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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:
Lovemusic33 · 16/04/2020 17:24

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.

We have always had a tesco delivery since living here then I pop to the local shop when dc’s are at school for things like bread during the week. I do have friends but they live 10+ miles away, I don’t feel socially isolated when we are not in lockdown 😂. Also we don’t usually have to queue for an hour outside a supermarket outside of lockdown so a shopping trip doesn’t take as long.

Shiningbright9729 · 16/04/2020 17:26

It’s frustrating. I think it’s so they can fit multiple deliveries into vans... it is annoying though. Family of four. A child with additional needs who only eats certain things, partner still working so needs work snacks and food and normal things plus cleaning products etc. 80 items is not a lot! I would like to stock up (not panic buy) but it’s impossible.

BubblesBuddy · 16/04/2020 17:37

Your friends can help you if they are not in lockdown in the same way. Ask them maybe?

Lovemusic33 · 16/04/2020 17:48

It’s hard to ask a friend to do a full shop though? I have had a friend bring me pain killers (when I had the virus) and a neighbour get me bread, people are great at doing little things but I have no one to ask to do a big shop. My best friends are key workers so very busy. We are receiving a weekly food parcel from dd2’s sn school but it’s not great (a couple tins of ham, some pasta, rice, beans and some biscuits). Tesco are the only supermarket that delivers here, well apart from waitrose but they don’t have any delivery slots and I can’t afford to shop there.

I do feel for those with big families that need more than 80 items, not sure if it’s possible for people to book 2 slots a week? Or 2 slots with 2 different supermarkets? There’s also local butchers and farm shops that may do meat deliveries (and cheese etc..), the same with some fruit and veg shops or online food sellers.

You could order toiletries and cleaning products through amazon if you have prime? I know there is still a bit of a wait but it could help lower the amount you buy from the supermarket?

Original poster
Myfriendanxiety · 16/04/2020 18:49

We live in a village but I work in the town so I usually have a Tesco delivery every week and then do a top up mid week in my way home from work. Or I take the kids with me and top up shop on my day off.

Obviously now I’m shopping completely differently.

OP posts:
WhyCantIThinkOfAGoodOne · 16/04/2020 19:01

At the moment the limits are fairly crude. In M&S I wasn't allowed to buy 3 individual bagels from the bakery (and in fact they were going to throw away the third one because we'd handled it) but I would be allowed to buy 2 5 packs of pre packed bagels. The 80 limit is a bit crude too and I guess just stopping people buying 3 cans of each brand of baked beans or pasta. I think for most families 80 should be plenty for a week though and hopefully it's only people who can't get to the shops that are taking delivery slots.

emmathedilemma · 16/04/2020 19:15

I don't know how people are managing it with families, I struggled just doing my parents list for 2 people.....although I did take an executive decision that my mother doesn't need 3 different types of herbal tea! Ideally it would be by total weight or volume so you're not penalised if larger packs are out of stock but I guess that would be very hard to set up.

SweetpeaMidnight · 16/04/2020 19:58

There's 5 of us plus a few bits for my mum and we don't struggle with the 80 items. I'm wondering what i don't buy that everyone else does!

Lovemusic33 · 16/04/2020 20:09

sweetpea I wonder too. As I said before I can get a 2 week shop for 80 items for 3 of us and one cat. I often cook 2 different meals each night too though I have been trying to get everyone eating the same meal. I’m always shocked at how much food some people get through, we stick to 3 meals a day (cereal for breakfast, sandwich and a piece of fruit for lunch and then a cooked meal), I bake a couple different cakes each week. We do seem to be getting through a lot of bread but it’s easy to pop to the local shop to buy a loaf during the week. I guess if we were a family of 7 it would be harder especially if there were picky eaters and teenagers.

Glaceon · 16/04/2020 20:12

I think they need a system to prioritise larger families for multi pack items if this continues. I agree with the limit and could feed a family of 5 but not without the multi packs.

They should have a way to condense individual items into one where you could buy a multi pack of the same as one item.

ListeningQuietly · 16/04/2020 20:24

I think they need a system to prioritise larger families
From the Government that capped benefits at 2 children ????
Get real

Butterymuffin · 16/04/2020 20:29

People have mentioned cleaning products etc taking up items in the 80, but you're not going to need to buy the same ones of those every week, are you? Likewise tomato ketchup, oil, salt..

tenlittlecygnets · 16/04/2020 20:37

I don't know. I think it's fair. We had a Tesco delivery yesterday and 80 items is a big weekly shop.

lyralalala · 16/04/2020 20:40

80 items is a big weekly shop.

People aren’t getting weekly shops though, they’re struggling to get slots so need that shop to last 2/3 weeks

Watertorture · 16/04/2020 20:54

I'm buying more as we are just here more, everyone in for lunches whereas dc would normally get lunch at school, more snacks as we are so close to the kitchen.
It's hard to buy enough fruit/bread/milk to last two weeks or so.

Echobelly · 16/04/2020 20:56

I bought a weeks' shop for family of 4 (trying to avoid repeat shops) in store today, and it was definitely more than 80 items!

KatyMac · 16/04/2020 21:04

I only got 56 of an 80 order which means I will have to shop more often because I am scared of that happening

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/04/2020 21:11

I think that the back up list is a good idea so if anything isnt available, and item is automatically ported over from your back up.

1981m · 16/04/2020 21:42

I can see why they are limiting items, more room in the van which allows them to do more deliveries and stops people stock piling. I do find it hard to stick to it though in the weekly shop.

It's unfair though as I can order 3 packets of carrots but only 3 individual carrots. Suffice to say, the packers of carrots have sold out so I only have 3 carrots.

Bouledeneige · 16/04/2020 21:51

Yes I had the same problem - house of three but getting stuff for my neighbours too. There are some ways round it though - but they are a bit illogical. So you can get a large multipack of 4 bottles of fizzy water for instance for one item but then one clove of garlic counts as another single item. I found myself going back and increasing the size of every item if possible.

I managed to get a sainsbury's click and collect order though very easily so that solved my problem. We are self isolating but my DS has gone through his symptoms sufficiently long ago that he could get out and load the items.

Mustbetimeforachange · 17/04/2020 10:52

Yes, when I went in to amend my order 8 items weren't available. If I hadn't gone to amend it I wouldn't have known. Now I intend to log in as late as possible & see what is missing

caroloro · 17/04/2020 11:01

I think it's really sensible, actually. Those of us who are able bodied, we'll, and not shielding should be doing click and collect or actually going into the shops to leave the slots for those who are shielding or isolating. That way there would be enough for everybody who actually needs them, rather than those for whom it's more convenient. Booking delivery slots when you don't need them is almost like buying extra loo roll in this current climate.

Scarlettpixie · 17/04/2020 11:08

I make it work by buying most of my beer, wine, cleaning products and loo rolls and oatmilk elsewhere online.

I had a tesco delivery yesterday and can’t get another until 3rd May. I plan to order a weekly fruit and veg box in between and get anything else I need from the corner shop.

With the tesco delivery, I have been trying to be more creative/flexible with what I am ordering. If I can’t get a multi pack of bananas I get a multipack of apples instead. I have been buying bigger bags of chips and waffles. I have bought multipacks of premuim brand tomatoes and passata which come in cardboard sleeves. I am buying big boxes of cereal. I even got a 3kg bag of pasta this week. There were no regular sized ones available.

I think the limit is fair enough. It means more delivery slots are available overall. We just have to juggle a bit. If I had a bigger household, i would do as I am but get my all fruit and veg from elsewhere.

myself2020 · 17/04/2020 11:38

How do people get that many items? just checked my 2-weekly ocado for us (4 people) and our elderly neighbours (2) - its 73 items?

ACertainSupermarket · 17/04/2020 11:38

I have been trying to be more creative/flexible with what I am ordering. If I can’t get a multi pack of bananas I get a multipack of apples instead.

Hats off yo you, some good advice.
Also if you're a new shopper and worried about the stories of weird substitutes so have indicated that you don't want them - don't be scared to try it, there is no problem saying you don't want it if it's really unsuitable. Today, for example, some customers asked for no substitute on:

  • a particular egg brand (several other free-range ones available)
  • tinned tomatoes (higher value ones would have been sent)
  • 24 pack of diet coke (2 x 12 would have been sent)
  • hand wash (higher value brand would have been sent)