To think 'essential shopping' depends on your socioeconomic status?

[HamsterJane]

I've just read another lockdown doomsday piece on a national newspaper website about how clothing isn't deemed essential, and I have the lockdown rage again because that really depends on your situation, doesn't it?! I was left having to make do with extremely loose, self esteem denting baggy maternity clothes after starting to diet in Jan to lose baby weight, and that was not great but not essential.. fine... But my baby went through a massive growth spurt in late April/May and we couldn't easily get to anything other than corner shops without queuing for ages to buy bigger baby basics (any style/colour in the bigger supermarkets with clothing, sleep suits and t shirts that sort of thing).I ended up just cutting the feet off some smaller ones to get by for a month until we could queue in a big city day trip out. Getting baby clothes is an essential when you have a growing baby and yet all my richer friends simply ordered stuff on Amazon prime or from premium places with decent returns and delivery like Clark's or Gap. I couldn't afford that.

Now we need a bigger safe baby crib soon and lockdown is looming again, and we had hoped to get one from IKEA as I trust their safety standards rather than buy online, plus it's a budget option. My friend just suggested we buy online from a super ££ specialist shop that I simply cannot afford, if we can't get to the city IKEA next month, but safety is still something I care about (obviously) so unwilling to eBay it etc.

AIBU to suggest closing "non essential shops" really just impacts people very differently depending on how much cash you can splash on internet buys?

You are so not unreasonable! The disparities in impacts from the regulations are desperately unfair.

Getting baby clothes is essential as you say but George at Asda, Tu at Sainsburys for example still did click & collect / postage during lockdown so you wouldn't of needed to spend a fortune on premium or gap clothes or cut existing clothes up.

While I dont agree that non essential shops should close, asda and sainsburys clothing can be bought online - online shopping is not the preserve of wealthy people. IKEA also have an online shop (you pay for shipping but once you add on parking charges and the inevitable meatballs it works out about the same) and also baby items are readily available second hand.

But I digress, it is ridiculous and unfair to close non essential shops, and yes clothing definitely is essential.

Yes, I suppose but all those shops you just mentioned do online shopping as well. You can get plenty of clothes online from Asda or Tesco. Next have multi packs of basic children’s clothes for quite cheap. IKEA also do online. You will have to pay shipping but it’s probably no more for clothes than it is for petrol and a few hours parking.

But you are right that not everyone can shop online easily. Some people don’t have bank cards or a reliable address they can have things shipped to and some people aren’t comfortable using the internet. Or don’t have internet access at home.

Expensive shops and Amazon Prime are not the only ones that sell online.

You can buy Ikea cots online
www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/sniglar-cot-beech-30248537
and dirt cheap baby clothes off Amazon

I don't necessarily agree with the government's list of essential shops but you seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill.

Cutting of feet sounds bit ott. As pps said, supermarkets were doing free click and collect and they have some lovely and cheap clothes for any ages.

May I just query @KitKatastrophe about the parking charges? Are you paying in your local ikea😱 Admittedly I haven't been for couple of years, but it used to be free😱

I’m not with you either op, there are many budget essentials you can buy on line and always have been

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Cutting of feet sounds bit ott. As pps said, supermarkets were doing free click and collect and they have some lovely and cheap clothes for any ages.

May I just query @KitKatastrophe about the parking charges? Are you paying in your local ikea😱 Admittedly I haven't been for couple of years, but it used to be free😱

Ours is in a city centre (Southampton) so it's a paid multi storey car park. Otherwise everyone would just park there for all the other shops rather than pay in adjacent car parks.

I imagine ones which are out of town still have free parking.

YANBU but ebay and Facebook marketplace are your friends here. Not totally sure what was wrong with supermarket clothes?

You can get plenty of clothes online from Asda or Tesco.
Can't buy Tesco clothing online? At least where I am. They shut down their f and f website a while back.

People will have different ideas of essential, but given everything you listed can be bought online from retailers at a range of price points then YAB a bit U.
It sounds like you would prefer to shop in person, which is fine as you're not alone there, but right now people's shopping preferences aren't a priority.

Thanks @KitKatastrophe! I wondered.

We got baby stuff from Facebook marketplace during lockdown. Just pick it up on the daily walk.

Clothes are available in all large supermarkets here, including baby cloths at a reasonable price, though you could get them cheaper in other high street shops.
I hope you get to buy your crib.
I do not like buying things online either. Without seeing it first it is a risk. I have resigned myself to it during this time and got quite a few things, including uniform items. But I got a few items that were different from the pics or too large at the moment.

I do think this affects people somewhat differently. As someone said, if you have no address or card, online shopping is impossible. And also people who have less money may have to make smaller purchases more often, or buy more disposable type products rather than more expensive ones that last.

A related issue is that the longer things close, the more things become essential. Some things you can put off for a while, but eventually you need to do something about them.

Sorry I should have said, are rural so nearest big Asda is an hour away with clothing - that's what I struggled to get to in person with the queuing after work / get to childcare pick up it was impossible to juggle. They had a £30 click and collect fee I think? Or a minimum order of 30? I definitely checked Asda George during the growth spurt lockdown.

OP I understand the point you are making - I was on a thread elsewhere earlier about buying clothes on-line, opinion was mixed but to me the biggest issue of trying to find something that fits is how much the postage mounts up if you are having to try multiple different things.

H & M is quite good - if you join their members club you get free delivery as well.

I don't think I ever paid for George click and collect. The groceries have £25 minimum order, but I am always under 20 on George.

I get the amazon point. Stuff was sold out. Everyone in UK must be fit as fuck now because all budget exercise equipment including budget yoga mats sold out!

YABU because having a car isan expensive luxury and postage for internet shopping is generally cheaper than the bus fare to get to the shop, and definitely cheaper than a taxi to carry home large items like a cot.

Yes I heard something on the news earlier, didn't get the full story, about supermarkets having to close off their non essential sections...seems ridiculous to me. What if you need to pick up some socks for your dc, or pants, or a pair of pe shoes? That's essential, and probably more essential than certain foods and drinks

Parking is free at Southampton IKEA if you spend £20 in store btw @KitKatastrophe

Yes @KitKatastrophe I think you get free parking voucher if you purchase a certain amount in store?

Charity shops?