Supermarket queues

Hello everyone.

Today, I went to a local Sainsbury's supermarket near my home, and despite their one-hour priority period having started, at 0800, I was horrified to see such long queues of 'priority' shoppers, namely the elderly and the vulnerable. 

In the current virus-related circumstances, it might seem fair enough to operate a queuing system. However, it took me 30 minutes to gain priority access. That's not acceptable to the autistic in my opinion, especially if extreme weather such as thundery rain or snowstorms were to occur. Those markers would get hidden, especially in bright sunlight, or get blown away.

There was a queuing area outside the store, but those two-metre gaps in the pedestrian walkway areas were allegedly not clear enough, and there were no 'please queue here' signs, unlike in a local bank or building society. 

Have any of you had similarly difficult experiences? If 30 minutes' waiting at opening time is unacceptable, things could have got worse later in the day, and with Easter coming up, I might be better off using a local convenience store with no car park and only minimal queuing areas. My local supermarket would then be used only to buy whatever isn't available at my local convenience store.

This one-hour priority period ought to have been extended to two hours to include the queuing, and other things should be done to support the elderly and the vulnerable. Any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated.

Parents
  • The doctors told me I should be safe to go out in a week so hopefully I can get some shopping. My online shops come with barely any food as people were panic buying and supplies are running low. 

    I say a week but I have a fever and breathing issues again tonight, hence I'm up at 1.42am

    I'm not vulnerable so its tricky to get a delivery slot and I was told to isolate because of covid. I'm stuck in a weird grey area as weirdly in our area if you have the virus you cant get help with shopping etc but if you dont have it and classed vulnerable you can. If I dont get better I'll be forced to go out to buy food even though I quarantined from day 1 just in case. 

    Im dreading the supermarket to be honest. I hate queues at the best of times. Plus lights, people, stock being moved, noisy tannoys! 

    People in my area are all for free stuff too. So many posts saying I'm self isolation has any one got ...... to spare.

    I've seen everything requested from food (yes I understand we need food) to hoovers and washing machines asked for free and people saying we re self isolating so cant go buy one.....use the internet that's what I've done. The free brigade are really getting on my nerves right now. 

    Then our food banks over run with too much food as everyone had realised that fresh food doesnt last the duration so on local pages food was being wasted! They ended up giving it to anyone even without tickets if you could pick it up. The supermarkets then donated more food to the local food bank. So what's the council do? 'Donates more money to the food bank! Alot more money.  

    Great but the supermarket food is being wasted and chucked leaving g genuine people who cant get out to suffer without. Stupidity of the outside world is getting to me as you can see lol

  • Well. Lets hope this virus does not last long so we can pick up the pieces.  

    I am concerned that many small businesses will not re-open. 

Reply Children
  • Without the smaller shops I am in difficulty as some of the larger stores I can't go in. 

  • I feel the same. We ve been trying to support some smaller businesses. Theyve closed their doors but are selling online and delivering. Local grocery shops, butchers, plant nurseries, amongst others. It's not ideal but hopefully theyll stay afloat