Buying non-essential items for delivery

[Livingoffcoffee]

Really curious to know views on this...ideally from anyone who works as a delivery person / in fulfilment centres / etc.

Is it unreasonable to be ordering "non essential" items for delivery right now? Is it putting more people unnecessarily at risk?

Or are fulfilment companies, etc managing to incorporate social distancing and by ordering items it's helping to keep their jobs going and the economy ticking over? Especially if you're ordering from small businesses?

I could argue the case either way, so would love to hear from people it actually impacts.

I've just ordered a load of geraniums from a local wholesaler who would have had to bin the lot. They have opened up their business to locals. Essential? Definitely not, but it will give us joy, and it helps a local business. So, they are local, I am happy to order from them, and they are happy to accept it, and it will keep them, and the people they employ, in work and business.

OP it really depends where you order from. Some big companies have never have decent conditions in their warehouses, I can't imagine they are any better at the moment. Smaller businesses will vary, and ordering from independents some will be packed from home. I would maybe try and order as much as you can at once to save the courier delivering 7 parcels instead of one if possible, and just be mindful of it I guess. I ordered some stuff for the garden because my MH is suffering being in with DS with not much to do to be honest.

This has really given me food for thought op. It was interesting to read the different perspectives of the couriers.

I had thought of ordering some draft things for the children and some gardening equipment, but think I will leave the gardening equipment now.

It's funny,I have automatically turned to Amazon and eBay for purchases over the last few years, I feel lost at where to start looking for small businesses to support.

@Redcherries Try www.chapters.indigo.ca/ and also ebay. Might have faster delivery times.

I've been ordering lots, my two dds will have birthdays during lockdown and I've ordered bits to keep dh, the girls and I occupied

I spoke to my Hermes driver, hes self employed and really wanted people to keep ordering, he said usually hed aim to do 60 drops a day, currently he was doing 45 but if it got below 20 it wouldn't be worth him going out. I also spoke to my royal mail driver, he was the opposite, he was really angry with how royal mail staff were being treat and didnt want to work but had to

I've ordered some house bits curtains for sons room rug for living room an other bits not long moved in an since we're stuck in for god knows how long I want to make it as comfortable as possible.

I've bought compost from B&Q via click and collect and I'm feeling really guilty. Not really essential but I grow veg and later in the year I won't be making unnecessary trips to the shop for tomatoes, cucumber, potatoes, etc etc. I don't go out walking for my "allowed" exercise either. I go to work and I come home. I went to Lidl after work last week and the time before I was in a supermarket for a shop was 18 March.