To wonder why Morrison's and M&S are much more relaxed than Tesco and Asda?

[shoppingshenanigans]

Has anyone else noticed this? I have all four of these shops close to where I live so I tend to use all of them depending on what I fancy.
When lockdown and social distancing began I visited Tesco and just felt really stressed with the experience. I’m pretty sure it’s the same everywhere but there are arrows on the floor, meaning you can only go one way (even if you only want something from the very last aisle) and you can’t go back if you’ve forgotten something. What made it worse was that the other customers would not pass me (even though there was plenty of space to get past). I could feel eyes burning the back of my head and pressure to just choose something and carry on. I haven’t actually shopped in Asda since lockdown as I gave up after queuing for 45 minutes so I can only imagine what it’s like the inside.

I decided to shop in Morrisons today instead and I was just so shocked at how relaxed it was compared to the other shops. Granted I had to queue but it was only for around 5 minutes and there were no arrows on the floor except for when queuing to pay. You could go back if you’d forgotten something as well. Everyone still seemed to respect each other’s space and use common sense so there were no issues with social distancing, and it seemed as though everyone was much more relaxed and friendly too. My sister has said that M&S is the same as well.

I appreciate this virus is serious and measures have to be put in place to keep everyone safe but it just feels like a military operation in Tesco and Asda. What are you’re experiences so far?

In my experience it’s Tesco that’s a disaster zone. M&S local to me is a small store that strictly monitor the number of customers in store at one time. I think with fewer people in store customers are better able to keep their distance. The local Tesco to me is huge - so little people adhere to the one way systems - people are almost clambering over you to get to items. I actually find people are closer in there than before lockdown.

It's going to be different for different stores across the country. I haven't been shopping at all but see the comments of Facebook- one day Morrison's is great, the next it's awful. One day Lidl have someone cleaning trollies, the next there's not even a spray available for customers to clean it themselves.

M&S are the only local shop that seem to have it under control at all times.

My local M&S - a dedicated food store - was carnage the one and only time I tried it, last week.

Too many people
No one-way system
Allowing groups of people in together

..... I even tweeted them about it! (no response obvs). It has really turned my opinion of them.

I really do think it depends on the individual store. At our medium sized Sainsbury’s they are very strict but at the big one it’s an absolute disaster. People still queue but they let in loads of people at once and it’s incredibly crowded once you’re inside.
I tried to switch to click and collect but the first time waited 90 minutes for the vans to arrive and the second time they failed to tell me in advance that my card had declined. I have no idea why, there was plenty of money in the account.
I’m going to try Tesco this week instead

The big tesco near me is fantastic, everybody is raving about how great the staff are and how they feel safe going there. It's my usual shop so I suppose I just take it for granted.

I would think if Morrison's and M&S are not using arrows they are not adhering to government advice of social distancing, so is probably more irresponsible than relaxed.

Morrisons was bloody awful last week but that was because its customers were behaving like idiots. I had to tell two people they were too close to me.

Our Morrison’s is quite new and has lovely wide aisles etc. I went today and although it was busy, it wasn’t stressful at all.

I’m an Aldi shopper by default but I can’t face it at the moment knowing how busy it will be in cramped aisles.

Morrison’s near me had half its staff doing a stupid tic tok style dance routine in the middle of the wine aisle. No social distancing, and no moving to let customers actually shop

Oh dear! Some real mixed answers here. I guess it does all just come down to the area and individual shop, funny isn't it. I haven't had any issues with Aldi or Lidl the couple times I've visited, however their not very close to my home so that's why I don't visit them as often. I suppose it really is just hit and miss and I also think it makes a huge difference depending on what time of the day I shop as well (although Tesco feels busy constantly)

@MrsTumbletap

The big tesco near me is fantastic, everybody is raving about how great the staff are and how they feel safe going there. It's my usual shop so I suppose I just take it for granted.

I would think if Morrison's and M&S are not using arrows they are not adhering to government advice of social distancing, so is probably more irresponsible than relaxed.

Where in the guidance does it say shops have to have arrows on the floor?

I've found going to Tesco quite stressful. I only had to queue up once, but when you are in there are arrows, as you say, some people ignore them. Once you get into the end aisle you can't get back out of it, you just end up in a queue for the tills. But I do the scan and shop, so I don't need the tills.

The only other shop I've been to is Co-op which is quiet, calm, no strict rules (but expensive!)

Omg @Aposterhasnoname that's hilarious but also very ridiculous 😆. I cringe at stuff like that, I wouldn't know what to do or where to look lol

I've only been out twice, both to a big Sainsbury's and it was a nightmare both times. No social distancing, people acting like eejits, learning over me, pushing past me. Felt really grubby by the time I got home.

Our Tesco (it’s one of the Tesco extra ones and is massive) is relatively organised aside from you have to walk past the security guard as he leans on the barrier breathing over everyone. They have a clear one way system, you have to go to the customer service people first if you want to go (more due to layout than anything else). They also have people queue at one end of the supermarket and you are told which till you can go to. It does work until someone pushes past you whilst your queuing because they can’t possibly wait to grab the bottle of wine.

The aldi is a fucking disgrace. Young lad ‘sanitising’ the trolley by using the same antibac wipe on most trolleys (I used my own as soon as I had got past him), they do have the shop set out in 6ft peramiters, but the aisles aren’t very wide and people technically should go single file round, but it was like Christmas, everyone pushing past each other, families shopping together, no social distancing what so ever. The only difference is they have removed the baskets - I don’t know why? I literally would rather spend £20 a week more than shop is that disease ridden factory... normally I love a good mooch through the specials

We then have a little Sainsbury who only allow 2-4 in at a time, they are militant in their approach, BUT it feels really safe, you do have to stand on the little feet when your at the till, then the cashier stands back so you can pay and you can take your shopping. If they are stocking an aisle the whole aisle is blocked of and they don’t give a shif if you ‘just need a pint of milk’ you literally aren’t getting it

We have an Aldi, Co-OP, medium sized Asda and a smaller Tesco's all within walking distance in my town. The only one we have genuinely felt unsafe in has been the Asda. To the point my DP has point blank refused to step foot back in for the foreseeable. He is usually way more laid back than me so it really drives home how bad it is. Next door neighbours have said the same.

They were on top of it the first week of lockdown then it's like the management/staff then couldn't be arsed other than occasionally having queues.

Guessing it's the store managers decision to be so lax.

I've found the worst is Iceland - no queue therefore packed inside. Tiny narrow aisles and then long queues up the aisles for the checkouts. People standing in the aisles having long (non socially distanced) chats with their friends. Chaos...

I've found the ones with no arrows actually better in terms of people keeping apart. I do wonder if people see the arrows and are concentrating too much on making sure they follow them properly rather than looking out for other people.

Round here Lidl is very good, no queues either, and spacious. Marks and Spencer is a bunfight once you make it into the food hall, well managed queue before that though. Apparently waitrose is best at protecting its staff, wish I had one nearby! I walk everywhere.

I looked forward to going to the M&S food hall, but it was AWFUL. No monitoring at all, no one way system, no distance markings at all. No limit to how many customers and no cleaning of baskets. The aisles were packed and no-one (staff or customers) gave a damn. Also the queues for the tills stretched into the aisles, so it was impossible to get from one aisle to another.

The absolute worst. I gave up and came home

I think this too @Pacmanitee. It's almost as if they seem to lack common sense. A lot of people just would not pass me in Tesco which would then result in huge queues waiting to get around the aisles even though there was plenty of space to get past

...and yep, so far I've found Waitrose the best. Their limits are strict (only 33 people at once in my store) and they have two staff monitoring the queue and cleansing at all times. Also someone monitoring the till queues as well, even though there are few people there.

M&S is horrific here. Asda and Tesco are the only places taking it seriously and making sure people keep their distance. Queues are only a problem at certain times.

The worst I heard of was in Waitrose the other day, a colleague went and said it was carnage.

I find that it’s not always that one retailer as a whole is better or worse necessarily than an another more that some individual stores within any brand can be particularly good or bad depending on how it’s run and also the attitudes of customers. There’s no doubt there are some places that are not run well but equally there are some customers who see social distancing as everyone else’s responsibility. It’s been here for long enough now that people should take some accountability for their own safety and apply common sense.

I've been in for ten weeks and one day and I've been to Asda twice. I went today as I was getting to the point of not ever wanting to go out. Since the first time the arrows are more obvious with no entry signs to you go up alternate aisles and back to the one you missed.

Some people weren't following the signs, some not keeping their distance, staff friendly and the checkout lady was very kind to me when I was stressing.

I am not going shopping again.

I used to have mostly Tesco deliveries with the occasional one from Waitrose. Tesco has been great and I've managed to get a home delivery slot every week so far and booked into June.

The reverse is true of Waitrose and their system is hopeless. I try every night at midnight to get a slot but as soon as midnight arrives, I get thrown back to the front page to log in again and then get an error message which is obviously crap, it isn't an error. If I didn't need items I can only get from there I would never bother again.