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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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To think not allowing 'small shops' is silly?

221 replies

Marieo · 30/03/2020 18:48

Popped to the shop earlier to get bread, milk, eggs and a few bits of fruit, I can manage on this for a week as have some Brexit supplies in the cupboard, so working my way through that and not buying more than we need for the week. I was told that the new directive is that no one can do a 'small shop', and ended up having to get a small trolly load of stuff which is ridiculous. I'd already been queuing to get in for a while and don't have a car so would have had to get a bus to another shop. I know I could have survived without them, but as I was already there seems stupid.

AIBU to think that this is a stupid policy, and completely goes against stockpiling for some? Also with the restrictions on tins etc you end up either buying crap you don't need, or going elsewhere which means you will have made 2 journeys to 2 shops for a few items. Not forgetting those who live hand to mouth and cannot afford a big shop. I get the idea, that it 'forces' people to buy more and so go shopping less, but as it doesn't seem much common sense is being applied to it; do we think it should be rolled out everywhere?

OP posts:
Thekindofwindowsfaceslookinat · 30/03/2020 20:35

Dear god the pitchforks are out

No, not pitchforks. People want to know where and whether this happened, how it happened and why the police got there so quickly.

Why? Because shopping for food is a live issue for millions of people right now. People are panic-stricken about feeding their families. This kind of thing has the power to really, really worry people. Frighten them, even.

Getting the facts straight matters.

TheSquitz · 30/03/2020 20:36

If people aren't supposed to be doing top up or basket shops then why are Tesco express/Sainsbury's Local etc staying open because you couldn't really do a weekly shop in one.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 30/03/2020 20:37

Apologies the pitchforks comment was directed towards the imaginary Facebook warriors gossiping about this ridiculous imaginary event
I agree that scaremongering and spreading gossip and misinformation needs challenging

Giraffey1 · 30/03/2020 20:37

Rubbish. Doesn’t happen in my local A**i.

AlexaAmbidextra · 30/03/2020 20:37

One of the big ones, starts with A and it isn't Asda.

Just say Aldi ffs. 🙄

Thekindofwindowsfaceslookinat · 30/03/2020 20:38

Okay, no worries hobnobs Smile

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 30/03/2020 20:40

This is a bit daft but
I really don't think people need to shop more than once a week.

Milk lasts a week. Most of the commercial brands of bread does too. Fruit and veg you need to plan your meals eat soft fruits/leafy veg first and apples etc & root veg at the end of the week.

The point is we all need to adapt our habits to manage on as few shops as possible, even if that means changing from our usual routines or favourite foods.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 30/03/2020 20:41

Oh ffs
I give up

Rosemary7391 · 30/03/2020 20:41

@TheSquitz - those small shops will be where a lot of people have to shop now they can't get online deliveries from the larger places. I'd normally get an online shop every 3 weeks ish, now I'm off to a small shop on foot once or twice a week.

Bluntness100 · 30/03/2020 20:44

So from 6.50 pm when you posted and eight pm, in that hour and twenty mins, where you asked if it was being rolled out everywhere you’ve now been notified the police have spoken to them and they are changing the policy in that one hour and ten mins? Did Aldi call you then to inform you

Confused
ChickLitLover · 30/03/2020 20:46

I've been buying 4 X 4 pint cartons of milk at a time which lasts us all week.

All our local shops are restricting customers to 1 or 2 lots of milk. And also many people don’t have a big enough fridge to store a weeks worth of milk as well as other food.

swishthecat · 30/03/2020 20:49

It's genuinely what the local store was saying, the police are speaking to them and explaining it is not policy and they have misinterpreted it. I was also panicking about it and wondered if I was being unreasonable to be annoyed and worried about it. I didn't post to worry others and it genuinely happened today; thankfully seems that the store was in the wrong and have been set straight. If MN could delete it as I do see how this could be causing anxiety for some, and I should have realised that before posting. Apologies to anyone who this has been upsetting.

Funny how OP posted this just after someone else mentioned action to stop people wilfully spreading misinformation...

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 30/03/2020 20:49

Indeed

Marieo · 30/03/2020 20:49

No!

It was clarified that it wasn't policy, and this particular store was wrong in trying to implement it. As soon as I found this out I asked MN to delete the thread, which obviously they haven't done yet.

OP posts:
hobnobsaremyfavourite · 30/03/2020 20:50

So who called the police?

swishthecat · 30/03/2020 20:55

It was clarified that it wasn't policy, and this particular store was wrong in trying to implement it. As soon as I found this out I asked MN to delete the thread, which obviously they haven't done yet.

Would you like to borrow my spade?

Aesopfable · 30/03/2020 20:58

Our large Sainsbury’s require you to take a trolley into the shop - you are not allowed a basket - but you could just put one thing in the trolley. I assumed it was to encourage social distancing.

FlibbertyGiblets · 30/03/2020 20:58

What a load of bobbins. Goodness me!

Thekindofwindowsfaceslookinat · 30/03/2020 21:10

It was clarified that it wasn't policy, and this particular store was wrong in trying to implement it

Again, which police force investigated this so swiftly, OP? Could be useful info for future incidents, yes?

As soon as I found this out I asked MN to delete the thread, which obviously they haven't done yet

Why would they? What grounds did you give for wanting it deleting?

YeahWhatevver · 30/03/2020 21:14

Shop once a week.

Idea is that if you're following the rules then the shop will be your single biggest exposure where you come into contact with strangers. If you go and catch the virus it should show before your next shop 1 week later allowing you to isolate.

Shopping every 3 days means you're not allowing enough time to find out if your last shop has resulted in an infection and you could then be infecting others.

Mammyloveswine · 30/03/2020 21:16

I went to
Aldi tonight as my Morrison's online shop has loads missing! I was told it was trolleys only but wasn't questioned about what I bought-I only needed bread, crisps for the kids, fruit, veg, pasta, loo roll but I also bought gin, wine and beer too!

Dragonglass · 30/03/2020 21:18

Milk lasts a week. Most of the commercial brands of bread does too. Fruit and veg you need to plan your meals eat soft fruits/leafy veg first and apples etc & root veg at the end of the week.

There are 6 of us in this house, including 3 teenage boys. Milk and bread do not last a week when it gets eaten. And most shops only let you but up to 3 of an item at once and that's if there is any there in the first place.

CastleCrasher · 30/03/2020 21:21

There's a tweet about it from 'Bristol Anarchist Federation'... Sounds totally legit Wink

swishthecat · 30/03/2020 21:23

*Shop once a week.

Idea is that if you're following the rules then the shop will be your single biggest exposure where you come into contact with strangers. If you go and catch the virus it should show before your next shop 1 week later allowing you to isolate.

Shopping every 3 days means you're not allowing enough time to find out if your last shop has resulted in an infection and you could then be infecting others.*

Could you link to something that states this is the government's intent behind the social distancing policy? Are you saying that we are all supposed to be self isolating between shops? If so, why are we allowed out to excercise and run other errands (ie collect prescritopns, care for relatives etc)?

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 30/03/2020 21:28

heeeeeerrrrrrreeeee it is again
"Competitive Quarantining"
The sport with the most made up bollocks rules on the planet
Hmm