To get my shopping delivered when not vulnerable

[CBAtoWalk]

So I started using online shopping a few years ago. Me and DH don’t drive, and although there is a medium sized Tesco a few minutes walk away, I found I was spending too much going every few days, so started doing a big shop online every 10 days. Saved loads of money, started meal planning. Really happy with the service from Tesco.

When lockdown started back in March/April I stopped online shopping as slots were few and far between, and I also received an email saying to leave slots for elderly/vulnerable/shielding.

I was perfectly able to get to the shops. The queues were sometimes 40-50 minutes or more, but I was furloughed and no kids so had all the time in the world to wait.

After a few months my Tesco managed to massively increase slots available. I came off furlough and started using online again, and now can get a slot easily, even next day. unlike with Waitrose that have 1 click and collect every 3 months.

However, I’ve seen on several recent threads here that it’s wrong to book groceries deliveries if you can get to the shops yourself. Who is BU?

YABU you are healthy and mobile, get your lazy arse to the shops woman! Others need the slots.

YANBU there are plenty of slots in your area, why not use them for your own convenience.

adjusts hard hat

Sorry to drag up my thread again but I was really curious about the deleted post from leafy72.

I did read them all at the time and saw nothing that would warrant a deletion???

Does anyone know what the comment was about? I confess to being very eager to know what deleted posts are about in general , especially when it was one of my threads!

We’re both disabled have online shopped through both lockdowns.

No YANBU.

I've done my supermarket shop online for about 8 years, I absolutely hate doing the supermarket shop in person - too hot, to busy, and working full time, A delivery is much more convenient, although I did click and collect a fair bit when delivery was harder to book.

Definitely not planning on starting going to do it now, especially when there are an abundance of slots available. Ocado now let me book up to 3 slots for the coming month in advance so there must be plenty of slots now available.

I'm pre-planning, if we have to isolate for 10 days, we don't have any nearby family support who could do a shop for us, it means I never need to worry about what happens if we all need to isolate. Me giving up my early Sunday morning delivery slot in 2 weeks time is not going to magically make a space for someone who's vulnerable who needs shopping tomorrow.

@LaLoba

Those of us considered CEV get priority slots which you can’t book unless you’re on “the list”. You aren’t taking a slot from anyone who is shielding. Surely the fewer people out in the shops the better? Can’t see an issue.

Yep this. I get a priority slot. Go for it OP, book your delivery xx

There was a shortage of slots and you stopped - the right thing to do well done.

Ther is a surplus of slots now so you're starting again- the right thing to do too.

The increased capacity should to be used or it will be reduced again.

Your big 10day shop will be helping to subsidise the route for the vulnerable.

I have deliveries from time to time, usually of things such as washing powder and cleaning materials, as I don't have a car.

The only thing I do which I would suggest for you is not to book daytime slots, as people with limited mobility or shielding may be wary of anyone calling in time of darkness.

I couldn't get a Sainsbury's delivery last year. At all. Had them occasionally before. From March to November couldn't get one. Phoned twice. Really fed up. Finally managed to get one late December. Not impressed.

I have shopped online for years. I really am not going to feel bad about having used deliveries throughout the pandemic.

Have a slot. Definitely not unreasonable at all. The delivery guys won't give a toss OP!

If there are slots available then what's the issue? Most supermarkets keep slots for the vulnerable anyway. I would argue it's more responsible getting shopping delivered as it massively decreases the number of people you're in contact with. If more people online shopped this thing may be over sooner.

We all should be avoiding going to the supermarket so if slots are available then use them. We have done click and collect since May (due to get mine in an hour) but if I needed a delivery I would book one.

I can't get an online delivery from Tesco, even two weeks in advance!
I can only get Click & Collect over a week in advance.
Prior to lockdown, I mainly shopped online.

I've started to use Amazon Fresh more as I don't always want to drive to get my shopping.

I can't imagine the delivery drivers will be judging anyone, they just deliver and have a job to do.
If there are slots available and you want to use them, just use them and stop over thinking it.

If you don't drive and it's easier to have a big shop delivered so you don't have to carry it, that's a good enough reason but why do you even need a reason? You just get it delivered becuase that's what you want, that's enough reason.

I go to fetch mine because at the moment I have a car, and in lockdown there's no-where else to go, it's an outing for me!!! If and when I can't be bothered I shall just have shopping delivered, I can't even imagine worrying about it or wondering what the delivery driver might think of me...!

YANBU I've had online deliveries right through even when scarce and have done for a long time, well before the pandemic. We're not vulnerable. We have a delivery pass and always have them booked 3 weeks in advance. I'll be blowed if I'm spending precious free time trotting round a supermarket every week if I don't have to and at the moment the less people out mingling the better.

Both sets of elderly parents live close by so we added their shopping to ours during lockdown 1 when they were shielding (and still do to an extent) and dropped it off at their doors so our delivery was actually utilised by 3 households. We also added bits for friends who couldn't get deliveries or get to the shops for whatever reason. No guilt at all here.

I've been doing online shopping since Tesco launched it about 20 years ago. For the last year slots have been unavailable from Tesco (I'm aware this isn't the case nationwide but it is for our area), so now I use Waitrose and I think I'll stick with them. I also get the occasional Morrisons delivery when I can. I've even managed to get a few Ocado slots!

There was a period in first lockdown when they weren't any slots available from any supermarkets locally so for about a month I did a weekly supermarket run. Since then things have settled down and extra delivery staff have been hired so if I plan ahead and am flexible about times I normally manage to get a delivery every week or ten days. That's enough for me. I don't feel bad about it. Vulnerable people are given priority access to the available delivery times so the slots I get are ones vulnerable people didn't want or need. It's keeping pickers and delivery drivers in safe, socially distanced work and by staying at home I can't contract or spread CoVid so I'm doing my bit to reduce the R rate.

If you can get a slot then I don't see the issue.

I've had deliveries for years. I do a Tesco shop once every 2/3 weeks and now do fill ins with Amazon Fresh mainly for fresh fruit and veg as we do not have any Greengrocers near.

YANBU. Better to keep as many people as possible out of the shops so that those that do need or want to go into them, are in the smallest numbers possible.

I've had grocery shopping delivered every week since the children were babies, about 18 years ago. I have an "Ocado Reserved" slot and I think it only failed once back in March or April. I'm afraid I didn't see any reason to stop. I never received e-mails suggesting I should. I wasn't directly aware of any vulnerable people struggling to get groceries. There was a very active neighbourhood scheme here helping those who were isolating/shielding etc and I contributed.

You are providing employment for the extra pickers and drivers at the supermarket, and reducing infection risk by not mixing with all the customers in the store yourself, so you are being very socially responsible, OP.

I think since last year and most companies having increased delivery slots, improved their click and collect, Morrisons boxes and their collab with Amazon, online grocery shopping will be the new normal tbh. Now they've got capacity and people are used to it I can see much reason for them to dial it back down again.

I don't go to physical shops at the moment unless no choice but I look forward to popping in for those random bits and bobs (Lidl in particular!) in future. But I'd still much rather do my boring weekly stock up shop online, it works for us.

YADNBU - if you can get a slot for delivery then it's better to avoid supermarkets if possible. I do both and those on the vulnerable list get priority access to slots.

I really don't see a problem. We use click and collect because it saves us money as we stick to a budget. We are also less likely to pick up stuff we don't need. During the initial lockdown I got deliveries simply because I don't drive and dh was working from home and not going out do we didn't want to introduce any additional risk to our home. We didn't have any issues with delivery slots in our rea though.