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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:
Pipandmum · 16/04/2020 08:44

The shops near me have only had one week when there were real shortages of several foods. Now things are pretty well stocked across the board. Yet last time I did an online order they were selling the bananas individually- the order isn't due until end of April and as they always have packed bunches thought this was ridiculous. We eat two or three a day in my family. I've had to be very careful with the numbers and it just means having to go to shops in person as I can't get all that I need.

Incrediblytired · 16/04/2020 08:45

Oooh I do have one little suggestion for people and that’s Avon. I have never used Avon before but someone posted a link in Facebook recently and they have things like handwash and showergel etc for the same price as supermarket - so it would get the item number down and probably help out another mum as I think its mostly mums that do it!

nolassie · 16/04/2020 08:50

More vans have been sourced already but the picking is more the problem and there has to be a cut off at some point to allow the supermarkets to plan - I don't know what 'normal' is, DS has only been working there since school closed but they'd already ramped up to 150 slots when he arrived and are now at 250 a day. In his store at least, Pickers can only work when the store is closed because the trolleys are so large they don't allow 2m distancing for public. There can only be so many staff in the store again because of social distancing. If even 20 more items per order were allowed that's possibly another 5000 items his relatively small store has to pick, pack and get ready to transport in a small time window. The more restrictions there are on what everyone buys the more you are more likely to be able to by a couple of what you need.

Floatyboat · 16/04/2020 08:50

@Lovemusic33

Half a day?! Where do you live? The top of Ben Nevis?

Lovemusic33 · 16/04/2020 08:57

Floaty I’m on the edge of a village, we do have a tiny village shop but there’s no supermarket close by, often the queue to get into the nearest one are huge so can take a while to do a full shop and then get home 🤣, didn’t mean it takes half a day to get there.

5zeds · 16/04/2020 09:00

I think a 2/3 per item limit is fair realistic to stop stockpiling. do you? I think it’s a nightmare especially as lots of things in our store only come in small packs. I can see two boxes of eggs is fine for a small family but eggs/butter/bread/cereal really are very hard to spread between a larger one.

BeanTownNancy · 16/04/2020 09:02

Yeah, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact I'll probably get the virus anyway because I've been able to get 1 delivery slot in the 5 weeks I've been isolating at home so far (and that's for next week and has an item limit.) I've got quite bad asthma so it would be ideal not to have to go to the supermarket but I am not able to get enough food delivered for my family.

I'll just have to go to the shop and take the risk. It does seem silly though when they want vulnerable people to shield but then there is no way for them to do so.

Watertorture · 16/04/2020 09:10

go shopping! It probably won’t kill you.
We would never have imagined this sentence a few months ago Sad

Woeismethischristmas · 16/04/2020 09:17

Totally agree that it can take half a day if you're rural. It's 45 minutes to nearest big supermarket from us plus queuing time nearly an hour last time and then ages to go round. Shop online do don't really know where anything is and all the social distance waiting meant it all took up an afternoon

BubblesBuddy · 16/04/2020 09:20

I’m surprised how few people have friends on this thread! If you are very rural how did you manage before deliveries became the norm? I would have thought friends if you life rurally were important. Do DC have no friends at school with helpful parents. You all seem very socially isolated.

BubblesBuddy · 16/04/2020 09:21

Shopping a lunchtime lessens the queue I’ve found.

5zeds · 16/04/2020 09:46

The solution to “it takes half a day if you live rurally” is to ask your friends to do it??? Shock

Porcupineinwaiting · 16/04/2020 09:51

We were reliant on friends and neighbours to shop for us when we were self isolating for a month (first I got it, then dh). Truth is, each person can pick up some bits and pieces for you along with their shop but it's not right to ask someone to put themselves at risk by doing a whole extra shop just for you.

5zeds · 16/04/2020 09:52

Or to drive for miles out of their way to drop it off.

WhyCantIThinkOfAGoodOne · 16/04/2020 10:13

If you can get to the shops anyway you don't need a delivery. Your parents could have your slot and you can go to tesco yourself and get what you mean.

boylovesmeerkats · 16/04/2020 10:14

Yes, because if you order individual packs of items of fruit and veg you can hit 80 quite easily! But like all things we have to adapt I guess and be glad to get a delivery slot. All along the practicalities of feeding families has been low on pretty much everyone's agenda, which is hard work when you have a family to feed.

AlternativePerspective · 16/04/2020 10:22

@ Incrediblytired since you’re shopping anyway for your family could you set up accounts for them and do the online shop for them while they’re on the phone? That way they can still get deliveries in their own right even if they’re not technically able.

Schuyler · 16/04/2020 10:55

YABU. It’s selfish to have big shops because it restricts how many people are able to get deliveries. It’s better more people can have the basics. The fact is, you can go out and there are some people who aren’t getting delivery slots at all and they’re extremely vulnerable! It grates a bit to see people complaining when there are much more vulnerable people out there who can’t get a delivery at all.

Sparklingplasters · 16/04/2020 11:13

OP I can’t get a supermarket delivery slot for my elderly, disabled, shielded parents until 25/4. They have no milk, no bread, no fresh food at all and you are complaining about 80 item limit.

Sparklingplasters · 16/04/2020 11:14

I’m going to have to call the council and ask for an emergency food parcel.

Schuyler · 16/04/2020 11:18

@Sparklingplasters

Have you tried joining a Covid19 mutual aid support group in their area? It may be there is help and voluntary aid in the area.

Ariela · 16/04/2020 11:28

I think we all have to accept that shopping for food is difficult at present, regardless of situation.
It's also difficult for smaller families that also shop for 2 other families/old people that cannot go out.

Is there any local assistance for you on that front? We've local FB groups in the villages and you can ask for shopping to be picked up on there, and people that have to go for themselves or are shopping for people can pick you up a fair quantity. I cannot see the situation improving till they have started antibody testing and can test the supermarket workers.

SirVixofVixHall · 16/04/2020 12:15

SparklingPlasters
A lot of small local shops are delivering too, so their local shop might well drop off a box with milk, bread, butter, eggs etc. We would not have managed otherwise. Our Health shop is delivering, and our local butcher is delivering meat but also vegetables and bread.
Also there are local groups organising medication collection and food for vulnerable people. We also have a milk man here, so milk no problem. Maybe there is a milk man near them too ?

ACertainSupermarket · 16/04/2020 12:17

What's really frustrating is that Tesco aren't fully loading the vans. Found out the other week from a driver. How many people aren't getting deliveries because of that?!
That was the case when this all started, as a proportion of both drivers and pickers who were on the older side or had health conditions were self-isolating. Now a great deal of new staff have been brought in, the vans are fuller than at Christmas. Pickers voluntarily start at 3am instead of 6am to help out.
And yes to the poster who said a lot of it is alcohol, if I was delivering I don't know if I could be civil to someone who has taken the slot of a vulnerable person just to get their barbecue order in Angry.

Xmasbaby11 · 16/04/2020 12:53

I feel for you op. At our weekly shop we usually buy over 100 items for 2 adults 2dc. We are so lucky our shops are well stocked and we are both wfh and able to get out.

However we do have a good local network or friends and neighbours and we shop for each other when needed. I think now is the time to reach out and ask if at all possible. I've witnessed my parents and friends struggling to get groceries and unwilling to ask for help even from long term friends- don't let that be you.