To find going to a supermarket an absolute ordeal

[Jellybean27]

God. Despite the social distancing, the few in few out, additional cleaning etc etc.
I found myself having a cry in the car afterwards. (Obviously whilst rubbing copious amounts of hand gel into my hands and avoiding touching my face until I get could get home and scrub fuck out of them for way more than 20 seconds)

My first time out of the house in days and it was seriously overwhelming.

Really need to sort myself out 🙄

YANBU. I went to tesco yesterday and felt uneasy. Was so confusing not knowing how much I could buy of what etc. As there was no dried pasta I grabbed 2 bags of fresh which serve 2 each. So enough for a meal for the four of us. I was told it was one ba

I’m hearing different supermarkets, different levels of safety measures. I went for Sainsbury’s as it was next door to the pharmacy I had to go to. Talked myself into joining the queue and got inside surprisingly fast.

The staff did look stressed tho. Didn’t look like the gloves were cutting it in making them feel any safer. I do really feel for them.

Posted too soon sorry!

One bag only, so I left it. The woman on the till said they'd had staff in tears the day before with it all. And that they can't even get their own shopping unless they go outside and join the end of the queue. I felt for them all tbh.

Keep your voice down will ya Cunninglittlevixen !!! 🤫

Me and DH are in our 60s and haven't been out food shopping for two weeks now. DS who has Asperger's is offering to do it as he admits he's happy to stand for two hours in a queue and go round a shop not interacting as that's his normal. He lives here, so that would be within the rules. I'll take him on it soon I think.

I'm only going to the Small express type supermarkets. They have been empty and well stocked this week and that's in central London!

I was really nervous about going to Tesco this week.

The queue was very long but went quite quickly. The staff overseeing the queuing were fantastic, making sure people who needed help were taken care of. The shop was well stock and everything went very smoothly.

It felt as safe as I think it is possible to make it.

Having said that, I also felt like I was putting myself at risk by just being out.

On the other hand, waiting an hour and 45 minutes to pick up a repeat prescription from Boots was an absolutely nightmare.

I'm in the age range that has been told to not go out. Well, good luck with that if you need to collect your medication from Boots and you have no one to do it for you.

I'm pretty certain I shouldn't be hanging around in the street queuing for almost an hour and half and then another 20 minutes inside the shop whilst the staff try to track down my prescription.

The whole episode has left me feeling really nervous about the possibility that I might have picked up the virus.

I went today with DD (I'm a single parent) after being inside for 11 days. I coped with the queue even though the people behind me were obviously drunk and shouting "we'll all get it anyway!" DD was scared of the people wearing masks. I smiled at a staff member we know and she looked right through me then shouted "CAN WE STICK TO THE ARROWS PLEASE?" Turns out by mistake we had walked the wrong way down an aisle. It was empty bar us and the staff member walking through. We saw another regular staff member at the till, she put our shopping through and gave my DD a £1 voucher because she said she felt for her (her kids are little too) and wanted her to have a treat, she said it was totally fine for us to step back in and go through the self service till with it. We did so very quickly but when we tried to scan it, it wouldn't work. I explained to the (unfamiliar) staff member on self scanning (from a distance) and she shouted at us and wanted to know why the till lady had given my daughter the voucher. To be kind? She grunted and forcefully scanned it until it worked and walked off without another word staring down at the ladies on the tills like she was going to find out who gave us it. Came home with an even more frightened DD and feeling very glad that we won't have to go out for shopping again for as long as we can manage.

I hope someone devises some sort of system soon, equivalent to ration books, whereby you can prove you are buying for a larger family or for your aged parents or self isolating neighbours, and actually be able to get enough food for the week, in one go, rather than having to go more often that we'd all choose to, because you can't get what you need in one go.
It would stop people being able to stockpile / over-buy but mean the food got out fairly.
I hope someone devises the technology soon.

It's nice to hear that I wasn't the only one completely terrified of going food shopping.

My local aldi was strange. Silent. No queues to get in, but there was hardly anyone inside. It was well stocked. Some in gloves, some in masks. Staff were hit and miss with gloves. It was hard to always stay 2m away though as some people didn't adhere to it at all.

I felt a million times better after going, but a couple of days later I'm already dreading next weeks shop.

The staff are so cheerful in the face of everything. They made it feel normal. They should be paid double, they're part of the backbone of our society and we take them for granted so often.

I'm finding corner shops are easier. The range of food is not as good but it's just less of an ordeal than the big supermarkets.

My food quality/range is going to seriously deterioriate though

The times I have most wanted to cry and cry in recent days have been when out shopping. It's so bleak and awkward and stressful and I am SO HOMESICK for my old life. So so much

I know this won't go on for ever but it also feels like nothing will be quite the same again and I just want to roll back the clock and enjoy the world the way it was before - just once more.

@PositiveVibez I agree regarding Matalan (I don't shop at Asda so don't know what they've done or not done). They have been sending me emails letting me know they've still been open. Then after Boris's announcement that all non-essential shops must close, sent me an email saying they had "decided" to close at 6pm the following day. Absolutely fucking disgraceful. I will never shop there again.

@PositiveVibez Can you add B&M to your rotten employer list please? Friend of a friend works there.

That definitely would have tipped me over the edge. I’d have had a mini meltdown for sure.

FIL has been getting food from Tesco Express and has said the queues are very short and they are well stocked. Local FB pages report that Iceland has had no queues at times and that the queue for M&S Food Hall has been very short and that they are also well stocked. DH went to Sainsburys and said the queue was insane so he gave up. I realise this will vary by region, but I think we'll stick to the small shops.

^ Kerkyra

Where did you get hand gel from? I've not seen it for months

I think it depends where you are.

Our supermarkets have short queues (probably different tomorrow!) and, once inside, they have stock (I got flour!) and it's absolute bliss. My mum's nearest big supermarket has queues round the block. She's over 70 with a heart condition and shouldn't even have been there but ended up shopping for an older, less healthy relative whose kids and grandkids CBA.

I went shopping in Tesco today and found it very easy. Queue outside to get in, but once in it was a pleasure. Lots of space and no queues for checkout because of the restrictions on how many allowed in.

I’m reminded of the Handmaids Tale. Tesco is now a bit likes shopping at Loaves and Fishes.
Finding they have just had something delivered, is exciting news to be shared amongst friends.

I went to Tesco this morning. I was dreading it but actually it was fine. The queueing to get in was weird but once inside it wasn't too bad and the shelves were pretty well-stocked. I hadn't been to the "big" Tesco for nearly two weeks and when I last went I ended up in tears as there was nothing on the shelves at all. The usual staff were there and it was strangely reassuring to see familiar faces. The queueing system for the tills was really organised, there were loads of security staff but they were all pleasant, particular the lad on the toilet roll aisle. The lad on the checkout was chatty as normal too. Hoping not to have to go for a couple of weeks but hopefully won't dread it as much next time!

I went to Tesco this week to get my mum's shopping: queue to get in, people well spaced out, only a few at a time let in, not many people inside, everyone walking around slowly because they were keeping out of each others' way.

I loved it! I found it very calming and relaxing. Much prefer it to how it usually is in there.

I don't know if it's because I'm autistic but it really suited me.
Plus I'm still working so leaving the house wasn't scary because I've been doing it every day.

@Hilda40 l work in Tesco. We currently have procedures in place where we're only allowing so many people instore at any given time. Queueing is organised outside in the car park, 2 metres apart.
Customers come in as previous customers leave. When they've finished their shopping and they're ready to pay, they queue in a designated aisle (furthest from the entrance) at 2m distances. We've been marshalling them to the next available checkout, making sure they observe the distancing rules. lt's working very well.
The main door is for entry only. We have the fire door at the back of the checkouts for exiting.
However. l'm sick to the back teeth of people wandering about glued to their phones, not looking where they're going, and literally bumping into other people.
l've been one of the checkout marshalls tonight (usually checkout operator) and l've seen that time and time again tonight. Why people can't just come in, get their shopping, and leave, is beyond me. Especially bearing in mind that the less time they spend in there, the less risk to their health. And that a very large proportion of the population is spending a great deal of their time at home. Why they can't do without being hypnotised by their phones for half an hour in a supermarket, l have no idea.

LukeSkywalkingOnTheseHaters A well timed, reasonably (over)priced eBay purchase Pre lockdown. Bought a 500ml thinking I’d refill my children’s pocket sized bottles. Didn’t even actually expect it to turn up!