Supermarkets and Covid-19

[Qwerty133]

After my experience today I guess shoppers are getting wise to what were the quieter times. Last week around the same time more queuing at Aldi too but I put that down to Friday being bank holiday. The last twice i have been to my local Tesco superstore around 4pm no queue and just a few. Not today, I didn't count but thinking now at least 40 maybe more. It took 30 minutes to get in. By then the queue was slightly longer. All F&F clothing is 50% off but only a few browsing so unless many more earlier not making a big difference. In the queue perhaps 20% couples and the rest on their own. One couple I presume were mother and daughter from same household as else totally disregarding distancing while both had trolleys so logically mother doing household shopping and daughter grandparents or similar. Inside I saw just one mother with three children.
Most items available and a couple of Tesco only ones finally back.

A few wearing proper masks but I saw nobody with a homemade mask, scarf, buff etc.

The queuing route has been changed to down the side of the store rather than in the car park. I don't know why not there originally unless concerned about enforcing 2m spacing were the queue doubled back. It is undercover but only if no wind so rain coming straight down, if windy the direction would determine if the outer area would be dry or wet.

The shops getting busier at that time of day may well by a symptom of construction and manufacturing workers (who often start and finish earlier than office workers and are therefore likely to be on their way home around that time) returning to work and picking up shopping on their way home in order to avoid a separate trip, rather than anything to do with people figuring out when the better times to go shopping are. I imagine as more people return to work the quieter times will tend further towards the extreme ends of the day as well as early afternoon (after the pensioners typically shop but before the mothers and children visit after school).

 

[david1212]

The shops getting busier at that time of day may well by a symptom of construction and manufacturing workers (who often start and finish earlier than office workers and are therefore likely to be on their way home around that time) returning to work and picking up shopping on their way home in order to avoid a separate trip, rather than anything to do with people figuring out when the better times to go shopping are. I imagine as more people return to work the quieter times will tend further towards the extreme ends of the day as well as early afternoon (after the pensioners typically shop but before the mothers and children visit after school).

A valid point plus trying to judge peoples job by their appearance unless either wearing branded clothing or items clearly for work is dangerous but I would not have put most in that category. Sadly locally limited manufacturing too. Many business e.g. banks, opticians are only open reduced hours but have been since mid-March. Stores that have reopened or just reduced hours e.g. Homebase, Screwfix do not close until at least 4pm but could well account for the queue being longer by 4:30. Either before or after school times will have a limited effect until a significant return of schools in September. Back 6 - 8 weeks ago I considered many went early afternoon to break the day up. Now with less restrictions on going out for exercise, and in reality unlikey to be challenged for any localish travel, that may change.

Provisionally I am back at work next month and standard hours 8am - 5pm except 12:30pm Friday, although I would not be surprised to be back on furlough again. Hence the only quiet time may be evening, one down side being by then limited choice of fresh and chilled items.

 

[Tom B]

Although, depending on exactly when in the evening you go and local arrangements, shelves may be being filled by that point.

I've done most of my shopping at around 9pm of late and have not had any unusual difficulties. Sure, the odd thing is out, and there's less choice, but there's always an alternative.

 

[Bald Rick]

Visited Morrisons St Albans last Sunday, arriving 1002. Walked straight in. Great experience. Shelves full - everything in stock (except for yeast, obviously). Till queue system worked well (and has been in place for a few weeks). Incidentally, their in store bakery does by far the best bread of all the major supermarkets.

 

[david1212]

Although, depending on exactly when in the evening you go and local arrangements, shelves may be being filled by that point.

I've done most of my shopping at around 9pm of late and have not had any unusual difficulties. Sure, the odd thing is out, and there's less choice, but there's always an alternative.

I had to go back with an item I bought yesterday so went just after 9pm. No queue to get in and having resolved the issue had a quick look around particularly at fresh and chilled items plus bread. Overall not dramatically less stock. I did get one item that was out of stock yesterday.
Hence once back at work certainly worth trying.

 

[Qwerty133]

Visited Morrisons St Albans last Sunday, arriving 1002. Walked straight in. Great experience. Shelves full - everything in stock (except for yeast, obviously). Till queue system worked well (and has been in place for a few weeks). Incidentally, their in store bakery does by far the best bread of all the major supermarkets.

I managed to obtain a couple of packets of yeast from Aldi this week. Unfortunately they had no bread flour to go with it so it's sat the cupboard until I manage to obtain some of that.

 

[carlberry]

I managed to obtain a couple of packets of yeast from Aldi this week. Unfortunately they had no bread flour to go with it so it's sat the cupboard until I manage to obtain some of that.

Stick it on ebay - you'll make a fortune!

 

[Adsy125]

I’ve managed to get bread flour and yeast recently. The flour is pretty easy to get hold of, yeast on the other hand comes in far less frequently unfortunately.

 

[superjohn]

Morrison’s were selling 1Kg of flour in doughnut bags this week. Perhaps they can only get hold of bulk supplies or they are using up bakery stock. A rather boring job for whoever had to portion it out!

 

[bussnapperwm]

Once a week my one sibling goes shopping and either I go with him (I have a dodgy knee from a injury I got on black Friday last year, or my youngest sibling goes with him as he usually goes into 6/7 shops (shopping for the family plus the next door neighbour who is in her 80s) and ends up getting 2 big trolleys full of shopping (3 big blokes so we get through a lot of food/drink in a week

My youngest brother only goes to help the other brother when my knee is playing up, but he can't be left outside the shops with what shopping they've already as he has Aspergers, Autism and ADHD and gets worried and scared when left on his own in a crowded place (I have Aspergers myself, but if I'm left with the shopping in the main shopping centre by the bus station, I'm happy as I can photo buses whilst looking after the bags/trolley.)

It would cost us more to do everything as online delivery and we can't get everything from one shop as some of the items one person likes is only in one shop, whereas something else is in another shop only so we're having to do things that way (it doesn't help the one supermarket closed their shopping centre branch in favour of one a mile and half away, all because the centre owners gave their rivals the exclusive petrol station rights meaning that a bus has to be got between the two places!)

 

[Bald Rick]

Morrison’s were selling 1Kg of flour in doughnut bags this week. Perhaps they can only get hold of bulk supplies or they are using up bakery stock. A rather boring job for whoever had to portion it out!

The constraint in the flour production process for retail use is the packing; there’s plenty of flour around but the vast majority of it is produced in bulk for industrial scale baking. With lots of people at home, and baking a popular activity, that’s why there’s so little available on the shelves.

 

[Strat-tastic]

Tesco was selling 25 (?) kg bags the other day.

 

[scotrail158713]

The constraint in the flour production process for retail use is the packing; there’s plenty of flour around but the vast majority of it is produced in bulk for industrial scale baking. With lots of people at home, and baking a popular activity, that’s why there’s so little available on the shelves.

Correct

Tesco was selling 25 (?) kg bags the other day.

There’s some online as well. It definitely solves the issue of people wanting lots, and the flour usually being bulk-packaged like that.

 

[Ostrich]

The constraint in the flour production process for retail use is the packing; there’s plenty of flour around but the vast majority of it is produced in bulk for industrial scale baking. With lots of people at home, and baking a popular activity, that’s why there’s so little available on the shelves.

There's at least 3 historic watermills - two, I'm told, in Warwickshire and the other quite close to me - that have the grain and have gone back into flour production for the local market.

The town where I currently live is only 12,000 population but has been blessed - or cursed, depending on your viewpoint - with having five big supermarkets; Waitrose (the largest), Asda, Aldi, Lidl and Iceland. Waitrose were a bit slow off the mark with social distancing measures, and it still can be a bit of a free-for-all inside the store because there is no one-way system. Instead of going in every day for a £10 shop and a free newspaper, I'm now going once a fortnight for a mega-shop, and I've been able to source 95% of the stuff I need there; for example, you can usually get flour now, seeing as the panic-buying phase is over. Iceland (which provides a much more relaxed and organised shopping experience, but seems to have huge problems in their supply chain getting stuff into the store) is my back-up for the remaining 5%.

I've been going to Waitrose late afternoon or early evening and there's still a bit of queuing outside. Last night, around 15 punters were patiently waiting and it was 10 minutes or so until I got in. Not the end of the world.

My current grouse with them is why oh why do they still insist on moving things around to different shelves /aisles ? You have a long list, you know the store layout, but it suddenly dawns on you the chipped tomato tins ain't where they're supposed to be. So you're forced to search and/or backtrack. No wonder it's chaos at times in there ....

 

[Bald Rick]

There's at least 3 historic watermills - two, I'm told, in Warwickshire and the other quite close to me - that have the grain and have gone back into flour production for the local market.

There’s a Watermill not far from me, that has been in production for some time. However a bag of flour is £3, and I’m sorry, I just can’t spend that when it’s 60p in Tescos!

 

[Karl]

I want to make a special mention to my local Morrison's in Bamber Bridge. It's a great store. Just 100 yards from my home. I'm a daily shopper (or I was until these days). I love all the staff. We all get to know each other. I make a special effort of thanking them. I tell them I appreciate their effort. I once left a fiver in the self service till area. It was returned to me the next day. I once received my change from a Morry's shop and there were two tenners stuck together. I handed it back. It's a great store and I appreciate all the work that goes into providing a proper shop!!

 

[WM Bus]

I really do hate it when you are waiting in the queue for at the supermarket and the person you are behind is holding a cigarette with the fumes blowing in your face for 10 minutes. And when your in the queue for the supermarket, you can't just move away from them. And I don't like having to breath the fumes in either as its bad for your health.

Also when I went to Erdington the other day in the Poundland store someone was walking round the store smoking. Surely if they can enforce this social distancing, they should be able to enforce "no smoking" while in the store. Yet he was allowed to carry on walking round smoking.

 

[WM Bus]

I'm also surprised that for the past few weeks while non essential shops have been closed that people have been able to take trips to the supermarket to specifically purchase cigarettes. I for one can't understand how these things could ever have been considered an "essential item". And surely it would have done some good had the sale of these cigarettes been suspended for the past 3 months.

As it even increases the risk of contracting COVID - 19 and developing severe diseases from it.
"A small but highly impactful survey from China finds that smokers with COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to develop severe disease.
In addition, the repetitive hand to mouth movement provides an easy route of entry for the virus, putting smokers at greater risk of contracting COVID-19."

Smokers at greater risk of severe respiratory disease from COVID-19

Emerging evidence from China shows smokers with COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to develop severe respiratory disease.

www.gov.uk

 

[LowLevel]

I'm also surprised that for the past few weeks while non essential shops have been closed that people have been able to take trips to the supermarket to specifically purchase cigarettes. I for one can't understand how these things could ever have been considered an "essential item". And surely it would have done some good had the sale of these cigarettes been suspended for the past 3 months.

Excessively simplistic way of looking at it. Same as alcohol. If someone has a nicotine addiction just stopping cold turkey can have terrible effects on their personality and disposition. Thus would you want to be locked in your home with such a person just for the sake of it? Domestic violence has shot up as it is.

 

[Bald Rick]

I really do hate it when you are waiting in the queue for at the supermarket and the person you are behind is holding a cigarette with the fumes blowing in your face for 10 minutes. And when your in the queue for the supermarket, you can't just move away from them. And I don't like having to breath the fumes in either as its bad for your health.

Doesn’t happen down in the Home Counties, hardly anyone smokes


Having said that, when I lived in Erdington, I remember having a house party with about 50 people, and not one of them smoked. Things have clearly gone downhill since.

 

[Hadders]

Also when I went to Erdington the other day in the Poundland store someone was walking round the store smoking. Surely if they can enforce this social distancing, they should be able to enforce "no smoking" while in the store. Yet he was allowed to carry on walking round smoking.

Smoking in food stores is illegal.

And surely it would have done some good had the sale of these cigarettes been suspended for the past 3 months.

Totally unrealistic. I've never been a smoker but why ban cigarettes? If this is for health reasons then what about foods high in sugar or fat? Chocolate, biscuits etc. How would you deal with the mental health issues for smokers going 'cold turkey' and getting withdrawal symptoms etc?

 

[Bald Rick]

Smoking in food stores is illegal.



Totally unrealistic. I've never been a smoker but why ban cigarettes? If this is for health reasons then what about foods high in sugar or fat? Chocolate, biscuits etc. How would you deal with the mental health issues for smokers going 'cold turkey' and getting withdrawal symptoms etc?

I agree, but I think it has been done in some countries though. South Africa springs to mind.

 

[Tom B]

Smoking in the queues is in theory not banned by law (presupposing that the queue is outside) although in fairness, when queues have been exceptionally long, I've seen a number of smokers jump out of the queue (having previously spoken to the person behind) to have a cigarette whilst not impinging on anybody else.

The changing attitudes to smoking are something that makes for fascinating comparison even between me and an 18 year old. Contrary to what parts of the media say, smoking/drinking/teenage pregnancies are in decline amongst the yoof.

 

[Bald Rick]

I know we’re off topic, but quite. When I was 14/15 I knew lots of people who smoked - there was a very well established “smokers’ corner” at school (which I never understood why the teachers didn’t do something about).

Now my daughter is about the same age, and the mere suggestion that anyone she knows might smoke is greeted by complete disbelief.

 

[farleigh]

I really do hate it when you are waiting in the queue for a store and the person you are behind is holding a cigarette with the fumes blowing in your face for 10 minutes.

Also when I went to Poundland in Erdington the other day, someone was walking round the store smoking. Surely if they can enforce this social distancing, they should be able to enforce "no smoking" while in the store. Yet he was allowed to carry on walking round smoking.

I'm also surprised that for the past few weeks while non essential shops have been closed that people have been able to take trips to the supermarket to specifically purchase cigarettes. I for one can't understand how these things could ever have been considered an "essential item". And surely it would have done some good had the sale of these cigarettes been suspended for the past 3 months.

As it even increases the risk of contracting COVID - 19 and developing severe diseases from it.
"A small but highly impactful survey from China finds that smokers with COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to develop severe disease.
In addition, the repetitive hand to mouth movement provides an easy route of entry for the virus, putting smokers at greater risk of contracting COVID-19."

Smokers at greater risk of severe respiratory disease from COVID-19

Emerging evidence from China shows smokers with COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to develop severe respiratory disease.

www.gov.uk

That does seem to be quite a 'killjoy' attitude.

Alcohol is non-essential too. You could probably eliminate anything that brings enjoyment to people if you really wanted to but what would be the point of that? People would just be more miserable.

 

[nlogax]

I would imagine C19 has even further reduced the number of smokers out there. It's expensive, it means popping to the shop to buy ciggies and there's reduced scope to smoke while stuck at home. No need to ban it, as habits go it's fading away well enough by itself.

 

[Hadders]

Can't remember where i saw the figures now but apparently 18% of UK adults smoke. 50 years ago it was 81%

 

[PeterC]

Morrison’s were selling 1Kg of flour in doughnut bags this week. Perhaps they can only get hold of bulk supplies or they are using up bakery stock. A rather boring job for whoever had to portion it out!

Enough flour is available to cope with increased demand. The bottleneck is in the availability of machines to package it for retail. My local deli has flour and oats from a commercial mill but they have to repackage it themselves.

 

[scotrail158713]

Alcohol is non-essential too. You could probably eliminate anything that brings enjoyment to people if you really wanted to but what would be the point of that? People would just be more miserable.

Agreed. When I’ve been going shopping recently I’ve been buying a pack of biscuits or bar of chocolate that I wouldn’t usually buy. Is it essential? No. But it makes a day at home a bit nicer to have something like that at some point in the day.

 

[Bald Rick]

Mrs BR had an interesting exchange at Sainsbury’s yesterday. As normal, she didn’t use the sanitiser spray to wipe the trolley handle down. The lady queuing behind her to get in made a rather pointed remark, as she was cleaning her own trolley, along the lines of ‘you should clean the trolley handle, as you don’t know how many people who used it before might have the virus.’

Mrs BR gave her the withering stare I get roughly 8 times a day, and pointed out that she’d watched about 50 people using the sanitiser spray bottle in the previous 15minutes, and that the trolley was therefore the least of her concerns. Apparently the other lady froze mid trolley clean, not quite sure what to do!