Slots for the next two or three weeks seem to be fully booked at all the main supermarkets. Tesco is limiting online orders to 80 items only and is encouraging shoppers who can get out to use its click and collect service at local stores. It says this will free up home delivery slots for more vulnerable customers.
Tesco is operating at full capacity online and is encouraging shoppers who can get out to use its click and collect service at local stores, to free up home delivery slots for more vulnerable customers. Asda is adopting the same policy and is also recruiting more delivery drivers. Asda is adopting the same policy and is also recruiting more delivery drivers.
Sainsbury's has introduced priority slots for elderly and vulnerable customers and contacted 270,000. It hopes to contact more once it has more information on eligible people. In the meantime, it is giving an additional 8,000 customers a day access to delivery slots over the phone.Sainsbury's has introduced priority slots for elderly and vulnerable customers and contacted 270,000. It hopes to contact more once it has more information on eligible people. In the meantime, it is giving an additional 8,000 customers a day access to delivery slots over the phone.
However, there are reports on social media of people who qualify who were not contacted, saying they cannot get through on the phone to set up an account. However, there are reports on social media of other eligible people not being able to get through on the phone to create an account.
Morrisons is creating 3,500 new jobs to help expand its online delivery service.Morrisons is creating 3,500 new jobs to help expand its online delivery service.
Waitrose is currently not showing its slot-booking page as all slots have been taken, but is working to increase its capacity, while Ocado, which also delivers Waitrose food, has very lengthy waits on its website. Waitrose suspended its slot-booking page after all slots were taken. It says it is working to increase its capacity, while Ocado, which also delivers Waitrose food, has had very lengthy waits on its website.
What are supermarkets doing in-store? There is plenty to go round
Despite empty shelves caused by panic buying in the past couple of weeks, the supermarkets say there is no shortage of food.
The problem has been getting deliveries to shops as fast as people buy key items, they say.
The stores have now taken action to combat this by introducing strict purchase limits on individual items.
Tesco has doubled the amount of some key items arriving in stores, including toilet rolls, pasta and rice. Sainsbury's says that since it put limits on individual items, they have stayed on shelves for longer.
What else have supermarkets done?
The supermarkets have introduced allotted times of the day when only the elderly, vulnerable and disabled, or NHS staff and other key workers, can shop.The supermarkets have introduced allotted times of the day when only the elderly, vulnerable and disabled, or NHS staff and other key workers, can shop.
Most are also introducing social distancing measures.
Tesco is introducing directional floor markings for different aisles in some of its larger stores to help ensure a safe flow of people.
Morrisons and Waitrose are bringing in marshals to control how many people can enter and exit stores at any one time.
Many supermarkets are putting up screens between cashiers and customers.
Several food retailers are "drastically cutting" the range of products they sell. They are also telling manufacturers to stop making some products to focus on those for which there is greatest demand.Several food retailers are "drastically cutting" the range of products they sell. They are also telling manufacturers to stop making some products to focus on those for which there is greatest demand.
For example, Tesco is concentrating on two and four-pint milk cartons, rather than the one-pint ones, as most people are buying for the longer term, while Morrisons has reduced its bakery lines from 17 to seven.
And one retailer, which makes 60 kinds of sausages, will only produce a fraction of those.
How are supermarkets trying to stop panic buying?
The major supermarkets are imposing limits on how many of each item people can buy:
What is the government doing?What is the government doing?
Rules have been relaxed by the government to allow supermarkets to work together.Rules have been relaxed by the government to allow supermarkets to work together.
This means they can share resources, such as distribution depots, delivery vans and staff, as well as co-ordinating stock levels across the country.This means they can share resources, such as distribution depots, delivery vans and staff, as well as co-ordinating stock levels across the country.
Rules around drivers' hours have been eased and the 5p plastic bag charge is being waived for online orders, to speed up deliveries.Rules around drivers' hours have been eased and the 5p plastic bag charge is being waived for online orders, to speed up deliveries.