Back to shopping after home deliveries?

I have never wanted to do my weekly shop on-line. Had it been there when I was working, maybe then. But, once retired have always enjoyed a leisurely stroll round the supermarket, do take a list, do my mental maths and use a zapper - so all item go directly into my own shopping bags-and never any queues at those checkouts,.

Even when I was really ill last year (nothing infectious - the result of a bad fall), I still managed to do that weekly shop myself, using Sainsbury's own mobility scooters round the store.

I decided right at the beginning of Lockdown that I would continue to do this as normal. Did start to go early at oldies hour - wore a mask from early on, but would not dream of wearing gloves. Hand washing before I left home, hand washing as soon as I arrive home, hand washing after I had put away all my shopping.

Gave my car a chance to have a short workout each week, gave me a chance to see different scenery each week. Never that many people in Sainsburys. It was well governed and less and less shoppers as time went on - obviously so many older people going on-line. Usually I have whole aisles to myself. Have no intention of changing this method of shopping now.

I have continued with Ocado deliveries for most of my shopping and have no intention of ever stopping. I have been into our local Waitrose and farm shop for odd fresh items I have run out of but have stopped going to our local Morrison’s they appear chaotic and didn’t feel safe at all the one occasion I went so not for me . Waitrose 2m circles to stand on to queue, hand sanitiser and screens , much better

We have been grocery shopping online since the beginning of lockdown. We have continued with this but have had a few visits to Lidl lately. We are considering discontinuing these now as a second spike looms.

My Morrison’s announced yesterday that are increasing safety measures, including extra screen, single queue and a person at the door to control numbers in the store. I’ll still stick to online, but it’s a sign of things to come.

I’ve been using Ocado for fifteen years, so they tell me. They rewarded me with free chocolate (or wine, but I chose chocolate). I can’t imagine trekking round a supermarket for everyday shopping now, though I might have a look for extras.

The only advice I’d offer is to check your order one last time re quantities - in the early days I ended up with two and a half kilograms of green grapes instead of half a kilo. Also check if certain fresh items are ordered by weight or number of items.

There’s a lot of myths about online shopping mostly perpetuated by those who don’t do it ?

Substitutes are useful if the exact item isn't available. eg I would rather have a substitute yoghurt than none at all.
You can tick no substitute or return unsuitable subs in Sainsbury or Tesco orders.

Re WR order - if you don’t want a substitute, then check the box against the item. If you don’t do this and they substitute, they email you the morning of the delivery with the information. Any substituted items are in a separate bag and you are asked on the doorstep if you want them or not. I’ve had WR deliveries now since April and have had a very small number of subs. I’ve only needed to refuse one. A substitution is only ever upwards and I’ve been amazed at how far upwards that has been. I can’t speak for other retailers but the dates and quality of anything fresh has been fine.

I’m another Monica! Love food shopping, planning meals, checking quality/sell by dates etc and have never done online until this week!

My first Waitrose shop will be delivered this afternoon as we’re quarantined for two weeks after our return from Spain and I’m looking forward to seeing if everything I’ve ordered arrives.

DD tells me that they do substitutes which appals me! I wouldn’t have ordered an item if I wanted something else, would I?

Regardless, I shall be frequenting our new Lidl Friday week, so I can pick and choose willy nilly! I’ve never felt unsafe as I take my own sanitiser anyway and go early/late when it’s less busy.

Re Tesco and bags.
I had an order delivered on Thursday.
They are now using these huge, very strong plastic bags that hold about two or three times more than the regular bags. I didn't have to pay for them.
I recommend that everyone signs up for all the available delivery services including a milkman (Milk & More are taking on new customers again I think).
I fear that we are in for another very rocky ride.

I never managed to get online deliveries during lockdown, I used to have then every month for heavy items as I have bad arthritis. But as I wasn't on any shielding or vulnerable list, I could no longer get one - and believe me I tried all the supermarkets, staying up until midnight to try to log in as well as multiple times during the day!

I did manage to get click and collect with Tesco which worked out really well so I will continue with that. I can pop out for top ups of fresh bread or fruit but if the number of cases rises much more near me, then I will just make do with a weekly shop.

Tesco have just announced that they are bringing back plastic bag free orders again and charging 40p for bags so I shall see if I can stand up long enough to load my own bags from their crates - up till now, the lovely staff have been putting it in my car for me. If I struggle, I will pay the 40p although I don't like using non recyclable bags. Maybe I'll be able to return them to Tesco for recycling?

I've been doing a regular weekly shop at Morrisons or Sainsbury's as they are close (7 miles) for some months now.
Very impressed with everything they have done especially Morrisons.
- Each check out isolated with full screens.
- Machines outside and inside where you get hand sanitiser and spray onto dispensed blue paper towels for trolleys and baskets.
- At the end of aisles and on checkouts there are additional sanitisers.
- Reminders from staff to keep 2m back from counters.

I would reluctantly go back to on-line and would miss the items I could never ever get in the deliveries. Only supermarket I got a delivery slot quite quickly (2 weeks) was Waitrose. Asda OK and I used click and collect but all the others especially Sainsbury's were none starters. Paid for a Morrisons one but so many items not in stock and never any replacements.

I wear a mask as I get out of the car and it comes off when I back in the car. Never seen any customer without a mask in Morrisons.

If I miss anything, it’s the middle aisles on what used to be irregular trips to Lidl. But I’m more than content with my WR delivery every 10 days or so supplemented by a weekly trip to outdoor and very safe fruit and veg stall ( which I went back to using about 6 weeks ago and will miss if I have to give up). For years, I’ve had a delivery of fish from a firm in Grimsby every 10 weeks or so and which has continued throughout. Finally since Covid, I started getting a delivery from a local group of suppliers for some meat, bread, pastries. I’m keeping that going as well. I can’t imagine ever going back to a regular supermarket weekly shop.

I prefer to do all my food shopping myself. I rarely buy meat, fish, bread or vegetables in the supermarket anyway. I plan meals a week at a time and if something is not available, I will often replan the week's menus in the shop, which may include putting somethings back while adding other things to my list

During lockdown that early morning run once a week to the supermarket was my only chance in the week to get out of my house and village. I love both, but you can have too much of a good thing.

Right from the start I have worn mask and gloves when shopping. I am elderly but I have no medical problems, neither am I overweight, so yes my age increases my risk if I get COVID, but nothing else does. I think we can overestimate the risk. Where I live I calculated that one person in 25,000 had caught COVID and there had only been a handful of deaths. the car journey to and from the supermarket is probably more dangerous.

I have enjoyed going back to Aldi for the last three or four weeks although only for the basics. I've kept my weekly Sainsbury's delivery for the gluten free stuff I need.

I'm going to give Aldi a miss for a while though. I don't think it's worth the risk now the IR is going up again.

Sainsbury's was very good to us during Lockdown.

No change for me as I've shopped online for many years. Why would anyone risk it? It makes no sense if you are elderly or have health concerns.

We still get deliveries. We had started going in to a couple of smaller shops at quiet times for one or two items just to get out and feel normal.
But as things are not improving we've decided to stop and just get deliveries.

At 8am our local Morrisons is pretty quiet. Hand sanitiser and spray for the trolley handle as well as paper towels. Now, also and much to my satisfaction, sanitiser when leaving as well. Often only one till open but only one person ahead in the queue, if anyone.

I had deliveries for quite a while, and will do again if necessary, but find choosing my own shopping is better. I haven't returned to the other shops that I used to use.

I've been doing click and collect and will continue to do so now. Have sussed out things I don't trust a picker to do and can do them instore. What I don't like is bra shopping - having to order or take different ones then return what doesn't fit!

I used online deliveries when I worked but much prefer going myself. I always make sure I have the best sell by dates and fruit and veg are just how I want them.

I am a convert to online grocery delivery. Have used Sainsburys for last 4 years. Brilliant service.

I agree overthehill it’s better to stay away from busy supermarkets if you can.We started to have the weekly shop delivered from last Christmas, when DH had been very ill, and have never looked back since.Mainly Ocado, but with an occasional Tesco shop now and again.
I haven’t been in any kind of shop since last March when lockdown started.We shouldn’t rush back to supermarkets now anyway, as things may soon get worse with Covid.

I’ve been shopping on line for years. I have a shopping pass - it is due now soon £30. That gives me a years worth of deliveries.

I hate shopping of any sort so it has always suited me to shop on line for almost everything really.

I’m another one who’s sticking to on line supermarket shopping. I’ve lost any interest in wandering round a supermarket. But I will stay with local artisan butchers, bakers and farm shop.