Supermarkets and Covid-19

[Bletchleyite]

Things are obviously different where you are then. Here customers are encouraged to join the staffed checkout queue with signage and staff directing people towards it. Direct access to the self checkouts is blocked off from all but one shopping aisle and two thirds of the self checkouts have been taken out of service to faciltate social distancing. As for scan and go, I have no idea what that is.

I think it'd depend on what your priority is - protecting staff or protecting other customers. Self checkouts are likely to be a spread vector as lots of people touch them (remember the thing about the Maccy's touch screens testing positive for human faeces?), but obviously if you're served by a human you may infect or be infected by them.

 

[Meerkat]

I prefer self checkout (in fact I always do as I am a grumpy bugger wary of getting trapped into a conversation by an annoying extrovert!). The touch risk from the screens can be mitigated by using one finger (wiped on jeans - jeans neutralise everything right?) and washing hands, as opposed to an extra person (with high risk hands) touching my groceries just before I pick them up.

 

[bramling]

Same here. Waitrose ask those ignoring the request if they would mind one of them waiting outside and most, having been asked, sheepishly agree. It seems that here, a specific number of shoppers in the store at a time has been determined and a one out - one in system operated. If couples turn up, not only are they delaying their entrance until two have left, but they are also delaying everybody else behind them as well. It seems that couples who enter the store then act as if it was a normal shopping visit, standing across gangways or side by side alongside shelves cogitating over the details of their purchases. Self-awareness doesn't seem to be seem to be much in presence, either inside or outside stores.

This one bugs me a little. I can say for definite that when we go shopping, it will be a lot quicker if we both go. Even in normal circumstances neither of us enjoys shopping, so the collective objective is to get in and out as quickly as possible. We tend to do big shops as infrequently as possible, but when we do this will involve bulk buying.

We may be atypical, however I’m tired of having to amend ways off the back of others causing problems. On that score we’ve only been shopping together once since the lockdown came in, and that was at a time when the store was pretty empty.

Nothing was said about us going in together
(not Sainsbury’s so not sure how many stores actually have this policy), but if there’s such a policy then we’ll simply queue separately and go through the doors separately. Perhaps this may also help with some of the items where there’s quotas, although this doesn’t seem to be such an issue now on most things (as an aside, perhaps bleach will need quotas soon, as couldn’t help noticing empty shelves here last time I was in a supermarket!).

We certainly don’t cogitate, so I don’t see why we should have to adapt because some others do.

 

[AM9]

... (as an aside, perhaps bleach will need quotas soon, as couldn’t help noticing empty shelves here last time I was in a supermarket!).

Surely there aren't that many Trump supporters where you live?

 

[AM9]

... We certainly don’t cogitate, so I don’t see why we should have to adapt because some others do.

I wasn't presuming that you did, but rules (and laws) are made because too many people do have particular disruptive behaviours that need to be discouraged.

 

[Meerkat]

I can say for definite that when we go shopping, it will be a lot quicker if we both go

Will it be anywhere near twice as quick? If it isn’t twice as quick then you have delayed someone else from getting their shopping. You have also inevitably slowed down other people’s shopping as two people together block aisles.

 

[sheff1]

If they constantly have a queue to get in they probably welcome having two fewer customers, especially as said customers are unwilling to follow the perfectly reasonable rules.

If they want to reduce the number of customers that is entirely up to them. As I said, there are plenty of alternatives who continue to welcome us with open arms. On our shop at M&S today we were greated by a friendly good morning at the door, given a trolley freshly wiped down with disinfectant at the entrance to the food hall, had another checkout till open for us when it was spotted we were waiting behind two other couples and then relieved of the now empty trolley by another staff member who wished us well for the rest of the day.

 

[bramling]

Surely there aren't that many Trump supporters where you live?

This was in London, which isn’t where I live!

 

[bramling]

Will it be anywhere near twice as quick? If it isn’t twice as quick then you have delayed someone else from getting their shopping. You have also inevitably slowed down other people’s shopping as two people together block aisles.

Yes actually I’d say including the checkout as well it probably was twice as quick. In fact I’d probably have had difficulty fitting everything into one trolley, which might have otherwise resulted in having to pay then re-enter the store.

 

[david1212]

Several recent posts refer to the queue length at Sainsburys.

Local to me anyway most include Argos. I wonder in reality how many shoppers would not be there if they did not have a collection waiting at Argos i.e. if only wanting food would they have waited few days or as first choice use another store for their food.

 

[Hadders]

Where I live there are two large Sainsbury's stores, one on each side of town. One has an Argos the other doesn't. I use both reasonably frequently as they're both the same distance from where I live. I've experienced queues to get in to both (up to 10 minutes I'd say), I've also managed to walk straight in to both. It depends on the time and day of the week.

There's a Tesco Express very near to where I live. Sometimes I've been able to walk straight in, on other visits I've had to queue for up to 10 minutes.

There is a large Tesco and a large Asda at either end of the town centre. I've walked past both when I've been on my daily walk, somedays there are queues on other days there aren't.

 

[Adsy125]

Nothing was said about us going in together
(not Sainsbury’s so not sure how many stores actually have this policy), but if there’s such a policy then we’ll simply queue separately and go through the doors separately. Perhaps this may also help with some of the items where there’s quotas, although this doesn’t seem to be such an issue now on most things (as an aside, perhaps bleach will need quotas soon, as couldn’t help noticing empty shelves here last time I was in a supermarket!).

It is so funny when people do that, thinking whoever on the door is completely stupid because they work for a supermarket, and then get caught out and annoyed. It‘s also massively selfish but there you go.

Interestingly throughout this whole thing the people most annoyed haven’t been the young but generally white middle aged and older blokes. Of course most are fine about the whole thing

 

[Hadders]

As for scan and go, I have no idea what that is.

Here you go.

Asda.com - Online Food Shopping, George, & more

www.asda.com

What is SmartShop and how does it work?

in What is SmartShop and how does it work?, Products & GiftcardsHome.

help.sainsburys.co.uk

Waitrose & Partners

Buy quality groceries and wine from Waitrose & Partners

www.waitrose.com

 

[bramling]

It is so funny when people do that, thinking whoever on the door is completely stupid because they work for a supermarket, and then get caught out and annoyed. It‘s also massively selfish but there you go.

Why is it selfish?

We’ve so far done a “full” only once since the lockdown came in. Apart from that I’ve been into Sainsbury’s a few times from work to get bits, but that’s all.

I really don’t see that the two of us, once a month, going round a supermarket together, not in any way cogitating or blocking aisles, is selfish.

Seems to me anyone having an issue with it is more likely to be venting frustration at the situation of having to queue. From the point of view of both of us having to fit shopping round work, unlike a proportion of the population at the moment, I find it hard to have sympathy if our monthly shop is regarded by some as selfish.

 

[Meerkat]

Yes actually I’d say including the checkout as well it probably was twice as quick. In fact I’d probably have had difficulty fitting everything into one trolley, which might have otherwise resulted in having to pay then re-enter the store.

How do you get round the store twice as quickly?

 

[Qwerty133]

To be honest I have had more issues with staff, and in particular managers, than fellow customers with regards to the blocking of aisles or otherwise preventing social distancing. Unfortunately, one local branch of Aldi had decided that lockdown is the time to discover what dead stock they have in the back by having groups of deputy and assistant managers who are not social distancing counting it on and off of shelves located next to the tills. At the same time the shop had queues to pay half way down the aisles due to only having 2 tills open, and the 2 slowest cashiers being on said tills, which basically prevented people from remaining 2 metres apart unless they were willing to wait several minutes to get between aisles.

 

[bramling]

How do you get round the store twice as quickly?

Most of the time with one deciding what’s needed, and the other picking it off the shelf and loading the trolley. Any by having sufficient trolley capacity to be able to flint have to go round again.

It just ends up being so much quicker having two minds and two sets of hands working away.

 

[Adsy125]

Why is it selfish?

We’ve so far done a “full” only once since the lockdown came in. Apart from that I’ve been into Sainsbury’s a few times from work to get bits, but that’s all.

I really don’t see that the two of us, once a month, going round a supermarket together, not in any way cogitating or blocking aisles, is selfish.

Seems to me anyone having an issue with it is more likely to be venting frustration at the situation of having to queue. From the point of view of both of us having to fit shopping round work, unlike a proportion of the population at the moment, I find it hard to have sympathy if our monthly shop is regarded by some as selfish.

If one of you has the virus asymptomatically it’s highly likely the other one does too, increasing the risk to all the other customers, and more importantly staff who are very much needed. As I have said before I think it is very unlikely you are twice as quick going around together, so you are also delaying other people from being able to shop. As @Bletchleyite mentioned earlier, you can think about what you need by making a list beforehand as well so thinking about what you need isn’t a problem. With the stock situation having improved so much you should be able to do a small number of substitutions pretty easily.

Or you could just come in at a time when there’s no queue and you are more than welcome to come in as a couple. By a time when there’s no queue I don’t mean a brief dip in the afternoon, I mean in the evening when shops don’t worry about counting people in or out.

 

[Meerkat]

Most of the time with one deciding what’s needed, and the other picking it off the shelf and loading the trolley. Any by having sufficient trolley capacity to be able to flint have to go round again.

It just ends up being so much quicker having two minds and two sets of hands working away.

If you are splitting the roles it can’t be twice as quick as one person doing it!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Most of the time with one deciding what’s needed, and the other picking it off the shelf and loading the trolley. Any by having sufficient trolley capacity to be able to flint have to go round again.

It just ends up being so much quicker having two minds and two sets of hands working away.

You could always meal plan and decide beforehand. And if it does necessitate two people, go in totally separately and remain separate, having split the list.

 

[bramling]

You could always meal plan and decide beforehand. And if it does necessitate two people, go in totally separately and remain separate, having split the list.

I'm sure there's a million different ways we *could* shop, but they're all in my view solutions looking for a problem that isn't there. It seems everyone knows better how I can do my shopping than I!

We're not changing the way we do the shopping, and that's that.

 

[farleigh]

It is so funny when people do that, thinking whoever on the door is completely stupid because they work for a supermarket, and then get caught out and annoyed. It‘s also massively selfish but there you go.

Interestingly throughout this whole thing the people most annoyed haven’t been the young but generally white middle aged and older blokes. Of course most are fine about the whole thing

That seems a very racist thing to say. I thought that sort of thinking had died out thirty years ago. Have you any evidence for that or is just your view?

 

[Bletchleyite]

We're not changing the way we do the shopping, and that's that.

You'll make quite an impressive display for the news if that is your argument when a security guard tells you yes, you are changing it. Better to prepare and change it voluntarily as most establishments are asking you, nicely, to do.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That seems a very racist thing to say. I thought that sort of thinking had died out thirty years ago. Have you any evidence for that or is just your view?

There is a reason for the term "gammon". The thing is the demographic concerned is not just about skin colour, it's about a generation and demographic who have a disproportionately high number of people who are very selfish and inconsiderate, possibly due to Maggie pushing that as the right thing to be for a fair chunk of their formative adult years.

This isn't really racist, just as it isn't racist to point out that Islam may be the cause of a high level of spread in Birmingham - not because of anything to do with race, but rather because Muslims are rather more fastidious than Christians at ensuring they attend the mosque frequently, and that's a gathering of people indoors which causes spread. Christian Churches are as well, but most Christians don't go to church, and of those who do it's usually only once a week.

 

[bramling]

If one of you has the virus asymptomatically it’s highly likely the other one does too, increasing the risk to all the other customers, and more importantly staff who are very much needed.

Why does it increase the risk? As you say, if one has it then it's likely the other does, so either introduces the possibility of CV19 into the store. Does it matter that much if person A handles something rather than person B? In reality measures like not touching items we don't intend to buy are surely far more important.

As I have said before I think it is very unlikely you are twice as quick going around together, so you are also delaying other people from being able to shop. As @Bletchleyite mentioned earlier, you can think about what you need by making a list beforehand as well so thinking about what you need isn’t a problem. With the stock situation having improved so much you should be able to do a small number of substitutions pretty easily.

Quite simply, we don't have time to mess around making lists before going. Perhaps if we were both furloughed and therefore had plenty of spare time then it might be different, but as it is we need to be straight in, get what we need, and out again.

No one has yet identified a solution for the problem I mentioned of potentially purchasing more items than can easily fit within one trolley. If I have to go round a second time, this is going to result in way more time in the store.

Or you could just come in at a time when there’s no queue and you are more than welcome to come in as a couple. By a time when there’s no queue I don’t mean a brief dip in the afternoon, I mean in the evening when shops don’t worry about counting people in or out.

In all fairness, that's what we've thusfar done, with no issues as you say. However I can't always guarantee that we'd be able to fit found such times.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Quite simply, we don't have time to mess around making lists before going. Perhaps if we were both furloughed and therefore had plenty of spare time then it might be different

Are you not finding increased weekend spare time?

 

[bramling]

Are you not finding increased weekend spare time?

Quite simply, no.

I'm not sure if C19 is causing the hands on the clock to go round faster, but having been off this last weekend the time just seemed to disappear. I'm not prepared to cut back on a couple of hour's exercise each day when off work, and after doing a few odd jobs round the house which needed doing that was the weekend spoken for. It's worth adding that I haven't necessarily been off every weekend since the lockdown came in, either.

Rest assured this will hopefully ease shortly, as I've stopped agreeing to do any overtime for work, and have made the decision I won't be cancelling the annual leave that's upcoming. If a couple of colleagues don't sign up to some serious overtime then my work is going to be in big trouble next week.

 

[jkkne]

After experiencing the joy of Click and Collect groceries I wonder if it would be an option for one of the supermarkets to try a 'dark supermarket'.

Temporarily convert one of your less profitable (and you have a nearby outlet) staffed but only exists for Click and Collect or Delivery groceries. On a smaller scale we're seeing restaurants and takeaways do it but it could take pressure off slots and stock in busier locations

 

[Bletchleyite]

After experiencing the joy of Click and Collect groceries I wonder if it would be an option for one of the supermarkets to try a 'dark supermarket'.

There already are some, obviously Ocado but I believe some of the others have some too.

 

[111-111-1]

I think it'd depend on what your priority is - protecting staff or protecting other customers. Self checkouts are likely to be a spread vector as lots of people touch them (remember the thing about the Maccy's touch screens testing positive for human faeces?), but obviously if you're served by a human you may infect or be infected by them.

It is not really suprising that self checkout screens and ATMs are full of bacteria, the data on office keyboards bacteria level is shocking.

Problem is the number of people who don't wash their hands after using the toilet, on trains exaberated by the number of toilets where the tap is defective, and of course there are places that have a communal hand towel rather than driers, paper towels or towel roll machine.