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Thank you to supermarket staff who are really in the front line.

(81 Posts)
fatgran57 Thu 19-Mar-20 01:04:26

Both my daughters work in a local supermarket and we know many of the staff also.

They are doing a great job and working all sorts of hours to keep things going.

The abuse from some customers is dreadful and this is happening all day long to these staff members.

In a lighter note my daughter sent me this - "In an unsettling reversal of my teenage years I am now yelling at my parents for going out"

rowanflower0 Thu 19-Mar-20 15:52:47

Personally I am very grateful to supermarket staff, who still find time to tell me where to find suet for dumplings, as there are no potatoes left in store!!!

tidyskatemum Thu 19-Mar-20 15:44:12

Our local pharmacy finally had supplies of paracetamol today - £3.45 for a packet of 16, where 10 days ago it was 55p! The poor pharmacist was most apologetic and at pains to point out that it wasn’t him who was profiteering but those higher up the supply chain.

sandelf Thu 19-Mar-20 15:31:09

Yes - heros - checkout folk and cleaners too. On a lighter note: There was no broccoli nor eggs in our local J S. Have I missed national 'Broccoli Omelette' day? You can't hoard these things - are people eating Broccoli and eggs who have never eaten them before?

hulahoop Thu 19-Mar-20 15:27:36

ELLANVANNIN I think eBay should take these people down its disgusting .i thought all shops were now restricting how much you can buy of any one thing to me they were slow to do this you will always get people going in everyday they are selfish

May7 Thu 19-Mar-20 15:22:20

I having read these posts I am truly appalled at the horrible behaviour some people display to checkout staff. I have watched people in the past talk on mobile phones and completely ignore them as if they were sub human. Usually I have to say something big gob as I just cant stand that level of rudeness. My DD has gone to Lidl today to buy mothers day flowers for me and video apped me to see if I liked the ones she'd chosen. Shes also getting yoghurts and brown sauce for her nan. I could not believe the empty fridges of meat and fresh produce I was seeing as she walked around. What the hell is happening to our society.????

I asked her to buy a large box of chocolates and give them to cashier who looks the most stressed. It's alright Mum she said I've just done the same thing.

There really are good people out there. I'm proud of her.

EllanVannin Thu 19-Mar-20 15:07:04

There is profiteering going on ! just read that some greedy so and so bought 20 tins of baby formula, as ebay sellers are selling them at twice,3 times the price. How wicked is that ??

Funnygran Thu 19-Mar-20 15:00:04

Lupin and EllanVannin My daughter is much the same as your daughters. She's a practice nurse with three children and is working almost full time at present. Last night on the phone she said she would need to call in at our local Tesco today after work to stock up. Having been in myself for some basics this morning I have warned her that she is going to struggle. There was absolutely no fresh meat, no potatoes and the tinned goods shelves were empty. And not a toilet roll in sight. It's a large store that has stopped overnight opening for the time being. I just hope they can get re-stocked overnight and rigidly enforce the no bulk buying to leave stocks for people who want to shop sensibly. I never cease to be horrified by just how greedy and entitled some people feel.

Flakesdayout Thu 19-Mar-20 14:55:27

My friends son went to Sainbsurys before the 'older persons' hour, hoping to get some shopping. I think that is wrong. Also if pensioners are trying to get to the store by bus, then their bus passes are not valid until after 9am. Would it not be prudent for the stores to close for a day or half day to enable them to restock. Then put security staff on the doors and staff to help and restrict purchases inside.

AGAA4 Thu 19-Mar-20 14:54:17

I had to go to Tesco this morning as run out of essentials. There was a queue of about 50 people at 7am waiting at the checkouts. I was just thinking of giving up when one of the staff noticed I only had a few items - milk and veg and brought me to the front of the queue. Everyone else's trolley was loaded high. I was so grateful and I could tell the staff were very fed up with selfish people!

EllanVannin Thu 19-Mar-20 14:32:12

As my D had asked, where are they getting their money from to be buying/spending so much. She's feeding 3 extra children paying a mortgage and usual bills but still having to spend the same amount within her budget. Like myself, she's corner-shopping because besides supermarkets being full of madness, the shelves are empty.

Near her are deprived areas who rely on 3 for 2 bargains from supermarkets but are left behind in the scramble from the greedy b's to grab everything going. Luckily there's a Tesco outlet not far away, safe in the knowledge that those greedy beggars wouldn't venture in such areas !.

These vultures are probably the same ones who leave Easter egg shelves bare and the same at Christmas in certain bays.

LuckyFour Thu 19-Mar-20 14:24:52

I went to the local Co-op this morning around 7.15 am. It wasn't busy just normal. Got some things but not everything. I then went to a large Sainsbury's which was absolutely packed and had lots of empty shelves. Did get potatoes and vegetables which couldn't get at the Co-op. Mixed bag situation.

ayse Thu 19-Mar-20 14:05:46

I walked to my local Morrisons this morning going out at 7.45. I arrived about 8.30 and bought 2 loaves of whole meal bread, some cheese, milk and some E45. I couldn’t believe the number shopping. Very little frozen veg, no toilet paper and people with huge trolleys filled to the brim. A number were discussing all the people who were panic buying. It looked as if they were doing just the same.

The lady on the checkout is one of those lovely people who always has a smile on her face whenever I see her at work. I said a great big thank you to her. She said she’d been shouted at yesterday and today was going to refuse to serve anyone using abusive behaviour. I just hope the management back her all the way.

Pussycat2012 Thu 19-Mar-20 13:52:07

My son is first responder and was called to an elderly lady with ‘respiratory problems ‘ yesterday. He donned his hazmat suit, goggles, mask etc and after climbing 27floors of a multi storey building (lift out of order) and examining the ‘patient ‘ quickly learnt there was nothing wrong with her and she only wanted him to come out in the hope he would ‘lend’ her some face masks and a few bottles of hand sanitiser!! He also caught someone else in the hospital filling his water bottle with sanitiser from the nurses station! All this in the wee small hours I might add. It beggars belief.

Bluecat Thu 19-Mar-20 13:46:42

My DD in the USA says there have been people stabbed in fights in supermarkets. She also says that the gun shops' shelves are empty, as people are panic buying guns and ammo. That scares me. I wish she was living here.

Tapdance6 Thu 19-Mar-20 13:42:39

I think managers and security staff should confiscate peoples shopping if they are abusing there workers and tell them not to return to there shop as they won't be served. One young girl in Aldi was actually shaking whilst serving on the till , my friend asked if she was feeling O.K. and she replied I have taken so much abuse today I have had enough.

newnanny Thu 19-Mar-20 13:33:03

Huge thanks to all NHS staff who must be worried about catching virus and passing it on to loved ones and having to work even harder covering for colleagues on self isolation. Lorry drivers too. My son working as many hours as EU allows to get food to supermarkets. Supermarket staff too doing extra hours to stack shelves.

allule Thu 19-Mar-20 13:25:10

Would it help if supermarkets locked up the trolleys, and only provided baskets?
Some people might go round again, but it would slow them down...

BusterTank Thu 19-Mar-20 12:22:03

My daughter also works in a supermarket . She is having face to face contact everyday with over 500 people . I really think our supermarket staff should be provided with gloves and masks . They are just trying to carry on in a bad situation they don't want to catch corona virus . They don't have the choice of social distancing . Please help our supermarket staff , so they can carry on with the brilliant job they are doing .

Margs Thu 19-Mar-20 11:53:12

In a supermarket yesterday and there was a woman (who IMHO looked like a contender for the late Jeremy Kyle Show) trying to buy FIVE packs of loo rolls containing 24 rolls each. The checkout girl firmly told her only one and she went off like a bomb effing and blinding and eventually resorting to "you are taking away my yoomun rights! Eh?

Asst. store manager and two security people joined in and she started kicking and screaming. Last seen being escorted away by the two WPC's who turned up in the nick of time before she really hurt someone. The handcuffs did not improve her appearance very much.

justwokeup Thu 19-Mar-20 11:52:18

I've not seen this at all, thank goodness, but I've not changed my shopping habits as I don't have to work and I usually have a well-stocked store cupboard. I've started working my way through it - interesting meals on the way. hmm I wondered how the food banks will cope as they also buy food with cash donations, which will cause more problems for the most vulnerable. Our local food bank is not even 'official' so might not get any help. My AC's family is s-i for 14 days so they put food on the credit card, which I know they can't afford to do. Not sure if this is a fact, but there seem to be many more men in supermarkets than usual and OH reckons they will stack trolleys with stuff they don't need. Don't shoot me, it was a man who said it! Trying times for everyone but so pleased Boris mentioned delivery drivers last night with emergency workers. Not sure how we'd manage without them.

Mimidl Thu 19-Mar-20 11:45:10

My son is a delivery driver and they are inundated now with people who have never shopped online before.
I'm disabled and also in isolation currently as I was sent home after contracting a bad cough. Sainsburys have said they are going to prioritise home deliveries for the elderly/vulnerable and would be contacting these customers in the coming days. I'm not really sure how they will know which customers fall into this category, so I have added it to my comments on my online account hoping they will check there.
As a funeral director however I cant take time off except in these circumstances. Sadly we are only going to get busier and it certainly wouldn't be appropriate to see a family dressed head to toe in protective gear. Or to not be able to hold their hand or give them a hug.
These are certainly unusual and worrying times

Lupin Thu 19-Mar-20 11:39:52

I had a long phone chat with my daughter last night. She had no idea how bad the panic buying situation had become. She works very hard, long hours.
She took her 8 year old son to Sainsbury yesterday and was horrified at the empty shelves. Not a vegetable to be had, let alone milk, bread, etc. etc, He was quite upset and anxious, worrying about food running out as well as his parents and grandparents perhaps getting sick. They have reassured him as much as they can.
We think the staff everywhere who are coping with this situation are heroic. The longer this goes on I can see a tougher rationing system being worked out, and if anything like this happens again I hope they have one ready and waiting to deploy. In this computer age we should be able to.

SillyNanny321 Thu 19-Mar-20 11:39:27

Feeling very angry at the selfish idiots bulk buying anything & everything. I rely on Sainsburys for my shopping online. I had my usual 3 weeks slots booked mainly because being 75 & disabled i do not always feel like doing much. Got my shopping this morning minus toilet rolls obviously & would you believe cat litter? Who on earth is buying up cat litter? Ordered from online Pet shop food for my indoor cat with renal problems as our Vet does not have any left. Online shop not sure if they can fulfill the order! Again who is bulk buying renal cat food??? Think it is crooks buying anything & selling it to those of us desperate at hugely enlarged prices!! What is wrong with these selfish idiots? Sorry for irate lengthy post but GN's are only ones I can rant to.

anne53 Thu 19-Mar-20 11:37:34

My friend's husband picked up a 6 pack of bars of soap at our local Morrison's yesterday to be told by the checkout assistant that he could only have 4, not the 6 that were in the pack. After a short, and I imagine heated, discussion he asked to see the supervisor, who promptly told the checkout assistant that she was being ridiculous and it only counted as one item. I wondered what they would have done with the two spare bars of soup if he had taken them out!

anne53 Thu 19-Mar-20 11:31:47

Had a very worrying conversation with a young mum at our Toddler group last week. She looked at me and said " I'm really worried. I can't afford to stockpile. I only have enough money for a week" I was pretty ashamed of myself when I realised that that these young families who live week by week are going to be the ones suffering from all the panic buying, and I hadn't given them much thought.