This information comes on behalf of RNIB, their original article can be found by clicking here.
Your shopping environment may be changing
If you are blind or partially sighted and are needing to go to a local supermarket for your essential shopping, please be aware that stores across the country and putting measures in place to protect us all. So, it’s important that you are aware that you may find changes to the environment you are usually used to. These measures could include the following:
- temporary barriers
- store reconfiguration (especially near checkouts)
- floor markings for social distancing
- perspex screens protecting check-out staff. Requests for contactless payment methods. All the supermarkets mentioned here have raised their in-store contactless payment amounts to £45.
Some of these measures will differ from store to store and may change over time.
Hidden Disability Lanyard
If you have a disability that may not be immediately obvious but would appreciate support from staff when you’re doing your shopping, you may be interested to know there is a lanyard which can signal this. The sunflower lanyard is currently recognised in Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury’s. Find out more about the lanyard and how you can get one.
ALDI
Aldi has launched an on-line parcel grocery service to help vulnerable customers and those self-isolating. The parcels contain 22 products, including; tinned soup, rice, pasta, antibacterial handwash and a four-pack of toilet roll. They are available on their website, cost £24.99 and will be limited to one per customer. It’s also launched a new voucher scheme to make it easier for volunteers to buy food on behalf of others. The vouchers are available to buy on a new Aldi voucher website and, once purchased, they can be posted to any address in the UK at no extra cost. Further to this, it has introduced reserved opening times (30 minutes before normal opening hours Monday to Saturday) for vulnerable shoppers.
Find out more information on ALDI’s special opening times.
Asda
Asda has placed limits on the amount of certain products individual shoppers can buy. It has also introduced a volunteer shopping card. Customers can buy these shopping cards online, top up and give to a family member, friend, or NHS volunteer to pay for their shopping without the hassle of using cash or bank cards. This also promotes a contactless way of shopping, essential for reducing risk to our self-isolating customers, the supermarket says.
See updates on Asda’s reaction to the coronavirus.
Co-op
All of its stores have a dedicated shopping hour for those at higher risk and the people who care for them.
Find out more information on the Co-op’s dedicated shopping hour.
Marks and Spencer
It has set aside the first hour of trading on Mondays and Thursdays for older and vulnerable customers. They have also introduced a selection of five food boxes ranging from £15 to £45 for home delivery.
Find out more information for Marks and Spencer customers.
Morrisons
Morrisons have announced new measures aimed at helping elderly and vulnerable customers during the coronavirus period. They have introduced a new dedicated telesales shopping service enabling customers to order over the phone which will then be delivered the following day by a Morrisons employee from their local store. Simply call 0345 611 6111 and select option five to place your order through the service – and be aware that you will need to pay via contactless payment when your shopping is delivered.
This is just one of the ways Morrisons is expanding its home delivery service during this time. Another of its new delivery initiatives is a link up with Deliveroo. Morrisons has also started offering a selection of six different food boxes available for delivery.
See more information on Morrisons’ services.
Sainsbury’s
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, all of the chain’s supermarkets will dedicate the hour of 8am – 9am to serving older, disabled and vulnerable customers, as well as NHS and Social Care workers. Sainsbury’s says its existing online customers who are over 70 years of age, vulnerable, or who have a disability, will get priority access to online home delivery slots and access to Click And Collect services. Sainsbury’s also says it is receiving the Government database, which tells it which people in England the Government considers to be most vulnerable, to enable it to offer those already registered with Sainsbury’s a delivery slot.
It encourages people who this applies to register as vulnerable to coronavirus on the Government’s website.
Sainsbury’s has also introduced a “Volunteer shopping card” scheme, where you can send an E-Gift card to a friend or helper so they can do your shopping for you.
Find out more about Sainsbury’s opening hours.
Tesco
Tesco says it is prioritising older people and the most vulnerable between 9 – 10 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, except for its Express outlets. Tesco has also introduced a system whereby if you are a vulnerable customer, but you aren’t included on the Government’s vulnerable person’s register, you can call 0800 917 7359 to access priority delivery slots.
Find out more about Tesco’s access hour plan.
Find out about accessibility and Tesco.com.
Waitrose
First hour of store opening to be dedicated to older and vulnerable people and it is exploring ways to offer its services remotely. It has confirmed the launch of the Waitrose Volunteers shopping card and e-gift card. Waitrose has also announced that some of their stores are offering the “Waitrose & Partners Rapid” service, which enables shoppers to have up to 25 grocery items delivered within two hours of ordering. But this is only available within certain postcodes.
See more information on Waitrose’s opening hour changes.
