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Don't go out, he says. Shop line, he says

(40 Posts)
H1954 Mon 23-Mar-20 20:37:13

Listening to Boris and the special broadcast tonight. He advises people to not go out and instead of going out shopping we should do our grocery shop line! I tried that tonight, Morrisons are not accepting any further orders, nor are Sainsbury's and Tesco did not have a delivery slot available until almost the end of April! I wonder where he gets his groceries from?

GracesGranMK3 Mon 23-Mar-20 20:45:55

Interesting. Sainsbury's keep emailing me to tell me I am a priority customer. They must have asked me my age at some point. I don't do online shops with them and haven't for some time. The email also gave me a number I could ring.

On the other hand, I haven't been able to change my slot on Morrisons. I have always ordered every ten days but with them limiting items I will have trouble getting enough of the gluten-free items and other free-from ones I normally rely on to last me for ten days although, if I could order every seven days I would be fine. It will all sort itself out eventually, I expect.

The letters they are sending out are expected to arrive from Tuesday if my memory serves me right.

Hetty58 Mon 23-Mar-20 20:51:41

You're lucky GG, Sainsbury's haven't emailed little old me!

pinkquartz Mon 23-Mar-20 21:01:48

GGMK3 Can you do me a favour and tell Sains they have missed me out.

Not on age but I am very vulnerable and they won't let me book a delivery.

Not sure how long without food is a good idea?

Anniebach Mon 23-Mar-20 21:06:23

He said ‘shop on line if you can’

GracesGranMK3 Mon 23-Mar-20 21:12:04

Isn't it only something like 7% of the population who normally shop online? They are going to have to have a lot more slots if they are going to have everyone doing it.

J52 Mon 23-Mar-20 22:09:29

We’re registered with Sainsburys and Waitrose, but no hope of slot so relying on village shops and milkman who will deliver dairy products and bread. Should survive.

annep1 Mon 23-Mar-20 22:51:30

My Tesco website only shows slots until 12 April. How are people booking slots later in the month?
However I have found out my local butchers bakery and vegetable shop are working hard to feed customers and are offering free delivery. They will have my loyalty in future.

pinkquartz Mon 23-Mar-20 23:28:35

And if we can't shop online then what?

Fiachna50 Tue 24-Mar-20 00:39:09

We don't have individual shops whete I live. We can hardly get anything in the supermarkets, let alone an online shop. We keep shopping to a minimum and if we have to go out, we are out once thats it. A relative of mine who has no health issues went to the supermarket and was shocked at how empty the shelves were. They couldnt get their usual basics.Yet the self centred ( not all) are still out there panic buying, geez have folk not got enough groceries yet? This has been going on for weeks now.

NannaLyn Tue 24-Mar-20 00:45:24

I'm 72 and have Sjogren's Syndrome and Follicular Lymphoma and am due my final chemo cycle next Wednesday. I had originally planned to do a big shop tomorrow. I've registered with all the supermarkets for online shopping but am unable to get a slot with any of them. In spite of receiving an email from Sainsbury's, when I went online this morning, they said I wasn't considered to be vulnerable, but if I disagreed I was to call their helpline. I tried all day but the number was permanently engaged. Last Wednesday night I did manage to book a slot with Waitrose but it isn't until Monday 20 April! My Vulnerable Person text came through this evening. I guess I might have to send my slightly less vulnerable husband down to the shops later on to stock up with essentials as we need fresh milk and fresh fruit and vegetables as well as other food to last us through the week. I'm just hoping they don't cancel my next chemo session. I'm very stressed and can't sleep which is why I'm on here! Night night!

GrannieBabi Tue 24-Mar-20 08:07:48

I have seen on facebook that Morrison's are doing grocery boxes to be delivered next day. You can see the type of things included but may vary.. $35 meat eating or veggie enough to feed two people for a week.

Hetty58 Tue 24-Mar-20 08:12:50

They are swamped with orders and unavailable here, just like all the others.

Looking on the bright (?) side, Mahatma Gandhi fasted for 21 days, three times in his life:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fasts_undertaken_by_Mahatma_Gandhi

Pikachu Tue 24-Mar-20 08:36:54

Don’t know if you can read this from Imperial College but more than 40% and 70% of over 70s and over 80s respectively will need critical care if they catch the virus. I was shocked to read this.

So even more essential that they are given priority for online deliveries. Protect the NHS he said!

GrandmaMoira Tue 24-Mar-20 08:50:13

I always shop online and have done for years. I normally top up a few extra fresh bits during the week. Not being able to get a slot booked at a time when we are supposed to be staying home is worrying. Even if I went to the shop, I don't have a car so can't carry much. Sainsburys should open an email contact as well as phone number to register.

Lovetopaint037 Tue 24-Mar-20 09:05:13

I’m almost 79 and dh is 80. No sign of an email from Sainsburys. Can’t remember if we had to put date of birth on Nectar card application. So long ago. Can’t think what other data they might have to identify us. Would be wonderful to do an online shop.

Witzend Tue 24-Mar-20 09:11:59

I’ve been a MilkandMore customer for years, but can’t rely on it at all now they’ve been inundated. My long-standing weekly order of eggs hasn’t arrived this morning, nor did an extra item I’d ordered for last Saturday. Milk still arriving though - so far, anyway.

I’ve never done online grocery shopping, have never felt the need, so have no option but to go out.

I do worry about a pair of elderly neighbours, both extremely frail and quite unable to go looking for food. Their daughter arranges a weekly delivery for them, so I hope to goodness that’s still working. I’ve told said neighbours countless times to ring if they need anything - they do call on us for help with various things quite often, though it’s never yet been for food. I expect their daughter, who lives a long drive away, would let us know if it’s not working - she knows we’re there to help.

25Avalon Tue 24-Mar-20 09:24:00

I am registered with Sainsbury's online although I have not used them for a couple of years. Yesterday was my 70th Birthday (I did find a bottle of champagne to open!) so, as we have been self isolating for a couple of weeks as my husband has a heart problem, went online to Sainsbury's to book a delivery spot. However they didn't recognise me as being in their vulnerable group and said if they had it wrong to ring a certain number.
I tried to ring that number yesterday but all I got was a recorded message and today the line is permanently engaged. There is no email address for you to send to either.
Fortunately I live in a small village with a village shop and volunteers set up to collect shopping for you. Others may not be so fortunate.

annep1 Tue 24-Mar-20 09:45:21

25Avalon I did exactly the same. People are going to be forced into going to shops.
Not one neighbour has offered help.

Willow500 Tue 24-Mar-20 09:53:14

I would be happy to wait until later in April for the basics we usually get but no supermarkets have any slots available in my area so we will have no choice but to go out for milk and bread tonight or tomorrow.

My BIL has had a text to say he is on the high risk list having very bad asthma and also on kidney dialysis - SIL had been trying to book their normal online shopping but failing with them all. It is worrying for everyone but more so for those most vulnerable.

V3ra Tue 24-Mar-20 10:06:44

I have a Tesco delivery booked for the 30th March, but the next option available is a click and collect on the 14th April.
I'm shopping for three of us and Dad (89).
If we run out in between my husband will venture out to Morrisons.

Dad's lucky in his extra-care apartment as the attached nursing home supply him a hot two course dinner every day and would supply a sandwich tea if he asked.
He has nice grounds to potter about in.
He says he thinks he is in the best place!
I'm so glad we moved him 160 miles to our town after Mum died two years ago.

Callistemon Tue 24-Mar-20 10:13:19

We know someone who normally delivers food to restaurants etc. He has just been laid off.
What is happening to all that food and why can his firm not be redeployed to work for supermarkets?

sunseeker Tue 24-Mar-20 10:33:27

I have had the same experience with Sainsburys. I tried ringing the "helpline" roughly every 15 minutes yesterday from 8.30 am to 7.30 am to get put on their "vulnerable customer" list, the line was either permanently engaged or a recorded message, I tried their Facebook page only to be told to ring the helpline number, I emailed their Customer Relations department and received a reply that they were no longer offering an email contact as they "can better serve customers" in other ways. Why can't those of us in the priority groups register through our online accounts?

Unless Sainsburys get their act together quickly I can see them losing a lot of older customers once this is all over

sunseeker Tue 24-Mar-20 10:35:16

That should, of course have read "from 8.30 am to 7.30 pm" - cabin fever has started to set in!

BlueSky Tue 24-Mar-20 10:38:28

Well Sainsbury's emailed me yesterday and today that I will be able to have priority booking but so far all slots greyed out for the foreseeable future. Will just have to keep trying not much else to do anyway!