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?

I'm not particularly well off and have managed online. M&M Direct, Tu, Amazon. I didn't spend noticeably more than I would have buying from a bricks and mortar store.

What is "essential" to one person isn't necessarily to another. If you take it to the nth term no one would be able to buy anything!

I buy loads of baby things, and clothes for myself, on eBay. You can get whole bundles of baby clothes. Ebay and Gumtree are good for furniture and larger items

Some people wouldn’t be able to shop online because they don’t have bank accounts. Or they might struggle to pay for delivery.

YANBU. We aren’t in Gilead.

@halcyondays

Some people wouldn’t be able to shop online because they don’t have bank accounts. Or they might struggle to pay for delivery.

There is absolutely no reason not to have bank account in 2020. Also you need it for benefits, etc, don't you? There are bank accounts anyone can get like Monzo.

I know what you mean OP. Last time I struggled to get DS clothes because all of our local shops (large supermarkets) had cordoned off the clothes section. H&M, George online etc had all sold out in sizes I needed. And he'd needed a haircut before they shut, poor kid looked like nobody owned him by June.

I asked in B&M if they would be doing the same again, blocking aisles off, of "non-essential goods" and was told absolutely not. This is the time when they make the most money said the lad on the till and they want to shift the toys, Christmas stuff etc.

DS wants a new bike for Christmas so I budgeted for it to buy a couple of weeks ago in case they go like hens teeth again and you can't get them.

Some people get benefits paid into a Post Office card account because they don’t have a bank account. They don’t have a card that can be used to buy online.

During lockdown I brought clothes from Sainsburys Tu, George and M&S as they had a sale. I also had a two neighbours and a friend bring me clothes their kids have grown out off. I then gave clothes to other people that my DD had grown out off.

In some local areas there are community groups that not only help people who can't get food and medicines as they can't go shopping, but people can use it to get and give baby/children's clothing to one another.

Re bank accounts, well given nowhere takes cash anyway, it makes no difference whether buying online or in person.

Asda c and c has no minimum order and delivery is £2.95 (no minimum order, I've checked) which given how far away your asda is, is probably cheaper than driving there and back.

Facebook marketplace and selling sites are full of people selling baby clothes bundles and even if IKEA is shut, you could get a good value cot from somewhere like Argos with free delivery.

So I think you are unreasonable. The only group that are really disadvantaged by non essential places being shut are the elderly who are less likely to have bank accounts/cards/internet access.

But that's an age issue, not socioeconomic. Even those that are unemployed generally have internet access so they can look for work, and most services geared towards adults presume internet access these days.

George delivery took weeks last lockdown

The reason non essentials are being cordoned off this time in Wales is that (perhaps not unreasonably) it was felt to be unfair to other (and often smaller) stores that they had to close, when the same sort of produce was available in supermarkets.

@Thespottytortoise so no one can get things anywhere, and turn to online shopping which means less money staying within communities. Ridiculous!

Click and collect OP. I never physically shop for clothes. Online only.

I understand where the op is coming from. I like to online shop but do not want to pay high postage charges. In fact I rarely buy things when there is a postage charge. Ikea is very close to where I live so I refuse to be charged for delivery and not so long ago there were long waiting times for online delivery. Asda were limiting their click and collect and was only free when spending min of £30. Didn't need alot just body suits and sleepsuits so didn't justify the spend. Amazon I don't use for clothing - either too expensive or bad quality. Next are not the cheapest, £17 for 3 sleepsuits. I don't mind second hand clothes but I find ebay postage high and sometimes the clothes are best in the bin.
I also think sometimes I would like some new clothes for my LO as I like nice, fresh clothes every so often.