SUPERMARKETS have been opening early for the elderly, vulnerable and NHS workers so they don’t fall victim to the effects of panic buying, which has seen essential products stripped from the shelves.
Toilet rolls, handwash soaps and pasta are among a number of products that are sold out instantly as people prepare themselves for an extended period of time indoors.
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Are supermarkets open today?
Yes, they are very much staying open with all essential public places expected to remain available during the coronavirus crisis.
The government have called on people to limit the amount of time outside of their homes, with work, shopping and pharmacy visits considered the only necessities.
Several UK supermarkets have will be operating slightly shorter trading times amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Tesco, Waitrose and more have said branches will close earlier to allow staff enough time to keep shelves replenished, while also allowing special dedicated shopping hours for pensioners, the vulnerable, NHS workers and paramedics.
What are the supermarket opening times?
The mad dash for essential items will be on as soon as the doors open to stores today.
Shoppers have been stockpiling goods for when the coronavirus spread worsens in the UK, to avoid the need to go down to their local and risk contracting the killer bug.
Yet, some stores are now even rationing customers to avoid leaving some unhappy and empty-handed – the first time this has been done since World War II.
Here are what time supermarkets are opening tomorrow (Monday, March 23):
Tesco
The supermarket has made changes to its 24 hour stores – find your local here.
Trading hours will now be 6am to 10pm, allowing staff more time to restock the shelves for the morning rush.
Products such as anti-bacterial wipes, dried pasta and toilet roll are limited to two per person.
Stores are closing all meat, fish, deli and salad counters.
It is also asking able shoppers to opt for click and collect or in-store shopping to free up home delivery slots for vulnerable and elderly people.
ASDA
The store has temporarily closed its 24 hour stores between 12am and 6am – find your local here.
They will be prioritising NHS workers in larger stores every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am to 9am.
Customers will only be able to buy up to three of any product across all food items, toiletries and cleaning products.
Cafes and pizza counters have been closed.
Morrisons
Morrisons has not yet announced any changes to opening times, with most stores open from 7am – find your local here.
Every online product will be restricted to three per customer.
Customers will be restricted on purchases of cleaning products, with bleach capped at six per person and two for hand sanitisers.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s stores open between 8am and 8pm on weekdays from 23 March.
Sunday opening hours will remain the same- find your local here
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, all their supermarkets will dedicate 08.00 to 09.00 to elderly customers, disabled customers and carers.
Anyone with NHS ID will be able to shop from 07.30 to 08.00 Monday-Saturday.
Sainsbury’s will also give over-70 priority access to online delivery slots.
Customers can buy a maximum of three of any grocery product and a maximum of two on the most popular items such as toilet roll, soap and UHT milk.
Co-op
Most stores open from 6am or 7am, with a dedicated hour for those at higher risk and carers – find your local here.
Customers are restricted from purchasing more than two products on some lines, including hand sanitiser, soap, tinned goods, pasta, rice, long-life milk, sugar, baby food and nappies.
Iceland
Stores open from 8am, with some operating on reduce hours amid the pandemic – find your local here.
Thursday 19th March, all stores dedicated opening hours to the elderly vulnerable on all days.
The supermarket has introduced a temporary cap on sales of several products online including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes.
Online orders have been limited to customers who are over state pension age, self-isolating and other vulnerable people, such as the disabled.
Lidl
Stores open from 8am – find your local here.
Limits of four items per customer on a range of products including tinned foods, pasta and toilet paper.
Aldi
Stores open from 8am, however are reducing trading hours by closing two hours early every night to allow staff to replenish products – find your local here.
A limit of four-items-per-shopper are enforced on all products.
Waitrose
Store opening times vary from 7am to 8am, and some stores will be closing an hour early – find your local here.
The first opening hour will be dedicated to elderly and vulnerable customers, and their carers.
A three-item limit on certain products and a limit of two packets of toilet roll are in place.
M&S
Store opening times vary between 6am and 9am – find your local here.
The first hour of trading on Tuesdays and Fridays will be dedicated to NHS and emergency workers.
Older and vulnerable customers are entitled to the first hour of trading on Mondays and Thursdays.
The store has rationed its hand sanitisers and antibacterial products and has now placed limits of two items per person across all of its grocery division.
Can elderly still go to the shops?
In his press conference on Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the 1.5m people that are elderly or considered vulnerable to self-isolate for 12 weeks.
This means they would not be able to pick up their groceries or pop to the supermarkets.
Instead, local councils and food distributors are arranging for food supplies to be delivered to their doorsteps.
Last week, some stores were opening early to allow the older generation to do their shopping in peace – and this is expected to continue until the food parcel deliveries are up and running.
In the meantime, the elderly will be allowed to pick up much-needed supplies without worrying if items are sold out due to panic-buying, with some ugly scenes as shoppers fight over various goods.
The elderly are also most at risk of dying from COVID-19 and less people in supermarkets means less risk of them contracting the killer bug.
Here are the shops opening early for the elderly:
- Iceland are opening one or two hours early for the elderly – find which store is doing this here
- Sainsbury’s are opening their doors to the elderly and vulnerable customers ONLY.
- Morrisons will use 9am to 10am every day from Monday to Saturday to provide more help to the elderly and vulnerable customers
- Waitrose will allow only elderly people to shop for the first hour of opening at some stores
- Lidl are allowing only the pensioners in for the first two hours in all stores across Ireland – but have not replicated in England, Wales or Scotland so far
- Tesco are opening the store to just over-65s and their carers for the first hour, as well as NHS and medical staff.
- M&S have said that the first opening hour will be dedicated to elderly and vulnerable customers, and their carers on Mondays & Thursdays.
- Co-op will dedicate an hour to vulnerable customers at their stores
How long will these special hours last for?
For the time being, stores are expected to keep to these special hours until the food supplies expected to be delivered by local councils is fully operational.
For now, it allows elderly and vulnerable customers the peace of mind to pick up their groceries and essential items before other shoppers.
Although Sainsburys has not noted a regular opening time slot for these customers, they are providing all over-70s and those with disabilities priority booking of their online delivery slots from Monday.
