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Supermarkets and Covid-19

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BJames

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In my Tescos (Tesco Extra) it has become "please do your best to give other customers and our staff some space where you can." No queues outside; no limit on customer numbers; no stickers on the floor; no single queue to get out (you can use any checkout); no one-way systems. Perfectly sensible. Perfectly reasonable.
Excellent to hear. My local Express is still restricting entry at busy times but the security guard isn't there all day, go after about 7-8pm and you're guaranteed to walk straight in. One way system was still there on Friday but as it's being more and more ignored, I assume we're about to follow suit with the other Tesco's that have scrapped it.
 
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Cowley

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In my Tescos (Tesco Extra) it has become "please do your best to give other customers and our staff some space where you can." No queues outside; no limit on customer numbers; no stickers on the floor; no single queue to get out (you can use any checkout); no one-way systems. Perfectly sensible. Perfectly reasonable.
Same down here. Tesco’s are getting most of my trade now because they seem to be being rational with their approach, whereas I stopped using Sainsbury’s because of the ridiculous queues outside.
 

sheff1

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In my Tescos (Tesco Extra) it has become "please do your best to give other customers and our staff some space where you can." No queues outside; no limit on customer numbers; no stickers on the floor; no single queue to get out (you can use any checkout); no one-way systems. Perfectly sensible. Perfectly reasonable.

Except for the single queue to get out, it has been like that at my local Morrison's for weeks. Indeed, there has never been a one way system nor any stickers on the floor.
Hopefully the one exit queue will go shortly and we will be able to pick our preferred checkout operator again.
 

Mojo

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Hopefully the one exit queue will go shortly and we will be able to pick our preferred checkout operator again.
I quite liked the idea of having one queue for all checkouts - although as long as it is well signed which aisle to queue up in (having once been berated by one of the Maitre d’s in Morrisons in a town on the south coast a few weeks ago!) - not many supermarkets round here do it.
 

Hadders

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I believe the number of customers allowed into a store at any one time has been increased which has reduced the need to queue to enter.

In Scotland staff working on the shop floor will be required to wear face coverings. There is no need for staff working behind screens (e.g. at checkouts) to do so although they can if they wish. There is no need for staff to wear a face covering in staff only areas.
 

adc82140

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I've just been shouted at by a member of staff in Co-op for not quite queuing for the check out in the right place. I was following the floor markers but apparently that was wrong. She said I was putting her at risk. I told her that her face mask should be over her nose as well. Felt I won that one.
 

talldave

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I've just been shouted at by a member of staff in Co-op for not quite queuing for the check out in the right place. I was following the floor markers but apparently that was wrong. She said I was putting her at risk. I told her that her face mask should be over her nose as well. Felt I won that one.
A good tactic with such moronic behaviour is to feign deafness. Just look back as if nothing had been said. One day she might realise that her muzzle discriminates against lip readers.
 

Darandio

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I've just been shouted at by a member of staff in Co-op for not quite queuing for the check out in the right place. I was following the floor markers but apparently that was wrong. She said I was putting her at risk. I told her that her face mask should be over her nose as well. Felt I won that one.

Refused entry to Sainsburys last week, relatives bullied in Boots and now shouted at in the Co-op. Not having much luck are you?
 

adc82140

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Refused entry to Sainsburys last week, relatives bullied in Boots and now shouted at in the Co-op. Not having much luck are you?


LOL not quite time timescale! Sainsbury's was back in May, Boots wasn't me but my mother in law! 99% of my shopping trips have been uneventful :D

Actually I was surprised by Co-op. It wasn't my normal branch. My local one has universally nice employees, and I actually wrote to their head office to complement them on how they helped a very confused old lady the other week.
 

route101

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I've just been shouted at by a member of staff in Co-op for not quite queuing for the check out in the right place. I was following the floor markers but apparently that was wrong. She said I was putting her at risk. I told her that her face mask should be over her nose as well. Felt I won that one.
Only been shouted once in B&M. For going up wrong aisle to till.
 
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Busaholic

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I've just been shouted at by a member of staff in Co-op for not quite queuing for the check out in the right place. I was following the floor markers but apparently that was wrong. She said I was putting her at risk. I told her that her face mask should be over her nose as well. Felt I won that one.
You couldn't make it up time - yesterday Co-Op staff member said I couldn't go straight from my newspaper pick-up to the till (approx 10 metres) but would have to traipse back up one aisle then down another: imagine my face when she then passed me in the opposite direction in the second aisle having reached it via the till she said I couldn't go straight to, passing within about a foot of me: oh, and she doesn't wear a face covering. They say you can fool some of the people all of the time!!
 

bramling

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I quite liked the idea of having one queue for all checkouts - although as long as it is well signed which aisle to queue up in (having once been berated by one of the Maitre d’s in Morrisons in a town on the south coast a few weeks ago!) - not many supermarkets round here do it.

It works well in my local Tesco Extra because there’s space to do it. Less ideally, they’ve arranged it so the queue runs through the alcohol aisle (albeit the more expensive wines and spirits aisle rather than the one with the cheap six packs). However it only works because the store is fairly spacious, otherwise it would be a mess.
 

james60059

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Tesco Hinckley and Tesco CrossPoint (Coventry) were both very civilised today, it's more or less normal with the exception of going in one door, and out the other, which seems OK to me, other customers are still patient and give space, although you get a few who plough on as normal.
 

bramling

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In my experience, Boots and Waitrose were the two least welcoming stores of those open during lockdown.

Tesco and Morrisons seemed to be the best organised.

Sainsburys randomly seem to be using the fresh fish counter as a mini Argos click and collect point.

I had issues in my local Halfords, although that was before distancing was a thing. Not sure if it was a corporate thing or just the local staff, but they didn’t seem to want anyone in the store at all. I was told off for browsing (which I wasn’t doing, just trying to find the item I had gone in to purchase), and pretty much hounded out of the store. I was the only person in there.

Went back there for the first time today, and still a rather unwelcoming atmosphere. Only about 5 people in the store (though to be fair passing them on the train they have been busy fairly consistently since reopening). Queue outside and they were going through everyone to see who they could prevent entering the store - though to be fair I suppose there’s no point in people going in if they don’t stock what they want. Okay once in to be fair, and perfectly polite on the checkout. Compulsory use of hand sanitiser going in and out.
 

MikeWM

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Tesco Ely have indeed removed the one-way system that no-one cared about anyway, but the rest looks the same. Still queueing outside when I went past on Saturday and Sunday afternoon - though a smaller queue than usual, so maybe they've upped capacity. Still separate entrance and exit (which is a bit tedious, as the entrance is the wrong side from the railway station).
 

Baxenden Bank

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Update on my local Tesco following my weekly shop.

Much the same as reported by others. Barrier of trolleys in the corner of the car park (to create a safe zig-zag queueing area) removed. In/out barrier at the entrance remains, direction arrows removed from floor. It did seem busier than usual but it might just be one of those random things. Tomorrow I have a trial run on home delivery - it is getting too much to carry everything in a single trip (I walk there and back) and the imminent face-covering mandation pushes me to not bother going in person.

PS Tesco home delivery is changing to a standard £4.50 for any time slot from 3 August. Get your orders in before!
 

Ostrich

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My local supermarket happens to be a Waitrose. Shopping experiences there have been reasonably fine, despite the fact that from Day 1 in this rural community, social distancing has tended to be regarded as an alien concept. There has usually been a queue averaging around 20 folk outside (at its longest during the "oldies hour"!) but the waiting time before getting in has invariably been quite short. Inside, there's been no attempt to impose any one-way system, and they've basically just laid strips across the floor every 2 metres down the main aisles.

On my first visit after lockdown, I was "told off" for putting my goods on the conveyor belt before the previous punter had finished paying. On my second visit, I was "told off" for holding back and not putting my goods on the conveyor belt while the previous punter was settling up. I did remark on that to the checkout lass, who merely rolled her eyes and indicated that the rules were being changed on a daily basis ... Generally though, it's all been very laid back and good humoured.

Their latest wheeze (somewhat belated) has been the introduction of a hand sanitizer at the entrance. It's operated by a foot pedal, the mechanism is on a hair-trigger, and first time of use, I managed to successfully decontaminate my right shoe ..... :lol:
 
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ashkeba

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Refused entry to Sainsburys last week, relatives bullied in Boots and now shouted at in the Co-op. Not having much luck are you?
I think many of us have had bad experiences in shops while we figured out which branches were managed by reasonable people and not staffed by shouty blunt jobsworths (Sainsburys!). I feel Tesco has gone too far the other way now and it is attracting the idiots who think the whole crisis is a hoax or only kills old ill people (like me!). As I thinks someone has written, Waitrose has been mostly good but changed rules a few times and the two Co-ops in Littleport (one blue card, one white card) have mostly been sensible. Aldi has behaved well too but it often does not sell some of a shopping list.
 

ashkeba

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It's operated by a foot pedal, the mechanism is on a hair-trigger, and first time of use, I managed to successfully decontaminate my right shoe ..... :lol:
Are you sure it was not set specially when they saw you approach because Waitrose "partners" are too awfully polite to comment on your foot smells! :D
 

Class 33

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Good on Tesco for scrapping the queues to get in their stores, along with the one way system. A definite step in the right direction. And the management recognise that a lot of the British public want to start getting back to normal now. Have been in a few of their smaller stores lately, and definitely appreciate the lack of silly queues to get in and one way systems. I might goto one of their large supermarkets soon for a change, instead of my usual Iceland, Aldi, and Lidl. Sainsbury's on the other hand, they're still got their same old queuing system to get in, crazy zig-zaggy one way systems, "Please keep your distance. Stay 2 metres apart." notices all over the place,etc, etc still going! I can't be doing with any of that nonsense! And apart from a visit there a couple of weeks back, I've avoided going in there for about 2 months now.
 

WM Bus

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Quite surprisingly I was in the supermarket earlier, and the person in front at the till was asking to return pears and grapes, from what I could see there looked to be nothing wrong with them. From what I heard they refused to accept the grapes as they'd been out of the fridge for over an hour since purchase, but took the pears back. His reason for returning them was "because he thought the price was lower", that must be despite the fact that he saw the price on the labels in the shop and when he was told the price to pay. So I think that frankly it isn't a good enough reason.
I don't think they should have accepted the pears either in my opinion and i'm sure it would go straight back on the shelves. As the man could have had COVID and this could be then spread when the shop staff have to put it back on the shelves and touch other items and the next person who comes in, could be the unlucky person who purchases them without realising where they'd been. Surely its a big hygiene concern as well.
If there's nothing wrong with the food and its edible, there should be no returns in my opinion.
Store was Aldi at Ward End (Birmingham).
 
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ForTheLoveOf

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Quite surprisingly I was in the supermarket earlier, and the person in front at the till. Was asking to return pears and grapes, from what I could see there looked to be nothing wrong with them. From what I heard they refused to accept the grapes as they'd been out of the fridge for over an hour since purchase, but took the pears back. His reason for returning them was "because he thought the price was lower", that must be despite the fact that he saw the price on the labels in the shop and when he was told the price to pay. So I think that frankly it isn't a good enough reason.
I don't think they should have accepted the pears either in my opinion and i'm sure it would go straight back on the shelves. As the man could have had COVID and this could be then spread when the shop staff have to put it back on the shelves and touch other items and the next person who comes in, could be the unlucky person who purchases them without realising where they'd been. Surely its a big hygiene concern as well.
If there's nothing wrong with the food and its edible, there should be no returns in my opinion.
Store was Aldi at Ward End (Birmingham).
Retailers are not obliged to accept returns on items bought in person unless they are faulty. Many retailers nevertheless decide to offer returns as a policy, and Aldi is one of these. Any such policy is likely to be contractually binding if it is published or otherwise communicated to the consumer.

Aldi's no-fault returns policy does require items to be in "resalable" condition so if their were concerns about an item of fresh fruit no longer being in good condition then any rejection of a refund was probably correct in this case.

In most cases it's simply easiest to accept returns even if the item isn't restocked. I imagine they only bother restocking items over a certain value, especially since a tiny percentage of all items will ever be returned at a supermarket.
 

Hadders

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Quite surprisingly I was in the supermarket earlier, and the person in front at the till was asking to return pears and grapes, from what I could see there looked to be nothing wrong with them. From what I heard they refused to accept the grapes as they'd been out of the fridge for over an hour since purchase, but took the pears back. His reason for returning them was "because he thought the price was lower", that must be despite the fact that he saw the price on the labels in the shop and when he was told the price to pay. So I think that frankly it isn't a good enough reason.
I don't think they should have accepted the pears either in my opinion and i'm sure it would go straight back on the shelves. As the man could have had COVID and this could be then spread when the shop staff have to put it back on the shelves and touch other items and the next person who comes in, could be the unlucky person who purchases them without realising where they'd been. Surely its a big hygiene concern as well.
If there's nothing wrong with the food and its edible, there should be no returns in my opinion.
Store was Aldi at Ward End (Birmingham).

I don't know what Aldi's policy is but if there is a product quality issue then the store should refund or replace it. If there is no quality issue then shops should not accept allow a refund or exchange on fresh foods once the customer has left the premises because it's not possible to guarantee that the cold chain has been maintained.

A shop might decide to refund a fresh food product where there is no quality issue as a 'gesture of goodwill' in order to maintain good customer relations. In this case the product would need to be recorded as a disposal and not put back on sale.
 

adc82140

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There's no issue here. I would always wash fruit before eating it, and wash my hands after handling supermarket products. To be blunt, many of our population do not wash their hands after wiping their bum, and then go to the supermarket. Covid is the least of your worries here.
 

6862

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A local Sainsbury's looks like it's getting ready to reintroduce queuing outside - they've put up a set of barriers and there was an employee outside wearing an oversized white apron yesterday with various wishy-washy feel-good statements about keeping us all safe emblazoned on it. The local Co-ops never stopped all of this and are still enforcing queueing.
 

Bletchleyite

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I don't know what Aldi's policy is but if there is a product quality issue then the store should refund or replace it. If there is no quality issue then shops should not accept allow a refund or exchange on fresh foods once the customer has left the premises because it's not possible to guarantee that the cold chain has been maintained.

A shop might decide to refund a fresh food product where there is no quality issue as a 'gesture of goodwill' in order to maintain good customer relations. In this case the product would need to be recorded as a disposal and not put back on sale.

They can do it as policy if they want, but yes, anything that requires storage in specific conditions should, once removed from those conditions, be disposed of.
 

Baxenden Bank

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A local Sainsbury's looks like it's getting ready to reintroduce queuing outside - they've put up a set of barriers and there was an employee outside wearing an oversized white apron yesterday with various wishy-washy feel-good statements about keeping us all safe emblazoned on it. The local Co-ops never stopped all of this and are still enforcing queueing.
You don't have to queue for home delivery! (assuming slots remain available).

It's the end of the world as we know it.

Just waiting on my home delivery from Wilko of home & cleaning essentials. £5.00 delivery charge so I upped the volume of the order to make it worth it, still not bad value compared to the £4.00 bus fare. £1.00 extra to 'save my life'. Never in my life did I think I would have stuff delivered to my home from Wilkinsons! Whatever next, B & M?

Also waiting on a ball of string from Amazon Prime - can't get to the stationers without masking up and decontaminating at every opportunity.

Is there no end to this madness?
 

Hadders

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You don't have to queue for home delivery! (assuming slots remain available).

It's the end of the world as we know it.

Just waiting on my home delivery from Wilko of home & cleaning essentials. £5.00 delivery charge so I upped the volume of the order to make it worth it, still not bad value compared to the £4.00 bus fare. £1.00 extra to 'save my life'. Never in my life did I think I would have stuff delivered to my home from Wilkinsons! Whatever next, B & M?

Also waiting on a ball of string from Amazon Prime - can't get to the stationers without masking up and decontaminating at every opportunity.

Is there no end to this madness?

Queueing has never completely gone away. I had to queue to get into my local supermarket yesterday morning as, in school boy error form, I turned up at the busiest tome on one of the hottest weekends of the year.

The numbers supermarkets are allowing into the store at any one time has generally increased recently (due to the move to face coverings and 1 metre+ rather than 2m) but this does not mean that at the very busiest times you won’t ha e to queue.
 

Silverlinky

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So todays weekly shop at the local Tesco Extra...and unlike last week there was a fair bit of non-compliance in the mask wearing department. Are people getting fed up with it already?

Last week I recall seeing two people not wearing masks, today that number was in double figures (and some obviously not exempt like the pair of young men who were buying beer), and a number with masks on but with them down below the chin as if to say I'll put one on to get in, but then after that i'll pull it down.
 
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