Is anyone actually queuing outside a supermarket? My local Tesco got the traffic lights, but I've never seen anything other than a green light.
My local Tesco also has the traffic lights installed. The signs on the door say something to the effect of "do not enter when the fire alarm sounds and red light is illuminated" so no clue if it's actually related to COVID or not. I couldn't see any devices installed to count customers in/out either.
I admit I didn't look but maybe just manually controlled from a room rather than a member of staff having to be at the doors. Logically where CCTV monitoring is so the operator can judge how busy the key aisles are e.g. dairy and chilled, bakery, frozen rather than to total number in the store. The same could apply to Aldi.
If a staff member reads this forum perhaps they will outline the system.
Aldi installed them months ago. I wouldn’t expect them to be particularly expensive bits of kit and probably pay for themselves pretty quickly compared to having to keep a member of staff there keeping count all day.By tesco installing these traffic lights now (at a cost), I think it shows how long they expect these covid restrictions to go on for . If they were expecting it for just a few months then they wouldn't waste the money
I've not had to queue outside a shop or supermarket since the early summer. There was no apparent change over Wales' firebreak either.Is anyone actually queuing outside a supermarket? My local Tesco got the traffic lights, but I've never seen anything other than a green light.
Last weekend two work colleagues both found big queues at a Morrisons. One went to the Tesco Superstore at most a mile away and found no queue while the other not wanting a lot went to a Co-op.
I see that BBC are reporting that Tesco have introduced an online queuing system to log on for placing online orders to cope with demand.
I suspect a lot of people would find it easier if they just ditched brand loyalty for now.Tesco released their Christmas week delivery slots early this morning apparently, and it's pandemonium now. A friend of mine who has priority ordering hasn't been able to get a slot, and that has never happened before.
Indeed I have abandoned Tesco for Asda for December deliveries.I suspect a lot of people would find it easier if they just ditched brand loyalty for now.
Certainly I've been doing orders with Tesco, Asda and Iceland online when in the past I mainly just used Tesco.
Just having a quick nose now - for my address Tesco has zero availability at all for the next 3 weeks but Asda has quite a lot once you get past the next 10 days or so.
If you are just sticking to one supermarket because that is what you usually use - have a look at others instead.
That's another good tip at the moment too. Even if you don't have the time to add, or even know, everything you want for an order, you can book the slot whenever you see one available and just add to it at a later date. Just make sure you remember to actually add to it haha!although I have one in hand for next Monday, which I may add to in case it's the last one I can get this yea
This drives me mental! Our local Waitrose did the same half-way through the first lockdown, and the first time I visited after that, the store was virtually at a standstill as confused shoppers (mainly males ) meandered back and forth looking for stuff and everyone else tried to maintain the 2m distance from them. The small Iceland supermarket in town also undertook a substantial reorganisation last month, not only relocating the tinned goods around the store rather than displaying them in a dedicated wall unit, but also moving all the freezer contents around (gearing up for Christmas party food) - but at least we have now had time to get used to it.My local Asda was less than a joy this morning. Considering we are supposed to be in lockdown and shopping for essentials only, one would assume the goal is to have people get in and out quickly. In their wisdom they have decided overnight to completely rearrange over half of the store ......
I doubt whether the cost of purchase and installing those lights are more than a fraction of a day's profits. A medium sized supermarket can have a turnover of well over £250k per week.By tesco installing these traffic lights now (at a cost), I think it shows how long they expect these covid restrictions to go on for . If they were expecting it for just a few months then they wouldn't waste the money
My local sainsburys have removed the barriers that they installed for queueing.
Hopefully the end of queueing
Customers will still need to queue if, at any point in time, the number of customers wishing to enter exceeds the permitted capacity of the store.
My local sainsburys have removed the barriers that they installed for queueing.
Hopefully the end of queueing
They are closed, but the supermarkets are still selling the whole range of their own goods.
How will they know how many people in the store if they've removed the funnel
Spoke too soon. They've installed new barriers, twice as many as previously
I haven’t been following this thread, so sorry if the following has already come up. I feel sorry for just about every business that normally expects to make a significant proportion of their annual income in the run up to Christmas. They are closed, but the supermarkets are still selling the whole range of their own goods. People seem to be spending a bit of their free time browsing and buying Christmas goods, where usually they would have gone to a smaller shop. By the time the other shops reopen, I suspect that many people will have already stocked up on their purchases of Christmas bits and bobs, and only have perishables and a few oddments to get. This is purely a subjective opinion.
And more! Tesco this evening had every bit of space jammed with Christmas stuff. The blame lies with the government but unfortunately it is business owners who will take the hit.
Believe me, customers haven't stocked up yet, many will leave it until the last minute. Supermarkets only have a finite number of depots and lorries and they need several weeks to deliver the additional stock to the shops in addition to the normal stock. This isn't covid related, it a well rehearsed plan that happens every year.
It just strikes me that, for whatever reason: more spare time, shopping at quieter times than normal, dilly-dallying when they have a legitimate reason to be out of the house, uncertainty about when the lockdown will end, etc., a lot of people are starting their Christmas shopping earlier and that gives an advantage to the supermarkets. There will still be many who won’t or can’t change their habits, but even if they only lose ten percent of their Christmas sales this year, and I think it will be more for some, that could be enough to tip some smaller shops over the edge. There may be fewer Christmas shopping trips to the nearest big city because of COVID, but will people use their local small retailers, or will they gravitate to the supermarkets and get a lot done at once?