To ask how it works at tesco?

[TwoleftUggs]

I haven’t been out of the house at all since lockdown, in fact none of us has. We get milk and bread delivered and I’ve been using frozen and tinned goods.
But now we’re running low and I’m actually frightened to death to go out. An overreaction no doubt but that’s anxiety for you!
So I’ve got to go to Tesco and I don’t want to break the rules when I get there. I imagine most people will have been in at least once by now so will know what to do. Will we have a set route to follow round, like a one way thing? How do they keep everyone 2m apart? My neighbour was in aldi on Monday and said it was far too busy and people reaching over her and breathing down her neck. I can’t cope with that happening to me.
Can someone tel me tesco has their shit together and will keep me safe

I work in a tesco but have been off for 2 weeks as OH had symptoms. Im terrified to go back cause im know im going to mess it up!

two small tescos neat me - both limit numbers, but I've only seen a queue once. One has wipes and sanitisers near the door, the other doesn't (or may do now, I've not been in that one for a week or so).

Once in, no special provisions, barriers at the checkout, and the one that usually has an ambigous checkput has put up barriers to enforce one way. (seems to just mean a bottleneck at the fridges rather than the checkout, but they are trying!)

Two added bonused today - I bumped in to someone I work with, she was queueing to go in to waitrose - work is a couple of miles away, and most people live a lot more distant, so nice surprise. Socially distanced chat.

Then I went to the community centre to feed & clean the chickens, and had two bags of food foisted on me - one is fruit and veg, the other loads of salmon, a chicken, and a 2kg catering pack of chianti & beef sauce. Now to try and squish it in the freezer.

In my Asda (big superstore) you join a queue with markers to keep 2m apart. There’ll be a colleague at the end of the queue to help answer questions.

They’re only letting so many in at once so you wait to be called forward by the security colleague. It’s like trying to get in to an exclusive nightclub now.

There’s trolley disinfectant to use. You proceed through the one way system keeping 2m apart. A PP mentioned home shoppers in the way but we’re starting all ours at 2am now ready to have them off the shop floor by opening.

There’s clear markers at the tills to queue 2m apart. We’re only opening every other till and selected self scans/hybrids so there’s plenty of space.

We’re not doing cash back at the manned tills at the moment but you can still get it from s/scans.

From today we lifted our three of anything restrictions. The only things that are restricted now are loo roll, hand sanitiser and baby milk.

I normally just add things to my written list as I think of them during the week, but then I rewrote the list in approx order of store in case it was one way (which it should be)

There’s markers 2m apart to queue to get in to ours, but nothing inside - they’re just only letting 200 odd people in at a time. It’s massive. There’s no one way system or markers inside, but people are patient are generally wait and the end of the aisle until people have moved on if it’s busy. The checkouts are being wiped down often, and the petrol pumps.

They’re only letting one person in per family most of the time.

It’s alright. Wear a mask if you’ve got one and it makes you feel better, there’s people in all types of face protection in ours. I saw a guy in a full welder helmet yesterday.

I work at an Asda Superstore (large supermarket) who are taking similar steps to similarly sized Tesco's/Morrisons/Sainsbury's etc.

As many have said there will be measures to control number of people in the store and how you move around it. No matter how infuriating it gets please do follow the arrows. It helps you to keep a safe distance from customers and staff and will help you see anyone oncoming who isn't following it and allow you to try and move out of their way. Do not ask other customers to follow the arrows as staff have been getting abuse and I wouldn't want a customer to be on the receiving end of it.

Please remember staff can't always move out of your way, if you don't feel they're aware of your presence just hang back and if needed just say hello. Try and give us 2m distance and a bit of extra time. We're coming into contact with potentially 100's of people on shift and want to protect ourselves, families and customers.

Your shop will take longer if you're following the 2m advice, be prepared to not just be able to get in and out. From experience the quietest times seems to be weekdays from about 11am onwards. There was still some panic buying at my store after payday last weekend but stocks were recovering well by Wednesday.

I don't know if Tesco offer a 'scan and go' option but it's worth looking into it. All colleagues have been asked to use the mobile app to ensure we can get through the checkouts fast and not add to the queues. It also minimises our contact with other people.

Lastly, just buy what you need. Just because you can buy 3 packs of 24 toilet roll doesn't mean you should (not suggesting you would but there might be some here), there is plenty of stock coming into stores and if we all bought what we needed there would be enough to go around.

Thanks for all the tips and information. I went about 3.30pm and it was really quiet. No queue outside, and they operated a one-way system round the store which was good. (Apart from the fact it’s not my usual place to shop so I missed quite a few items and couldn’t go back for them) The staff were great on the whole, the lady directing you to a till at the end even offered to go and get some of my missing items, it’s the other customers who cut across the middle of aisles, or walked the wrong way down them, or walked right past you virtually rubbing shoulders Those are the people who made it more stressful.

I’ve only got a small Tesco Metro and Sainsbury's Local near me (live in central London). No markers, one way systems or restrictions on people in either store so I felt really uncomfortable when shopping. Sainsbury's was worse as staff were all huddled together talking.

Fortunately Asda online delivery is booked for early next week so keeping fingers crossed that most of that delivery turns up and then I will have enough for a good couple of weeks