Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed with an ASC of the Aspergers type last year.
I thought I'd see how everyone else is coping with lack of essentials in supermarkets due to panic buying of customers and stock pilling because of the Covid-19 virus impacting our lives?
I cannot stand doing my weekly shop as it is on a Sunday but even more so now that every time I have gone recently through the week for toilet roll I cannot seem to find any anywhere not only that but they are more busier than usual.
I have seen the true selfishness of people with the thought of "me, me, me" springs to mind of some people I see in shops. I cannot help but think if everyone just bought what they needed that there would be more than enough to go around everyone.
I'm approaching almost a week with no toilet paper which is really angering me even though I'm using tissue paper and kitchen roll. I have a family of five so as you can imagine we get through quite a lot through the week but having said that usually 9 rolls will last a week.
Anyway my question to you all is how are you all finding the current situation we are living in? Do you think the supermarkets could have done/do more to enable all of us to continue to buy basic essentials without a problem?
Anyway sorry if it comes across as a whinge but I needed some where to vent my feelings.
Hello there. I feel sorry for those that have had difficulties buying their essential supplies, food or otherwise.
The one obstacle that people face when going shopping is the inappropriate behaviour of some fellow shoppers. Some stores, especially Tesco Extra stores that normally do 24-hour opening times, would open their stores at, say, 0600, restock everything, and then things like toilet rolls and hand sanitisers get snapped up quickly. In my opinion, these 'priority' periods, which the likes of Iceland have done, ought to become a permanent fixture, even when the coronavirus crisis is over. These 24-hour opening times ought to be reviewed, possibly changed for more appropriate times (perhaps 9am to 8pm or something), with the first hour or two allocated only to the elderly and the vulnerable (the autistic and their carers included). If this scheme is more widely implemented and successful, perhaps another priority period should be implemented, such as at lunchtime.
All stores should ensure that the elderly and the vulnerable (including the autistic) get the best possible shopping experience. In the current situation, I would advise that any shoppers consider drawing up a shortlist of as many supermarkets as possible that are within a reasonable road travelling distance of their home. They should create a shopping list, either on paper or using a mobile phone app, and start the search from the most distant of those stores (perhaps 3 stores within 10 miles or something). Every item that they successfully get should be crossed off, and any unavailable items should be searched for in the second most distant store, if not the third, or however many more stores they can get to. Such a procedure would be a bit like using a semi-fast train service, where you go to location 1 for Tesco, location 2 for Sainsbury's and so on.
Any autistic shoppers should be prepared for anything, especially at the checkout areas. If they have a mobile phone, they should download as many games as necessary, as playing even the simplest games (e.g. wordsearch, connect four, board games etc) will help with the anxiety of the queuing. Seeing or being in a queue can be very stressful even to myself. If, for that matter, you were to get everything you need in the first of these stores, and if every shopping list item is crossed off, you should select the first checkout that isn't busy, pay the money, and head back home. It would then be a waste of time to search any more stores.
Hopefully this advice will help you, and anyone else reading this message.
I think you are thinking too much about yourself saying things like all 24 hour stores should be closed down and opened at 9am with the first 2 hours only for the minority. What about the people that work night shifts, and people who start work early would not be able to get in to buy their lunch in the morning. Supermarkets are a business not a charity for the few and this would make it highly inconvenient for the majority of the population
The current situation is unheard of but the solution is quite simple, if you desperately need a high demand item then you need to go (or have someone else go for you) when that store opens first thing in the morning or order it online. I have never been in a situation in any supermarket that I've had enough time to play games in the queue. I understand that the busyness can be overwhelming but find that in non-panick buying circumstances that there are quiet periods such as in the evening where the shopping experience is much more relaxed without the need for designated times barring other people just because they don't have a label