To not bother with shops any more

[YaWeeSkitter]

For the first time since March I have time to go for a walk to the local shops . Most of them have been open for the whole time as they are essential (co-op ,Wilkos, farmfoods) but a few have recently reopened so thought it would be a great opportunity to have some normality.

I only went into shops that had no queues outside as it was really windy and threatening rain and I had limited time.
So Wilkos was okay with not many people in but it looked like a closing down sale. I asked an assistant if they were in fact closing but she said they had had a lot of customers. So I couldnt get what I needed since there were just empty shelves.
The co-op was better and I got a few reduced priced ready meals. Except the self serve till didnt read 2 of the discounted labels and when I pressed the help button the woman on the serviced till cancelled it. I pressed again - she cancelled it . This went on for about 6 times. I couldn't leave and go to the serviced till as there was a queue building up because the woman who kept cancelling my help request was struggling to serve the one customer she had ( only finding cigarettes) and the other assistant had to get involved. Eventually the other assistant was able to leave her and see to me.

Then I went to the Card factory. No-one else in the shop and I found the card I wanted. All good.Follow the arrows round the shop and arrive at the till and go to the line in front of the till. Where i was then shouted at by the assistant from across the shop. I was in the wrong place. How? Apparently although it was a marked line at the end of the arrows it actually meant no entry! I had to retrace my steps( remember I am the only person to be served) and go to the spot on the floor that was some way short of the arrows that was the designated waiting to pay queue end. The assistant had to lean sideways from behind the counter to take the card from me . I had to go round the front to pay and take the card back from her.

It was all very annoying .

And I am used to being out and about. I have worked all the way through and had to buy food and essentials so its not as if I am unused to the new way of doing things. Lord knows what it must be like for those who havent been out much in the last few months.

A lot of the shops that I’ve used have a one way system which is great until you meet someone going the wrong way, which most people seem to do.

Or some shops really do just have a one way system, so if you try to go the other way you can’t & have to sneak backwards.

If people followed the rules they wouldn't 'get told off' and all of this would be over quicker. Seems like people are taking lockdown in general personally-the lockdown isn't a dictatorship it's to protect everyone. It's nothing like Handmaid's Tale Imho. What would you prefer and see people dropping like flies? It's selfish. It's hard but it's temporary. This too will pass.

As someone who works in retail we get utterly fed up of repeating the same every single day. It's not our fault it comes from headoffice and we have to do what they say.
Personally it's getting in my nerves as well as customers so any complaints should go to a manager and not moan at staff. Imagine for 13 weeks having to repeat yourself.

None of this is anything like I've experienced, I've noticed staff are really going out of their way to be friendly and chatty.

The only thing that annoys me is that Lidl won't let you pack your bag at the till even if you only have a couple of items.

I’ve only been to small local supermarkets (Tesco’s express type shops), the pharmacy and more recently the garden centre since lockdown started. I’ve made a resolution to keep it that way if I can. I find the queuing issues completely depressing and I’m going to avoid shops like the plague if I can.

I’ve also realised that I actually don’t miss frivolous ‘wander round the shops’ shopping at all and I’m enjoying the fact that I’m not buying new clothes or anything like that.

I do think the high street will more or less be killed off by the current rules and regulations though.

@PeppersYellow

If people followed the rules they wouldn't 'get told off' and all of this would be over quicker. Seems like people are taking lockdown in general personally-the lockdown isn't a dictatorship it's to protect everyone. It's nothing like Handmaid's Tale Imho. What would you prefer and see people dropping like flies? It's selfish. It's hard but it's temporary. This too will pass.

No, I’d just prefer to not go shopping. So I won’t. And most people I know have said the same. Like I said, it’s completely joyless so why bother? I’ll shop online.

clockwork and spirit please don't feel disheartened, there are many more people who appreciate what you're doing than those who moan. You're doing the right thing. Thank you.

I haven’t been to a shop (other than the local Coop) since 21st March. Dh and eldest dc head out on a Sunday to buy essentials for the next week and I buy any luxuries online. I’ve not had any issues getting what I want on the internet except for one item: children’s pjs. They’re like rocking horse poo unless you want to spend £30 on a two pack from M&S or Next I haven’t missed The chaos one bit.

If people followed the rules they wouldn't 'get told off

Sometimes it’s easy to miss a floor arrow in error. Or get momentarily confused about the one way system. It doesn’t mean all people are doing it purposely to break the rules and I’m sorry but there’s no excuse for being rude to customers who are keeping your business going. Have you never made an innocent mistake before? Sadly the result of this is that it will be so unpleasant that people will stay away and then you can have all the arrows you want because the shop will end up closing 🤷‍♀️

In general I'm boycotting anywhere that has yellow and black tape, but my local Tesco is fun in that it has a very strange one-way system. The first aisle has an arrow up it and then a big barrier at the end, so you have to reverse back down again. They've now put a row of arrows going the other way as well, but right up against the shelves as there isn't actually room. Then you weave up and down, skirting people who've missed something, or got confused, and then find that another barrier means that you have no choice of manned/self checkout unless you go round again and manage to pick the right aisle to exit down. I think they must change it round from time to time because I always seem to need to go the wrong way.

I went to Mountain Warehouse the day it opened because it was so relaxed and well spaced and there was a lovely lady behind the perspex counter who was clearly happy to be back at work and ready to chat. It was so nice I bought a fleece I didn't need.

I'm not bothering with shops anymore because if one more person attaches themselves to my arse crack and follows me ALL THE WAY ROUND EVERY BLOODY SHOP, I won't be responsible for my actions.

And breathe!

People should not get told off at all. Being advised in a gentle manner is all it takes and often ends up in a lovely chat with a customer.

I will go to shops for essential food only until the general public are not subjected to such a joyless experience. By which time I suspect most of us will have realised in person shopping is yesterday’s news.
Anything else I can get online
Can’t be dealing with the aggravation for anything I don’t absolutely need

It's online all the way for me from now on. Shops are fucked

I hate to say it but I agree. Went into a shop yesterday was following the bright green arrow (straight line) all of a sudden it turned into an arrow going the opposite way! Ugh, people distance in the aisles 2ms in front and 2ms behind but happily brush right past you, like the virus can’t jump sideways only forwards and back... Apart from garden centres, most of my shopping will be online now.

I expect the shouting at customers is down to lack of training. And part of the training is that just because you have said something 1000 times you probably haven't said it to THAT particular customer. So say it in a reasonable way.

Im not about to have a yelling match with a shop worker but I will question why they are telling me to do something that isnt obvious. If it was obvious I would follow the directions. But if I have to enter into a dialogue as to why I have to stand on that spot and not that line I am already annoyed .

Its only because I actually wanted the things today that I didnt walk out without buying anything. I usually would for poor service. I have money and am not being tempted to spend it.
I already refuse to shop at Sainsburys due to the way they treated our workforce (key workers) at the start of lockdown .
I dont do online food delivery though as I never need enough to warrant it . Besides bread and milk I can manage with the co-op and occasionally Aldi if I go later in the day.Of course they dont sell any of the other stuff I would buy.Hence my purse being considerably heavier now than it usually be at this point in the month.

Russellbrand yeah I agree but there's a difference between being told off (interpreting as not rude here though) and being rude. It's difficult for everyone and I appreciate that the arrows are a nightmare to follow. I haven't been to our city centre which has been arrowed up but that must be even worse! 😂

I had to queue to get OUT of a shop the other day because they didn't have the item i went in for and the only way to get out was through one of the 2 open tills. It was impossible to get passed people waiting to pay at 1m never mind 2m so I had no choice but to wait in line until I got to the front of the queue.

Sorry OP forgot you said you were shouted at in your original post.....I'll get my coat..

I work in a supermarket and have done for the entirety of lockdown. We have had 12 weeks of asking people to follow the signs at the end of each aisle (literally "One way 》》" and "No Entry⛔") and arrows taped to the floor (giant green 》》 every 1.5 metres in the aisles). Still we get people daily wandering the wrong way down aisles and everyone has a reason/excuse as to why they were going the wrong way. Customers also seem to have relaxed and got far more complacent in the last week or two - I had to tell 3 people yesterday that I was not going to take the money they removed from their mouth to hand to me, that's gross at the best of times, never mind in the middle of a pandemic.

I have noticed that stores that have just reopened tend to have staff who are stricter/more concerned about the social distancing and I assume it is because they have been off for weeks and so this is their first experience of being back at work and dealing with crowds of people so they are at the stage of being OTT that we supermarket workers were at 12 weeks ago because it is all new to them whereas for some of us it is second nature.

Also, some stores are still finding their feet when it comes to how to actually put social distancing measures in place. Eg I went into The Works in my local town centre because I needed something new to read and wanted to pick up a few craft kits to add to birthday presents ... their door has a massive poster telling you the maximum number in store (10) but when I went in there was only one staff member working and customers coming in cant see the entire store from the doorway due to the layout. So if there were 10 people in, but the staff member was serving someone at the counter there was no way for them to stop people entering, except by shouting at them from the till. They were then relying on customers organizing themselves into a queue outside and relaying the message that as one went out another could enter.

I work full time and can think of nothing worse than going shopping for clothes. I just buy online now, I know the brands I like and generally get my size right and know my style.
As for food shopping, I go to Lidl’s of an evening, 20 minutes to whizz around the store and then queue up. Bread and milk from the local shop.

melj1213 yes I’ve noticed this on the two times I’ve been out, there are signs at the door about the customer limit but no one actually implementing it. The only place other than the supermarket that I have actually seen it in action was tk maxx and that was a weird experience inside, their arrows were all over the place and I didn’t know which way to go.

Went today to John Lewis...no queues, no one way system. Staff fantastic...but it was joyless.

Blessed be the fruit.

I agree makes me laugh when I go in another shop and the assistant is quite ott till I tell them I've worked right through this in a supermarket and they should try and chill a bit

I'm avoiding the shops too. I have enough stress at the supermarkets and cannot bear the 'OMG, how dare you walk past me' twitchy ones and the (usually face masked) invade my space ones ...

Went out on Sun to garden centre - Seemed OK at first but then staff stocking shelves coming right up by you, people ignoring one way system, browsers blocking aisles. Bought some biscuits, came home and ordered the rest of my stuff online. No desire to go back