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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the Tesco 80 item limit is daft?

224 replies

Myfriendanxiety · 15/04/2020 20:34

Doing a weekly food shop for a family of 4, plus getting a few bits for my parents. I’ve easily hit the 80 item limit and so am now going to have to go to a shop to get all the other bits I need which defeats the object of delivery!

AIBU to think 80 items isn’t a huge amount for a family?

OP posts:
Laiste · 15/04/2020 20:35

What's this now?

When did this happen?

Original poster
Myfriendanxiety · 15/04/2020 20:36

I believe the put the limit in a few weeks ago. But you can only have 80 items on an online shop.

OP posts:
JemNadies · 15/04/2020 20:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Madvixen · 15/04/2020 20:38

It's so that they can fit more deliveries onto a van and therefore more customers onto each round. It also stops some of the ridiculous bulk buying we've been seeing.

Darbs76 · 15/04/2020 20:38

Yes it’s frustrating. Especially if you want to get a bit extra as you can’t guarantee that you’ll get another slot. I had to put back 15 items last week and now I need more shopping and not even been a week.

BrowncoatWaffles · 15/04/2020 20:39

It’s fine until you have to order loose bananas and they then count as five of your eighty or whatever.

Original poster
Myfriendanxiety · 15/04/2020 20:39

@JemNadies but I’m not ordering 80 of the same thing!

I think a 2/3 per item limit is fair realistic to stop stockpiling. But limiting the whole shop to 80 items is daft. Especially when I can’t get a bag of lemons so had to order 3 individual ones; same with onions! And the 2 tubs of formula and 2 packs of nappies we needed this week are also included.

OP posts:
FutureDays · 15/04/2020 20:39

I found it a pain, we've been doing shopping for the 4 of us, as well as my elderly neighbours and my nan, every time they call to add something else to the shop I have deduct something from what we want.

Darbs76 · 15/04/2020 20:39

Also you could buy a packet of pink lady apples for example, and it’s 1 item, but didn’t have them so 4 loose apples is 4 items! My 3 packet in one box special washing tablets was 1 item, but inside was 3 packs of washing powder!

Mustbetimeforachange · 15/04/2020 20:41

It's completely impractical for big families. Two weeks ago I managed to get a slot for next week. 80 items aren't going to last us another 3 weeks with 5 of us eating 3 meals a day. No multi packs of things like beans available, so the 3 tins you are allowed count as 3 items.

thecatsthecats · 15/04/2020 20:41

Enough for a large family and several addendums? No, maybe not.

Enough for the majority of households? Probably yes.

A fair way to balance between the extremities of people filling up the vans with single orders, and a way to minimise trips? Yeah, probably.

Not ideal for you, but it will stretch out the frequency of the trips you need to make.

And to be honest, I think a lot of people need to make do with what they have rather than worrying about missing items provided they can get a suitable diet out of what's arrived.

Clymene · 15/04/2020 20:41

If you're able to go to a shop, you should go to a shop. Deliveries should be for those people who can't shop

TW2013 · 15/04/2020 20:43

Do any farm shops/ wholesale near you deliver? We are using them for fruit/veg/ milk/ bread and just the bits we can't get from them in an occasional Tesco shop.

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 15/04/2020 20:44

I can see why they're doing it but I agree it is a bit annoying. We're a family of 7 so it means we've been having to go to another shop/ or go in to store for the extra bits when getting our click & collect. Especially when, like you pointed out you're having to buy individuals of fruit/veg because the packs aren't available. We can't get a slot for a delivery or c&c now though so we're going to switch to Morrison (because their in store system work much better than the one in the local Tesco).

MaggieMoodles · 15/04/2020 20:45

Just don't say you want to order a pomegranate.

Some poor mum of 6 got dragged the other day for posting the same thing!

Original poster
Myfriendanxiety · 15/04/2020 20:46

@Clymene I am physically able to go to a shop- however my DH is a key worker in the NHS working 6 days a week 8-8pm. His day off is constantly changing last minute and he is currently on a stretch of 9 days in a row. I have 2 children under 3 and so can’t go to a supermarket while DH is working. I was therefore lucky this week when I managed to get a Tesco slot and wanted to make the most of it by ordering enough to see me through at least 2 weeks to prevent me having to take another slot.

We have a very small village shop about 4 miles away which I have been driving to and leaving the children in the car outside but it doesn’t stock enough for my main shop.

OP posts:
Laiste · 15/04/2020 20:47

Oh online!

Original poster
Myfriendanxiety · 15/04/2020 20:48

@TW2013 yes this is what I have been doing. I am using smaller local companies as much as possible and avoiding the supermarkets. This is my first Tesco delivery in 4 weeks and so I hoped to get enough to last me a while but by adding my parents shopping to the list it’s not possible to do this in under 80 items.

OP posts:
Invisimamma · 15/04/2020 20:50

It's a bit silly, because if you order say 7 bananas and 4 carrots, thats 11 items rights there.

Because they don't do multipack anymore either (to save on plastic) you also need to order things like tins of beans and tinned tomatoes individually, so 80 items is used up really quickly.

spongebunnyfatpants · 15/04/2020 20:50

It's frustrating, were a family of 4 and also shopping for elderly parents.
I agree with limiting things to 3 per item but an 80 item limit is daft.
It's even more annoying that you can't buy multi packs of beans or soup either. So instead of 1 multipack of 4 which would class as 1 item, you have to buy them as 4 separate items.
Hopefully they'll lift it soon.

Barbararara · 15/04/2020 20:51

I’m presuming that it makes it easier for them to schedule delivery slots if they know how many loads can fit in the truck.

80 items is generous for a couple for a fortnight but tight for a family for a week.

Do you have any other delivery options nearby - veg boxes, grocers or butchers that deliver? If you could take a category off your Tesco list it might help.

Alternatively can you substitute? Lemon juice instead of lemons (I know it’s not great but it helps to be flexible) or potatoes instead of rice? I ordered a sack of spuds and froze some as mash/roasties/chips and have been working our way through the rest. They only had the tiny microwave bags instead of the dry kind.

If you have family or neighbours that would pitch in, ordering in bulk from a restaurant supplier might be an option too.

Hope some of that is helpful, but I agree it’s a nuisance.

Toilenstripes · 15/04/2020 20:51

It’s really not daft when you consider we are under lockdown and doing our best to save the lives of others. We have to get creative with our cooking. So, buy the basics and make it work.

Scruffyoak · 15/04/2020 20:53

I've done a shop for 7 on it. Planned accordingly using bigger packs and multi packs. I also had to change my meals to whatever i could get in bigger packs!

Original poster
Myfriendanxiety · 15/04/2020 20:53

@Barbararara I’ve taken all the household items/ cleaning things etc off the list and will go to home bargains the next time DH has a day off as they can wait.

Also taken off all the meat and will get the butcher in town to bundle that up for me to go and collect as I can take the children in a double pushchair there.

OP posts:
GrumpiestOldWoman · 15/04/2020 20:54

I suspect it's because slots are like hen's teeth and having got one some shoppers were getting their monies-worth and commandeering the whole van!