Sainsbury’s imposes new shopping rules for the elderly amid coronavirus panic buying
SAINSBURY'S is set to roll-out new rules for customers as stockpiling and panic buying has left supermarkets empty across the UK.
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Sainsbury’s will now limit sales of every item in its stores across the UK in a bid to curb panic buying and stockpiling. Customers will be restricted to buying a maximum of three of any grocery item and two of the most popular products, such as toilet paper and UHT milk.
Older shoppers will also be given priority and will have the first hour of the stores opening to themselves.
They will also get priority home delivery slots from Monday.
Sainsbury’s boss, Mike Coupe, said in a letter: “We have enough food coming into the system, but are limiting sales so that it stays on shelves for longer and can be bought by a larger numbers of customers.
“We will set aside the first hour in every supermarket this Thursday, 19th March, for elderly and vulnerable customers.
"If you or an elderly family member, friend or neighbour would like to shop during this hour, please check online for your local supermarket opening hours.
He added: “For all other customers, supermarkets will open one hour after the published opening time.
"I hope that you can respect this decision and will work with us as we try our best to help those that need it the most.
“We will also help elderly and vulnerable customers access food online.
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"From Monday, 23rd March, our online customers who are over 70 years of age or have a disability will have priority access to online delivery slots.”
It comes amid a string of other plans being enforced by supermarkets around the country after images of empty shelves flooded social media.
Last night, Tesco began cutting opening times for hundreds of its 24-hour stores after staff and stocks couldn’t keep up with the constant flow of customers.
Those stores in question will now operate from 6am to 10pm.
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Meanwhile, Morrisons announced it was creating 3,500 new delivery jobs to cope with the rising demand.
Stockpiling and panic buying reached an unprecedented level on Monday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the government’s most up-to-date advice: that Britons should avoid pubs, clubs and restaurants, and stray-away from all unnecessary travel and contact with others.
Workers were told that, “where possible”, they should carry out their jobs at home, while “unnecessary visits” to friends and relatives in care homes should stop.
If a person in a household has a persistent cough or fever, everyone living with them must self-isolate for 14 days.
People who find themselves in this situation should avoid leaving the house "even to buy food or essentials”, although, they can leave "for exercise and, in that case, at a safe distance from others”.
The NHS has taken much of the brunt of the health scare, with thousands calling the 111 service fearing they have the virus.
To alleviate pressure on the already flailing health service, the government asked Britons to only use the NHS “where we really need to”, and those who are seeking advice should use the NHS website.
By next weekend, those with the most serious health conditions must be "largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks”.
The UK is now “three weeks” behind Italy which has become the epicentre for the virus in Europe, while London is thought to be much closer to the endemic than what was previously thought, according to prediction models.