Non essential shops opening - will you rush to buy?

I went to Home Bargains for a specific light bulb yesterday. I didn't enjoy the experience much. I’m going to hang fire for a bit and stick to my village shop for essentials, my SiL for Waitrose 1x a week and as for birthday cards - Ive been painting my own! Very satisfying & appreciated by the recipients!

Went to our John Lewis yesterday, long queue, but absolutely fine when I got in, everything was great and even better the loos were open!

Went into town this morning. Several people around but not busy. Evidently according to FB posts, yesterday was manic.
I wanted cards, but the Card Factory is still shut. I suppose it’s because we would all flick through the cards to choose one we really like. This time of year is very birthday heavy and I mind paying £2-£3 for each card in Sainsbury’s.
I could have gone into Primark if I’d wanted-no queue there or Marks or Wilkinson’s. The busiest shops I passed were Pandora and H&B. Evidently everyone wants vitamin pills and jewels! etc. Although it was great to be out, I was glad to get my mask off when I got home and I think I’ll leave it for a while now.

No Blue Sky, I also struggle to get delivery, especially in a time that I am at home, as my husband isn't able to take deliveries in. I also agree with Marmite, that not everyone is computer literate, my DH isn't, so I end up having to try and go out shopping leaving my DH alone which isn't ideal. However I won't be spending lots of time queing to get in shops, only if I really needed something.

Out of curiosity I took a walk into the town centre this morning. Queuing round the block for Sports Direct!!

I won’t be strolling into town again in a hurry.

I'm not rushing to go shopping, I get a food delivery once a week from asda, the drivers are courteous and helpful, someone brings me my prescription too from asda. I save by not buying impulse buys. I make a list of what I'm short of then order it, that way I don't forget anything. I've been once to garden centre it was very quiet I bought a mini greenhouse so I can grow my seeds, I would rather be in my garden than shopping.

I have no desire to rush out shopping for non essential items. It would be a nice change to browse around John Lewis I suppose but I won’t as I am still very wary of the virus. For the really lonely people out there I couldn’t begrudge them the opportunity to get out of the house and have some human contact.

I have taken my dogs for grooming at Pets at Home today. Very civilised. A nice young man on the door monitoring. Three in the queue all social distancing. Inside the grooming salon they have panels between the groomers and you put the dogs leads on a peg and then step outside while the groomer collects them.
I wore my mask and felt quite safe.

I will be going as shops need our support, I have been going to our local Tesco since lockdown with my shopping trolley, they have a very good one way system. Also to my independent butcher, who is about a mile away, which is good exercise if I walk there and back! Only two allowed into the shop at any time, with a sensible queue outside. Our John Lewis opens today, I might try tomorrow as I need to take something back

GG13 Good point. Glad I don't have to join that queue !

Looking at what I've got in my wardrobe I was shocked to see so many new items still with the ticket on, clothes, shoes, handbags and so on. I'm determined to wear those first before I even think about more stuff!

Sparklefizz

There was a photo online this morning of the enormous queue waiting for Primark to open.

I was not surprised at the people waiting outside most Primark Stores. I guess they are families with young children who have had a growth spurt and need new clothes/footwear.

There was a photo online this morning of the enormous queue waiting for Primark to open.

Makes you wonder whether there is any point in shops reopening at all. Most people will be reluctant to visit for all the reasons we know, after all if we managed before we'll manage now. We'll have to be convinced it's safe and pleasant to go, another casualty of this dreaded virus. Let's just hope things will get better with time as we see happening abroad.

Honestly I would be happy to never have to go into a shop again

I won't be rushing, no. But I will go to shops rather than online, as I worry about how shops are ever going to survive if everyone shops online.

Not just the big stores, but all the little independent shops, who are so reliant on footfall.

Use 'em or lose 'em.

Respect twiglet without you and other frontline workers we would be stuck.

I work in a supermarket so have to go there anyway, and I also go to the farm shop every 2-3 weeks. Once during lockdown I've been to the nearest small town to get something from the Boots pharmacy. I don't go shopping for the sake of it anyway, I hate browsing shops, and I don't think anything will induce me to visit a shopping centre for at least the rest of this year. Too many of the population have demonstrated that they're not sticking to social distancing and I'd rather be as far away as possible from the idiots. It's bad enough facing the public at work but I don't have the choice there.

Lots of my local shops started deliveries during the height of the lockdown and I shall continue to buy from those that continue to do so, but our needs are few and our wants fewer still.

I have no plans to go out shopping for the foreseeable future.

I agree with you furret These local enterprising businesses need rewarding for keeping going and helping their communities and I will also continue to give them my support. Supermarkets avoided in our household at the best of times.

PS and my lovely milkman who delivers eggs, butter, cheese etc.

We have been really lucky during lockdown as some enterprising and/or community-minded person set up a local FB page and all the little business who could deliver advertised themselves.

Cake shops, florists, butchers, beers and wines, delis, greengrocers, etc. - not national companies all small local shops eg DH’s birthday I ordered a lovely afternoon tea which came complete with China cake stands. A friend who lost her husband to C19 had a lovely bouquet with garden flowers delivered. The home-made cake & bread shop sells flour and yeast.

These are the shop/businesses I will continue to support after lockdown.

Lucylocket my iPad had to be replaced too, I bought one online from Curry’s, delivered next day, and the transfer of info was idiot-proof (I refer to my technical ability) .

No. Not only will I not be going to non-essential shops, I'll continue online grocery shopping.

There's going to be a 2nd wave. I don't want to go under with it.

The Small non-essential franchised shop I work in part time is re-opening tomorrow, however the customers will not be permitted to walk around due to keeping the staff safe. I just hope our loyal customers continue to support my boss because she still has huge outgoings to pay & I would like to still have a job in the Autumn when it will hopefully be safe for me to return to work, due to my health conditions. People who keep purchasing Non-essential goods on the internet should spare a thought for the high street traders who are desperately struggling to survive& stay in business. I got really cross with a young girl before Christmas who informed me from behind the counter of her father’s very lovely Independent coffee shop, that she was buying all of her gifts online. I asked her how she would feel if all their customers started buying coffee machines and pods online and by-passed her Dad’s business? She hadn’t even given that a thought.