Non essential shops opening - will you rush to buy?

Thankyou BlueSky,I just hate to think of people struggling if it can be prevented. Reliable information can take a lot of hunting down.
It's becoming more apparent that there are people who should be on shielding list who are not and vice versa. Although shielding not a brilliant place to be it does give you access to a lot of support.
A good port of call to anyone who is having difficulties is probably local council who can put you in touch with community groups/ volunteers who can help.
With regard to shopping etc I think we all need to do our own risk assessment.
In the past few days ONS (office of national statistics) have released their figures on localised Covid deaths. Probably best indicator if how your area affected. I'm in Dorset,until recently one of the luckiest areas. Looking at the areas affected in my location was quite a sobering experience,there are cases in my immediate area and quite an unnerving circle of hotspots. The statistics are a few weeks old and only those who definitely had Covid on death certificate. That said with recent popularity of beaches and some protests I certainly dont think any shopping other than emergency is enticing.
Finally a lot of pharmacys will deliver,if not change pharmacy,investigate online sites which liaise with surgeries etc or see about volunteers such as WRVS scheme which are there for that very reason. Those of you that are be happy to be shopping that's your choice as long as are aware of facts/risks. For those of you that are vulnerable please dont assume that because support hasn't been officially offered you are not entitled to it.

I have no interest to rush out to any shops. I have shopped on-line and it has given me more time for gardening and walking the dogs. Just to relieve some boredom I will have a look to see if any local charity shops are open. It will be a different experience because most of them are fairly small so not sure how they will proceed with social distancing etc.

I am not queueing just for charity shops. I went to get my GC some McDonalds last week but there was about an hours queue or more waiting so I left it that is just too ridiculous.

I emailed our local ladies wear shop asking if she had any white shorts like Robell in my size ready for my holiday, if it ever comes. She had, I collected through the half closed door, tried on at home then paid by card the day after! She’s not even rushing to open yet so I bet she was relieved to have a sale!

No to big shops but I will be supporting the small local shops which are family run and need our custom to put food on their own tables and for their business to survive....but as we are in Wales not sure when that opening will be .

Yes...I will be out shopping tomorrow …..cannot find a specialist battery I badly need in any of the supermarkets that are open ….so will try phoning to find an electrical shop open that MIGHT sell it …...even if it is twice the price I usually pay I am desperate for it ! (may also have a slow look round whilst I am out ….but sadly no coffee !)

I return to work this week in a non essential shop! We have training first in closed hours and reopen on Thursday, not sure what to expect in all honesty. Stay safe everyone.

I agree with some of the posts about food shopping. I quite enjoyed it until the virus. Now I just queue and get in and out ASAP. I also shop for my 98 year old mum and my elderly neighbour. I’ve used online shopping in the past (when my back goes into spasm and I can’t walk, let alone drive) but like others found it difficult to get a slot. It would have been very difficult to get all our shopping in one go (neighbour has an eclectic taste!) And I imagine some of the items wouldn’t be available anyway. Also, I prefer to leave these slots to people who really need them and who rely on them.

I won’t be clothes shopping as I don’t need or want anything, but I get a lot of my toiletries and other items online from Boots or Amazon. The thing that worries me is that my small M&S food store and ASDA are on a retail park, along with shops such as Next, TKMax, furniture stores etc. My worry is that more people will now visit when these shops re-open and will combine their trip with a top-up food shop. So probably even longer queues !! So, no I will only shop for necessities when I need to and will avoid my town centre like the plague- which is a pity because a lot of shops already closed before the lock down due to the high business rates and I fear that the town will become a ghost town and that many people will lose their jobs. Very sad, but I fear that after the lock down many others will feel the same way and continue to buy online and these shops will be lost for good. I fear for the economy and people losing their livelihood.

Despite all the advice on here and elsewhere I haven’t managed to get a delivery slot since the beginning of lockdown and one click and collect from ASDA meant I had to go into the store to return so many short or ones the days items that I gave up. I’ll be visiting the local supermarket as usual. M&S has been managed really well -I’ve been there on two visits to town-once to pick up medication which hadn’t been delivered and once for Specsavers and the bank when our online banking refused to accept a cheque. I won’t be rushing in tomorrow, but on Tuesday . . . I can hardly wait. I’ll be there with a mask, sanitizer and wipes!

I won't be going out but would love to get to my favourite butcher instead of ordering supermarket meat. Haven't had much difficulty getting Tesco Click & Collect slots and now its very easy. The quality of the food is usually as good as I would choose, so no real complaints.
Happily cured of my clothes shopping habits, anything I need/want can be got at a good price online, although I do have a couple of returns to make - when I pluck up courage to go to the Post Van.

only place i want to go and thats to have my hair cut......

Thankfull for online shopping over the past months so no need to rush out and do a personal shop.Must admit lockdown has given me a chance to do jobs around the house and garden that would have gone on my list of 'must do' had I been able to personally shop.

No. Although I do need some new t shirts. I'll get them when I go to supermarket for. Weekly shopping.

Craftycat. I have the same mindset as you. After reading about all the mayhem of people trying to get supermarket deliveries,I just couldn’t be bothered trying. I have never used the system, anyway, preferring to choose my own food directly.

I always keep a good stock of food, and at first my DD and GD brought me milk, fresh food etc. Once the shops were better organised I started to do my own weekly shop, and feel perfectly safe doing so.

I now also shop in our local weekly market, which is gradually filling up with stalls again. It was good to stock up on reasonably-priced bedding plants again. I bought myself a pair of nice slippers, too, last week. Once the local shops reopen I will do as much of my shopping as possible with them. The supermarkets have had the monopoly for too long. Our small local businesses need all the help that they can get, and most of my shopping will be done in them.

Of course I will assess their safety systems, but we need to do all that we can to save our High Streets. I am fit and healthy, at 80, and am looking forward to seeing all our little shops open again.

Cass please read Dorsetcupcake's post. She has a lot of useful information for people who have difficulties in getting delivery slots.

I went to the market to buy plants for oirs yesterday It wasn't busy at all. I won't be rushing anywhere actually. I will continue click and collect for groceries. I detest shopping...

We don't have shops opening here yet but have found I can get everything I need online thankfully. Local shops also do postal service so that has sorted presents out. I needed toys and got them online from John Lewis along with a selection of cards. When I heard garden centres were opening I thought that may be nice but then realised I was thinking of the previous type of garden centre visit not the one with social distancing and hand sanitiser. So I had a virtual tour round a centre in my mind instead! I had managed to get plants delivered from a local company too so didn't need anything. I don't see me going out to shops until the virus is eradicated or we have a vaccine. I saw a survey which said that 1 in 5 people in England said they would not be in a clothes shop again! No wonder Boris is going to try to persuade folk to go to help the economy. However he must think we have short memories as he was shaking hand with people saying it was ok as long as we washed our hands and then ended up at deaths door.

Can't read through all the missives so I may have lost the thread
.... but I was informed last week that I shall have to spend another 12 weeks in lockdown
.... AND I cannot confirm a supermarket delivery slot being also computer semi-literate
Fortunately my newly discovered neighbours are being most helpful and are able to deliver some shopping.

My health did not stabililise by having no appropriate medical contact. I tried with 111 and an ambulance arrived within seconds to take me to a hospital where there was no relevent department/ staff. I was told I should have gone else where. As I had only phoned originally for some oral advice about drug dosage it did not seem like the best use of time and resources and I had had no choice in the destination
Shopping tomorrow is the last thing on my mind

I intend to carry on with online shopping and won't be going into any shops until I actually have to. At least for a couple more months or until I judge it safer.

Blue Sky I must disagree with what you say. I am reasonably computer literate and where I live it is nearly impossible to get food deliveries online despite the fact my husband and I are in our 70s. Anything but food I have bought online. This week I actually managed to get a very very late slot at Tesco. Not somewhere I would normally shop. I gave it a go. I received full fat items rather than low fat which I had ordered. As for the disgusting long past use vegetables they sent. I would not even feed them to our chickens. We live in a very rural area so it is not easy for everyone.

I`m more worried now than ever about Covid so i will NOT be going to any shops other than food outlets.
It`s going to be crazy out there.

I am 10 mins uphill to the town centre - would love to go but don't fancy the bus, and car parks could be a problem. Could walk but breathing bad and would need a rest when I got there (cuppa would be good) and then would have to go to toilet - that's me scuppered, it will be a while before I go to town!!

I am fortunate to live within 5 minutes walk from our small town centre which has a good selection of shops including Debenhams so I shall go shopping but be very careful and only do so when it is quiet. Saturday would be a big no as it is always busy then.
However do not fancy buying clothes without trying them on so I think shops will have a problem getting customers to buy

HHBBNN54 When I needed a birthday card for my granddaughter recently, I used www.moonpig.com and they will send it direct so you don't even have to go out to post it.

I want to support my local shops and went and did so yesterday. All following distancing rules, hand sanitiser, screens, etc. We need to start catching up with the 20% drop in the economy with those that can afford it and feel safe in most shops.

I need a couple of birthday cards am hoping card factory will be reopening. Tried local shops but nothing suitable. Apart from that need my glasses mending as lens has fallen out but they are only doing emergency appointments at the moment.