Supermarkets and Covid-19

[underbank]

Will 1 pint bottles of milk ever return?

More importantly, what about the small tins of Heinz beans and sausages that they've stopped producing?

 

[Jamesrob637]

Queues should be mostly eradicated from Saturday given the 1m rule. You can fit so many more in a shop with 1m. Useful as the nights get darker (albeit summertime has only just begun).

 

[Bletchleyite]

Queues should be mostly eradicated from Saturday given the 1m rule. You can fit so many more in a shop with 1m. Useful as the nights get darker (albeit summertime has only just begun).

Unless the shop mandates masks, it's still 2m.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Unless the shop mandates masks, it's still 2m.

Then the big stores should do that temporarily.

 

[6Gman]

I have/had a problem with the Tesco Wave - a mexican wave from the door of the supermarket to the end of the 45 minute queue. I simply ignored it. Move on.

Never encountered that. But earlier on when there could be a 45 minute queue at the pharmacist for prescription dispensing we had a rule that you had to give a dance when you finally got your meds handed over.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Never encountered that. But earlier on when there could be a 45 minute queue at the pharmacist for prescription dispensing we had a rule that you had to give a dance when you finally got your meds handed over.

As a person rarely having prescription medicines, I always get the impression that there is a standard / automatic / compulsory delay to receive any prescription, regardless of complexity, even if it is a pre-packaged 'off the shelf' item.

Queues should be mostly eradicated from Saturday given the 1m rule. You can fit so many more in a shop with 1m. Useful as the nights get darker (albeit summertime has only just begun).

Unless the shop mandates masks, it's still 2m.

Surely both are pretty much non-essential at the moment (2m or mask), as you can 'safely' be within less than 1m of someone, even an asymptomatic sufferer for a brief period eg overtaking in the aisle, or even crossing head-on tut tut. Managing the numbers in store doesn't acheive much if you think about it - unless it is a particularly busy time. You could have only two customers in a superstore yet they end up next to each other browsing the greetings cards for +15 minutes. I cannot imagine being close to another customer for more than a few seconds, except at the deli counter (closed) or tills, where a 2m queue can be required and managed. I refer to grocery shopping here rather than 'high street' shopping where you may browse for sometime.

 

[talldave]

Passing head on results is less dwell time than same direction passes. Hence one way systems are pointless, along with most of the other ludicrous shenanigans that shoppers endure.

I received a "stay safe" greeting from a Sainsbury's employee yesterday and was very tempted to ask what the f*** that is meant to mean. Possibly washing my hands after handling raw chicken? Or is that not a source of coronaphobia?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I received a "stay safe" greeting from a Sainsbury's employee yesterday

It's the new "Have a nice day!"

 

[Scrotnig]

I will only do click and collect now. I refuse to endure the North Korean queues and all the other nonsense.

I have also discovered some excellent smaller local shops as a result of all this, who get much of my business these days and will continue to do so. They sometimes cost a little more. I’m happy to pay.

 

[Mojo]

I’m struggling to work out what’s going on with the queues at the moment, the times that are busy seem to have changed rapidly compared to the start of the lockdown; I'm guessing as more people have gone back to work this is why times and days that were previously not busy seem to be busier.

I was amused in our local Aldi's when I went there last week. The security guard finishes at 6p.m. (the shop is open until 10p.m.) so after 6 it's a total free-for-all as it is the security guard that manages the queue.

 

[LAX54]

As a person rarely having prescription medicines, I always get the impression that there is a standard / automatic / compulsory delay to receive any prescription, regardless of complexity, even if it is a pre-packaged 'off the shelf' item.



Surely both are pretty much non-essential at the moment (2m or mask), as you can 'safely' be within less than 1m of someone, even an asymptomatic sufferer for a brief period eg overtaking in the aisle, or even crossing head-on tut tut. Managing the numbers in store doesn't acheive much if you think about it - unless it is a particularly busy time. You could have only two customers in a superstore yet they end up next to each other browsing the greetings cards for +15 minutes. I cannot imagine being close to another customer for more than a few seconds, except at the deli counter (closed) or tills, where a 2m queue can be required and managed. I refer to grocery shopping here rather than 'high street' shopping where you may browse for sometime.

Remember the 1M / 2M rule is for close contact..IF more than 15 mins in close proximity

 

[LAX54]

I will only do click and collect now. I refuse to endure the North Korean queues and all the other nonsense.

I have also discovered some excellent smaller local shops as a result of all this, who get much of my business these days and will continue to do so. They sometimes cost a little more. I’m happy to pay.

Is it not time they went back to 24/7 that would reduce the lines waiting to get in !

 

[talldave]

Remember the 1M / 2M rule is for close contact..IF more than 15 mins in close proximity

So like, perhaps, when you're forced to queue to get into a supermarket, for example? My business goes to the first supermarket to drop all this rubbish.

 

[Scrotnig]

Is it not time they went back to 24/7 that would reduce the lines waiting to get in !

Doubt you'll ever see that back.

They were dropping it already as non-viable. It was only happening at all as they have shelf fillers working overnight so thought they may as well open the stores as well.

 

[Jayden99]

A

I received a "stay safe" greeting from a Sainsbury's employee yesterday and was very tempted to ask what the f*** that is meant to mean. Possibly washing my hands after handling raw chicken? Or is that not a source of coronaphobia?

A basic acknowledgement that we're living in what are strange times, regardless of how much of a threat you think COVID is, doesn't really seem like it should warrant that reaction. It's basically the equivalent of someone saying "Have a nice day" when you leave the shop, it's not that deep.

Anyway, back to supermarkets. I'm finding that I've not had to queue for weeks at my local Tesco (the choice of the discerning gentleman) and although they still have the one way system in operation it's long since gone out the window. The few Waitroses around me still seem to have queues at most hours of the day, maybe Tesco is too down market for the people of Buckinghamshire.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Is it not time they went back to 24/7 that would reduce the lines waiting to get in !

Doubt you'll ever see that back.

They were dropping it already as non-viable. It was only happening at all as they have shelf fillers working overnight so thought they may as well open the stores as well.

Midnight is fine - most of the Asda and Tesco which were 24/7 had slimmed down to 6-midnight Monday to Saturday, even way before COVID.

 

[route101]

Ive not had queue for a while now. Aldi and Morrisons.

 

[scotrail158713]

Remember the 1M / 2M rule is for close contact..IF more than 15 mins in close proximity

A lot of people need reminded of that - in supermarkets and just in general life.

 

[Bletchleyite]

As a person rarely having prescription medicines, I always get the impression that there is a standard / automatic / compulsory delay to receive any prescription, regardless of complexity, even if it is a pre-packaged 'off the shelf' item.

I've noticed that, also they aren't allowed to be open at convenient times. I've got sick of it and signed up for one of the online delivery services instead. Pharmacies are whining about this, but if you don't want to lose custom, make your service better! It's the same as rubbish corner shops whining about the Tesco Express opening up around the corner - if you want to compete, up your game.

Surely both are pretty much non-essential at the moment (2m or mask), as you can 'safely' be within less than 1m of someone, even an asymptomatic sufferer for a brief period eg overtaking in the aisle, or even crossing head-on tut tut. Managing the numbers in store doesn't acheive much if you think about it - unless it is a particularly busy time. You could have only two customers in a superstore yet they end up next to each other browsing the greetings cards for +15 minutes. I cannot imagine being close to another customer for more than a few seconds, except at the deli counter (closed) or tills, where a 2m queue can be required and managed. I refer to grocery shopping here rather than 'high street' shopping where you may browse for sometime.

True, but this wouldn't be the case in the queue to get in or the queue for the tills, so these probably need to maintain 2m.

 

[dgl]

I was amused in our local Aldi's when I went there last week. The security guard finishes at 6p.m. (the shop is open until 10p.m.) so after 6 it's a total free-for-all as it is the security guard that manages the queue.

The Aldi in Chickerell has lights to tell you if you can go in or not, triggered by sensors above the entrance and exit doors that obviously count people coming in and out, trust Aldi to be the ones doing everything they can to save staff , though on the one time I went there it seemed to work well, it's an Assa Abloy system that is interlocked with the doors, so if the capacity of the store has been reached then light changes to red and the door will no longer open. Once someone has left the store the light will go green and the door can once again open, repeating the cycle.

https://twitter.com/assaabloyent_uk/status/1263792570678816768

No security guard or team member required to stay at the door (potentially for most of the day), good not only if the weather is bad but also removes any possible conflict from someone who doesn't want to be told they have to wait, you can't argue with a computer!

 

[Tom B]

During the summer, shoppers often go later in the evenings as it's lighter. Towards the start of the lockdown queues would be gone by 7.30 - now they persist until much later.

That said, the number of people coming out as 'something to do because they're bored' has gone down substantially.

Overnight is a funny one, I know that there's been a move away from it (perhaps with the view that, say, if there are two stores within a certain district, and if one is 24h, that will accommodate the odd night shopper). On the face of it, the additional staff needed are minimal - one cashier and one security - compared to if they were closed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Aldi in Chickerell has lights to tell you if you can go in or not, triggered by sensors above the entrance and exit doors that obviously count people coming in and out, trust Aldi to be the ones doing everything they can to save staff , though on the one time I went there it seemed to work well, it's an Assa Abloy system that is interlocked with the doors, so if the capacity of the store has been reached then light changes to red and the door will no longer open. Once someone has left the store the light will go green and the door can once again open, repeating the cycle.

https://twitter.com/assaabloyent_uk/status/1263792570678816768

No security guard or team member required to stay at the door (potentially for most of the day), good not only if the weather is bad but also removes any possible conflict from someone who doesn't want to be told they have to wait, you can't argue with a computer!

That is quite impressive (and very German) but only works where you've got proper separation of flows, i.e. someone physically can't sneak in the exit. All the German supermarkets are set up that way, but many others aren't.

 

[Scrotnig]

The Aldi in Chickerell has lights to tell you if you can go in or not, triggered by sensors above the entrance and exit doors that obviously count people coming in and out, trust Aldi to be the ones doing everything they can to save staff , though on the one time I went there it seemed to work well, it's an Assa Abloy system that is interlocked with the doors, so if the capacity of the store has been reached then light changes to red and the door will no longer open. Once someone has left the store the light will go green and the door can once again open, repeating the cycle.

https://twitter.com/assaabloyent_uk/status/1263792570678816768

No security guard or team member required to stay at the door (potentially for most of the day), good not only if the weather is bad but also removes any possible conflict from someone who doesn't want to be told they have to wait, you can't argue with a computer!

Impressive but also very sad, as installing such systems indicates that the North Korean Queue system is staying permanently.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Impressive but also very sad, as installing such systems indicates that the North Korean Queue system is staying permanently.

It's going to be here until an effective treatment or vaccine is here, or the virus goes away/becomes less dangerous of its own evolutionary accord. I'd TBH rather a set of traffic lights than a miserable security guard barking orders.

 

[Tom B]

Impressive but also very sad, as installing such systems indicates that the North Korean Queue system is staying permanently.

I wouldn't say permanently - but for the medium term at least.

Whilst Abloy products are expensive, consider that you are no longer paying somebody for 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, to man a door. Back of fag packet calculations - supermarkets pay around £10.50/hr, let's say the total cost is £14/hr including on-costs, £1,568 per week to man. If you replace that with a system that costs £5,000 to install, you have made your money back within a month.

 

[Puffing Devil]

I've not been in a supermarket since lockdown began. Thanks to Ocado, Morrisons and a dairy a short stroll from home.

I can't see this changing anytime soon.

 

[Busaholic]

The end is nigh!

My local Tesco is changing its opening hours from next Monday. 0700 to 2300 instead of the current 0800 to 2200. It's a move in the right direction at least. In the 'old normal' it was open 24 hours except Sundays.

Will 1 pint bottles of milk ever return?

My Tesco has been 24 hours again (in theory - the one time I tried to use it at 1 a.m. it was closed for another hour!) for a few days now.

1 pint bottles of milk are available here, but in short supply (possibly no skimmed, but that stuff's not for consuming except in extremis imo.)

 

[dgl]

That is quite impressive (and very German) but only works where you've got proper separation of flows, i.e. someone physically can't sneak in the exit. All the German supermarkets are set up that way, but many others aren't.

Agreed, would be slightly difficult at our local Lidl (Portland) and some of the newer ones as whilst there are separate doors for entry/exit there is a small foyer in front of them with just one door, so not completely separate entrances/exits like on older Lidl's (like Weymouth) or Aldi's (both new and old).

 

[LAX54]

Midnight is fine - most of the Asda and Tesco which were 24/7 had slimmed down to 6-midnight Monday to Saturday, even way before COVID.

Ourf area they were all still 24/7, until the painic buy kicked in, where I work ASDA opens at 0700, but see it shuts at midnight now, our local big Tescos are 0800 to 2200

 

[Bletchleyite]

Went to Waitrose earlier, I'm not normally that posh but I figured (correctly) it'd be quiet and reasonably civilised so worth paying the extra in the circumstances. No one way system, just markers on the floor. Over 50% of shoppers seemed to be wearing masks and giving dirty looks and a wide berth to anyone who wasn't, which surprised me a lot as my general observation so far was that wearing was low other than on public transport - but almost none of the staff were.