AIBU to think the 80 item limit at Tesco is a bit tight?

[womaninatightspot]

I don't have delivery saver so I'm at the back of the queue as far as slots go still there's some available most weeks. I got a delivery today but there's none next weekend(payday for most) till the 7th. I could of just done a big shop but because of the limit I've had to book another slot for Monday which seems crazy.

Surely it must be hitting Tesco's bottom line as I (and I'm assuming most people)focus on getting basics first and luxury items which have higher profit margins get left or bought elsewhere.

Are people still panic buying? I'm just buying what we need/ refilling the stuff we've used up whilst the shops were bare. Shopping for two houses so maybe tighter than most.

If I do a click and collect every week I can cope with only 80 items for a family of 6. I still don’t feel that I could take my kids to the shops without being judged ( son has asd so we get judged in the best of times).

I wonder how much longer the vulnerable will be shielding for? Feels like everything is going back to normal slowly

I'm with @GreenTulips

They're providing a service that has hugely spiked in demand. They're not TRYING to make it perfect for everyone's circumstances, they're trying to strike a justifiable balance between the number of slots and the number of items.

I use my occasional tesco slot to load up on heavy and non perishable items, have a separate butchers delivery, and we can fill in the rest with one person going to the shop every ten days.

I could be whining that I never had to go to the shop before and could get slots for the next day on my plan. I've managed to notice we've got a fucking pandemic on though, and have the brain capacity to understand that things might not be quite to my liking at all times for the duration.

I would suggest you switch to Amazon and set up recurring deliveries for loo roll, kitchen roll, washing powder, dishwasher stuff etc. It's cheaper than the supermarket and you can remove some of that stuff from your supermarket slot
People aren't panic buying but the method of buying has changed from small frequent shops to big shops online. I do Ocado once a fortnight for stuff I can't get from our small town shops, rest from local supermarket plus Amazon for the above.

Presumably if you need more than 80 you are a larger family therefore more likely to be able to get extras locally?
A lower limit means more people can get essentials delivered rather than less large families.
Also at this time it may be best to buy pre packed when possible, just yesterday I saw a lady cough into her gloved hands then rummage through the carrots!

We're a large family and usually a tesco shop wing a good 150 items so it's been a nightmare. We've managed the bare basics on the 80 items, but when you start to run out of toiletries/household items they take up the food "slots" so we get less food. All it means is we have to go to the shops 2 or 3 times a week plus the click and collect.

I think it's totally reasonable of Tesco to do this. They are looking to help the maximum number of people, not to provide a perfect service to the few.

You might like a large order so you can help your neighbours or parents, but by letting you have that big order, perhaps 3 or 4 people can't have an order at all because there isn't capacity in the vans for all the stuff. You might prefer to order loose items to avoid packaging or because you don't want a bigger pack of mushrooms or whatever, but they need a system which is easy to administer in these times and so your preferences just can't be catered for in these times when a simple system needs to be in place so as many people can have an order as possible can be served.

I actually think people are rather self-absorbed to just think about their own shopping needs and preferences rather than to see the crucial thing is that as many people can have a delivery as possible being the key thing at the moment. 80 items is a good load of shopping and it might mean you have to be more selective than usual or also shop elsewhere, but it means you have been able to access a good load of shopping and someone else will have been able to as well. It really does seem the best compromise and it will be temporary. See the bigger picture.

So easy to complain but stop and think for a minute. They have had such a huge increase in online shopping. They may be able to get temporary pickers but with social distancing limits still can't get enough to meet demand. They have to work all night to ensure they are out of store when it opens. They cannot however just get temporary delivery vans so the physical amount of stuff they can fit cannot be increased, therefore in order to deliver to as many as possible limits need to be in place. A pp is also correct wih fruit and veg, a carton of mushrooms with a barcode takes 5 seconds to scan and pop in 3 mushrooms need to be picked, bagged, taken to scales , weighed and a label printed to be scanned, this significantly increases the time taken, when there are very tight schedules to meet.

Given we are in a pandemic, the fact food can still be delivered to your door and that they can now deliver to vastly more people than pre-lockdown is bloody amazing.

The fact there are some minor inconveniences like a limit on items and loose items counting as one item in order to make the limit simple to administer in these times, are just the sacrifices necessary during a crisis.....and actually pretty minor sacrifices.

This thread makes me realise that people don't see the bigger picture and only really think about their personal convenience, even in a time like this. It should be blindingly obvious why Tesco have done this and they should be applauded for managing to make far far more deliveries and adapting so fast to the crisis, but instead people just moan about the minor inconveniences they experience whilst still having a big load of shopping delivered to their house.

While I fully understand why this is a pain for big families, it has meant that Tesco could offer more slots and get supplies to more people. This has to be a good thing. I have been booking Tesco deliveries fortnightly for me and DS and topping up in between with a fruit and veg box, wine and beer from elsewhere. I also buy toilet rolls, cleaning products and dishwasher and laundry tablets online from different suppliers so don’t need to include those in my 80 items. I buy 3kg bags of pasta and 4 packs of tinned tomatoes. If I want bananas and they don’t have bags we have apples instead. I imagine most families can cope with 80 items a week with a bit of planning/flexibility. There will always be exceptions or families this doesn’t suit but it seems like a good plan to me.

For anyone shopping for others, could you get them their own slot and have it delivered to their door?

If anyone is interested, I get loo rolls from Who gives a crap, cleaning spray from koh and dishwasher/laundry tabs from smol. All environmentally friendly.

I was grateful for my 80 items when I was isolating last week, it kept us with food in the cupboard for the time being - but I agree, it would not go far for a weekly shop for a family, especially if you were buying loose fruit and veg as part of if.

I suppose I could get a second order sent next door. It just feels more efficient to do one big shop than two smaller ones.

Surely we realise that because you want to help others shop doesn't mean you're entitled to a whole delivery van's worth of food. It's better that most people fill most of their grocery needs than few people get all of their grocery needs. After all 80 is an arbitrary number, some people would complain no matter the limit.

@TW2013 I have been buying the 5 litre tubs from Amazon. 5l coconut shampoo for £9.99 and 5l coconut hand and body wash for £14.99.

I think it's totally reasonable of Tesco to do this. They are looking to help the maximum number of people, not to provide a perfect service to the few

Totally agree

I temporarily changed to Asda because I could get a recurring slot. It was awful. I've never had so many substitutions and items missing. At least with Tesco I'm getting a full delivery I think the limit makes sense at the moment

I just think a 100 items would of been better a more sensible limit.

Maybe it would but if you add the time for 20 more items over thousands of orders it's a lot of time pickers don't have. The ones in my store are working flat out to meet demand as it is. I know it seems unfair but with so many shielded customers and people having to self isolate there is a much higher need for each store to meet

100 is no more arbitrary and helpful than 80, which was calculated by the people actually doing the job.

An extra 20 items would suit YOU. And we'd have a thread from someone else going "I know there's a pandemic on and there's an explosion in demand for online deliveries, but my son has a particular... Blah blah blah... I'm buying for my entire street and six shielded relatives Blah blah"

Etc

80 items is a decent amount of food however you spin it. Toiletries can be ordered in bulk by other means. You might not get everything exactly as you like.

I'm a regular Tesco shopper with delivery saver but last week got my first Tesco delivery since lockdown. There's nothing available again now. The 80 limit was tight but managable. I've been able to get deliveries regularly from Sainsburys and Iceland who have much more availability than Tesco and have no item limit.

I am shielding and we are a family of 5. I have the tesco priority delivery slots. I've started buying some items on amazon/Ebay like wash powder/baking items like flour. I prioritise the 80 items and order the basics we need. I always end up at the 80 limit. Tins of beans being sold separately for example soon takes the number of items down but am getting savier at items I am buying to make it go further.

I think I was doing ok with the 80 items at a stretch but doing two shops two days apart as there was nothing else for a fortnight just seemed crazy to me.

They've upped to.........

85! Whoop whoop

It's an 80 limit for click and collect too so it can't just be about deliveries. I'm always at about 100 items so have to go back through and cut out items. Rely annoying. There are more slots available now though and last time I was physically in the supermarket it was dead (late afternoon on a Thursday). I've got about a billion bags for life now and the drivers won't take them back.

@Pipandmum 85 from today- just upped my order to collect tomorrow

What shall I get with those 5 extra spaces?

I cancelled my Delivery Saver as I can't do a full shop with an 85 item limit, so would need to go into the shop at some point anyway...

I do miss the days when I could place a full order on Sunday for next day delivery!

Now I shop in person on a Monday or Tuesday evening when it's quiet.