Shopping

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,455
0
Kent
Hello @cobden 28

Before this Covid19 outbreak I knew of two people who shopped on line for elderly parents and as long as you are willing to pay for your mum`s delivery I`m sure you will be able to get some supplies in for her.

When I was in India for a month and so had a completely empty food store, I did an on line shop for delivery the day after I returned.

I do hope you manage to get a delivery for your mum.
 

TNJJ

Registered User
May 7, 2019
2,967
0
cornwall
Ive got an Asda delivery due tomorrow evening and everything I irdered is available. Went to the pet shop this morning to stock up for my menagerie so they'll definitely be OK for a few weeks now.

I have the internet at home and regularly shop online, not just for groceries, but I'm worried about my elderly widowed Mum (89) who lives alone 30 miles away from me and doesn't have the internet or a mobile phone. I used to travel up once a week to do her grocery shopping for her but won't be able to do this any more; my car is due to be sold tomorrow as it needs more repair work done on it than the car is worth and I can't afford a newer vehicle. Haven't been able to get through on the phone to Mum to tell her I cant do her grocery shopping any more; Mum is deaf as a post and refuses to wear her hearing aids so trying to get through to her on the phone is entirely a matter of chance as to whether she even hears the phone ring - so I've not been able to tell her as of tomorrow I wont have a car.

Problem is, how will Mum manage to get her groceries now? She walks with a Zimmer frame so is unable to get to the shops herself and there's nobody who can do her shopping for her.
There are hubs set up down here . I do believe that the government has set them up.Try looking online at volunteers. I believe the hubs are called Covid 19 something.
 

TNJJ

Registered User
May 7, 2019
2,967
0
cornwall
Hello @cobden 28

Before this Covid19 outbreak I knew of two people who shopped on line for elderly parents and as long as you are willing to pay for your mum`s delivery I`m sure you will be able to get some supplies in for her.

When I was in India for a month and so had a completely empty food store, I did an on line shop for delivery the day after I returned.

I do hope you manage to get a delivery for your mum.
No Tesco or Asda delivery for months..No spaces.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,455
0
Kent
I`ve just checked my local Asda which is my regular on line shop. It only goes as far as April 13th and all slots are booked up. This is a relatively small seaside town so goodness knows how cities and larger towns are faring.
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,005
0
72
Dundee
I'm self isolating so have been trying to get delivery slots. They have been more than 3 weeks away until yesterday. I kept going into the Sainsbury and several came up for today. I got one and I'm having a delivery later today. I also got an email saying I had been identified as a 'vulnerable customer' and that dedicated online slots would be available for me from today. I've no idea why I got that. I'm 69 so the 70+ age bracket doesn't apply. It's worth keeping on trying the sites for slots. Some of our local small businesses have also started home delivery. I'm hoping to get a fruit and veg box delivered some time this week and a local butcher is also doing online shopping and delivery
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
Glad to see you're back home safe & sound. :)

If online shopping isn't coming through for anybody, try www.covidmutualaid.org, which might have a group of volunteers in your area, organising shopping and other errands for the elderly and vulnerable.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
2,324
0
This is a useful read to help understand what's going on. It's not as bad as it might seem, though I realise it can seem pretty darned bad when you see the worst examples via social media.


That's really interesting Andrew, thanks for the link. Makes perfect sense.

We haven't found any noticeable shortages here, but we've been going to smaller local shops like the CoOp, and also Aldi. The only things out of stock have been loo roll and cleaning products, but today we went to another local store and to my surprise there was bleach and Andrex available.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,084
0
Bury
Things getting better?
Reports from neighbours today.

Town centre Asda, no stock, masses of customers, police standing by to intervene.

Industrial estate Asda ~3 miles away, car park empty, everything in stock, very few customers.

I pity the supermarkets trying to balance stock.

Personally I'm not testing the system, I'm very fortunate to have family support and expect my weekly food parcel to arrive tomorrow.
 

annielou

Registered User
Sep 27, 2019
1,917
0
Yorkshire
Wondering if hubby and I will still be able to shop together when we go this weekend. Heard that supermarkets are only letting so many people in store at once and then as one leaves letting another in. Hubby and I have always shopped together which I suppose stores would think isn't really necessary, but last week I shopped for mum while he concentrated on ours and we both worked out substitutes as store didn't have s lot of what we wanted. We were planning on doing that in future but I'm wondering now if we'll be allowed.
We shared a big trolley last week between us and mum but now wondering if better to stick to one big trolley and stand together in queue and hope don't ask one of us not to go in, or take two trolleys and then we'd be classed as seperate shoppers but let in seperate and depending on timings might not actually be in store together.
Its a weird thing to be worrying about
 

Bunpoots

Volunteer Host
Apr 1, 2016
7,344
0
Nottinghamshire
My daughter had a bit of a melt down the day before yesterday @Annilou when she realised we wouldn’t be able to shop together. It’s one of the things we enjoy doing - going to the supermarket and deciding what to get for a nice meal. Can’t do that now :(
 

annielou

Registered User
Sep 27, 2019
1,917
0
Yorkshire
The stores are saying 1trolley and 1person..
Thanks x. Looks like we'll have to take two trolleys and queue and shop seperate. Last weekend I was worrying if we took two trolleys in people would think we were trying to stockpile and get around the limited items even though we weren't and this week I'm worrying if we take one trolley one of us won't be allowed in.
Aw yes that's a shame @Bunpoots ? ? I suppose I understand the reasoning, its just going to take some getting used to isn't it.
I'm dreading going this weekend, we have a nice little system usually where hubby does majority of our shopping with me popping things in I see and think we might want that aren't on list and picking things like meat etc. I also guide mum round with her trolley and I prompt her what to get and check her dates etc. Then when we get to till I put mums shopping on first and then start unloading ours with hubby until its mums turn. I go pack for mum and help her pay while hubby finishes loading our trolley on. When we've finished mums shopping she stands at the back while I pack our shopping and hubby pays.
Last week we didn't take mum so I did all mums bit on my own which is actually easier than having her there to be honest, but I was still with hubby so we could decide what we were going to get from the few things they had and I could pack while he unloaded and paid.
I bet even if I'm in store at same time as him I won't be allowed to go round shop with hubby picking things with him as supposed to be 2 metres apart and other people won't know he's my hubby. I doubt we'd be able to go through till together either, so I won't be able to pack our shopping while hubby loads it on conveyor and pays at end either. He's rubbish at packing shopping and rarely does any so that could be interesting.
I know it probably sounds a silly worry in big scheme of things, its just another change we have to get used to isn't it.
The fact we could be out ages queuing up waiting to go in shop and leaving mum alone wondering where we are for so long is also a worry which I bet a lot of carers will have now too
 

Bunpoots

Volunteer Host
Apr 1, 2016
7,344
0
Nottinghamshire
Everything seems a worry at the moment @annielou . I know what you mean. It’s quicker with one loading and one packing. It’s probably best that your mum doesn’t go to the shops. I used to take my dad shopping with me until it got too difficult (he’d wander off the minute my back was turned). It was much easier to do his shopping for him and once I’d decided to do that he never asked to go. Maybe your mum won’t miss it either.
 

Spamar

Registered User
Oct 5, 2013
7,723
0
Suffolk
hi @annielou ,
Ive just come back from shopping. When I got there at 08:00 the queue, nicely spaced 2m apart, reached the entrance to the car park. I parked in a blue badge place which was right next to the doors of the supermarket. Then gate crashed the queue! But I would not have been able to walk to the end of the queue, then walk slowly to the shop and then do my shopping. BB are useful sometimes!
However, I did see a couple split up, one person only. Many seemed to be carrying only one bag, does that mean they go most days?
However, I managed to get everything on my list, well they didn’t have any yeast ( if no bread then I’ll make some) but I managed to get two loaves.
Note that you could only buy three tins, didn’t matter what was in them. So 1 each of soup, meat and fish, say, or three soups. Only three pieces of meat, I bought some bacon, a duck dish for two and a chicken, which should last me though the week quite easily. But as much fruit as I liked!

Enjoy your shopping everybody!
 

annielou

Registered User
Sep 27, 2019
1,917
0
Yorkshire
Yes @Bunpoots it is easier without them isn't it. Mum is ok about not coming although she did used to like going as it was an outing but think she'll be ok. I do worry she'll fret while we're gone though as we will be lot longer than usual.
Thanks @Spamar for info. I think people end up going more often at moment to try get hold of what they need. Last week we had to go to 3 seperate shops to get some things and still didn't manage to get mum any steradent for her teeth and a lot of what we bought were alternatives to what usually get but at least we got something.
I totally understand the idea of restricting numbers of things but it is meaning some people are having to go out more often.
Its a strange shopping world right now
 

Banjomansmate

Registered User
Jan 13, 2019
5,395
0
Dorset
My s-I-l went into our local Sainsbury’s today and said they had most things, including toilet roll but were running short on tinned goods. Only one person was allowed through the till at a time, with a taped line on the floor that people had to stand behind.
Luckily I live on the outskirts of a small town and most of the small shops are taking orders over the phone and are prepared to deliver it. The butcher has just closed as a shop but phone your order in and you can collect it from them or they will deliver an order over £30.
A pub and a shop/restaurant specialising in local produce are both prepared to deliver ready cooked lunches to self isolators and a local scheme is being put in place to shop, collect prescriptions etc. for those of us confined to barracks. Two local farm shops are taking orders for delivery.
Apart from the butcher I haven’t tried any of these schemes yet, my biggest problem would be knowing what their stock was. I would never get through a ready prepared box of veg in a month of Sundays, I can buy one carrot at the supermarket or a small prepack of cauliflower and broccoli which would last me several days.
I do have milk delivered (for 50 years) and can now order food from them on line. That worked on Tuesday but my extra items failed to arrive today, I have no idea why because the milk came at 3.00.a.m. I suspect he didn’t look at his delivery list and just automatically left me one pint as usual.
i think it is all a learning curve until we get into some kind of system, each to their own. Hopefully by the time things are running smoothly it will all be over!
 

electra2008

Registered User
May 4, 2019
21
0
Tesco are now restricting the # of items to 80 per order so that will help with the hoarders, top left of the page you will see how many you have used if you buy 3 apples count 3 Packs of 4 or 5 count as 1 item any kind of milk is like hens teeth
 

electra2008

Registered User
May 4, 2019
21
0
Hello @cobden 28

Before this Covid19 outbreak I knew of two people who shopped on line for elderly parents and as long as you are willing to pay for your mum`s delivery I`m sure you will be able to get some supplies in for her.

When I was in India for a month and so had a completely empty food store, I did an on line shop for delivery the day after I returned.

I do hope you manage to get a delivery for your mum.
Yes if you can pay for her order a different address is okay