Message from Sainsburys

[Changedmyname84]

Did anyone else get this? You will have seen that, due to the ongoing uncertainty around the full impact of Coronavirus, supermarkets have been much busier than usual and customers are choosing to stock up. I wanted to personally reassure you that we have more food and other essential items coming to us from manufacturers and into our warehouses and distribution centres. If we all shop just for the food that we and our families need, there will be enough for everyone. I also wanted to let you know that at Sainsbury's, we are working really hard to ensure this remains the case. Over the past two weeks we have:

Ordered more stock of essential items from our suppliers

Put more capacity into our warehouses and

Set limits on a small number of items, including some cleaning products, soap and pain relief. This is a precautionary measure - if everyone shops normally, there will be enough for everyone.
There are gaps on shelves because of increased demand, but we have new stock arriving regularly and we're doing our best to keep shelves stocked. Our store colleagues are working tirelessly and doing the best job they can.
Which brings me onto a request. Please think before you buy and only buy what you and your family need. If we all do this then we can make sure we have enough for everyone. And please help elderly and vulnerable friends, family and neighbours with their shopping if you can.
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and to thank our colleagues who are all working incredibly hard to ensure we can continue to serve our customers well.
Best wishes

Mike

Yes I got the email.

I've been gently stocking up for months because of Brexit. I tend to do a lot of my shopping on foot daily with just one big monthly shop for mainly non perishable cleaing stuff etc. for which DP uses the car.

It's been a tin of fruit here, a pack of pasta there, couple of jars of sauce, bottle of squash, extra couple of cans of chickpeas etc. etc. Basically slipping a little bit in the basket to carry back.

But despite that still having to fight the urge to panic buy. Seeing the empty shelves makes me feel worried even though logic tells me we should have enough.

I feel very sorry for people with no access to their own transport. Please do spare a thought for those who can only take what they can carry especially with it apparently being so hard to get a delivery slot at the moment and I cant see it getting easier anytime soon.

Presumably with the news about over 70s potentially having to self isolate for four months the next couple of days will see them desperately trying to get in every ounce of food they can manage

My local supermarket yesterday had no loo roll, cleaning wipes, hand sanitizer, pasta, eggs or any bread item. There were more “fancy” bottles of squirty soap so I picked up one as I needed one anyway. There was plenty of baby wipes (potential loo roll substitute possibly) all cleaning sprays and bleech was in stock, not many baked beans but plenty of tins of veg, tomatoes etc. Meat section was full. Milk stock was fine except the cartons of UHT and milk substitutes. Cheese, yoghurt, booze, frozen food, ready meals, salad, fresh veg galore.

I am not stockpiling, but I admit to picking up a couple of baby wipe packs, I bought to packs of mince meat extra to freeze and two more bags of frozen veg. Easy to whip up some easy meals with that. My neighbour has just given birth bless her heart and is so worried about shortages but she has had a c section so can’t really go shopping atm.

I normally do a relatively large shop once a week as we are a family of 8 - I have seen people who have 3 or 4 people in their family buying 5 or 6 huge packets of toilet rolls - this would surely last them the best part of a year! I don’t get it!

I think it is prudent as this point to have a couple of weeks of food in BUT unless you are feeding 50 people the level of buying of some things is ridiculous!

I had to do my weekly order from Iceland this week as it was the only place that had any delivery slots for the next 8 days - I had an email this morning telling me the following things were out of stock ;

Bread,
Frozen chips,
Noodles
Sausage rolls

Who stockpiles frozen chips

The answer to but extra for elderly/ vulnerable is to buy your limit, put it in your car (if you have one) and re - enter the supermarket and go to a different till. Depends how heavily guarded they are. And sadly people are doing this anyway who are not shopping for others.

I’m not allowed to drive though so mass shopping is no option for me.

Banana - me too no car here and I’m super stressed the little shops near us will close . I rely on online delivery and it’s a little awkward that the slots are totally full up. I have booked next weeks already now.

@DitheringDoris would the zoflora work for my hands at work? I can't wash mine for hours sometimes. And I need to eat. I have a bit of hand gel left but not much.

@bananaskinsnomnom please do not put baby wipes down the toilet as they will block the sewers.

You will have to put them in a little bag e.g. nappy sack. You are better of going on YouTube and learning how to clean you bum with water.

I think the point that @Muminabun and I were trying to make is that there are people who do have easy access to soap and water who are buying hand gel. It should be for those who really need it. Then there would be enough to go around.
Most of the time we don't know why people are buying things though and it's easy to make assumptions and be condescending to people if we assume we know best without the full picture. I can't get any for my son but who's to say that his need is greater than someone else who has bought it?

@Chesneyhawkes1 I wouldn’t like to use it on hands even if it was diluted, I’ve just had a look at the back of the box. Lots of warnings, it can cause eye irritation, it’s flammable and advises to wear protective gloves, I wouldn’t like to use this on my hands before eating, it’s likely to be toxic.
In my car I keep a couple of big bottles of tap water, soap and a bowl for washing my hands after picking up poo on dog walks, would you be able to keep a bottle of water and some soap somewhere if unable to wash your hands or have sanitizer?

@DitheringDoris as a push I could. I'm a train driver so I have to carry what I need for the day. And washing my hands every 4 hours in a train toilet isn't cutting it for me 😂 I think work may have to provide us with some. I'll ask when I go in later.

In our mess rooms we have proper hand washing facilities etc. But I sometimes gets hungry when I'm going along.

I have latex gloves to dish the dogs raw food up. Maybe take some to work too! Thanks 😊

My Sainsbury's shop is coming later today, and so much of my order is unavailable, even fresh things now, no salad, no garlic, no bread rolls, no lasagne sheets or sauces, no bread, no washing up liquid, no cat food. I expected no paracetamol or tissues, and didn't even bother attempting to buy toilet roll.

Why aren't the till operators or supervisors, if they are using self checkout, limiting what they can put through?

Because they don't want a kicking, perhaps?

Sadly, I think you are right MItzik

@Chesneyhawkes1 in your position I’d avoid the public hand basins and wear gloves!
Your work should be providing you with sanitizer. You could use Zoflora to disinfect everything you have to touch in your cab before your shift (I have no idea what a train drivers compartment is called😂) that might help?

I only shop online, I got this from Tesco - seems to be sensible.

We understand what a worrying time this is, so we want to make sure that essentials are available to as many customers as possible, and that we can keep delivering to you safely. We’re also working with Public Health England to get their latest advice, so we can prepare for any further developments.

Grocery buying limits
To help everyone have access to the essentials, we may put some common-sense buying limits on certain products - you’ll be able to see buying limits on the individual product pages. We’ll do our best to keep shelves stocked up but at times, we may have low or no availability of some items. Of course, where possible, we’ll pick a suitable substitute for you which you can choose to keep or ask your driver to take back.

Booking a delivery slot
As there may be more customers than normal booking deliveries, you may find that there aren’t as many slots available, so it’s a good idea to try and book further ahead. Don’t forget, you can make amends to your order up until 11.45pm on the day before your delivery.

If you’re a Delivery Saver customer on a paid plan, we’ll still be opening priority Easter slots on Monday 16 March. But demand for slots will be exceptionally high, so please book your slots as early as you can.

Deliveries and advice if you are self-isolating
We want to deliver to you as safely as possible, so please let us know if you’re in self-isolation by telling us in the delivery instructions box when you order online. To be on the safe side, our drivers will be asking everyone they deliver to if they’re self-isolating, so please don’t be offended if you’re asked.

Following the Government’s advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19, if you’re self-isolating, your driver won’t be able to come into your home. But to help make things easier, although we have a bagless policy, we’ll provide clean shopping bags which your driver will use to pack your shopping for you at your door. Lastly, to avoid having to touch our signature touchpad devices, your driver will ask if you’re happy with everything and then sign the order for you.

We hope that this information has been helpful and we’ll do our best to keep your online shopping experience as smooth as possible.

Zoe Evans
UK Customer Engagement Centre

Re: condensed milk, my grandmother used to use it in her tea, I would get a teaspoon of it as a treat.

I keep a couple of tins as a rule as I use it to make flapjacks but think I might prefer to drink black tea than add it to that.

I got it to. I expect anyone with a nectar card will.

I've bought a handful of extra bits but all are available to any friends and neighbours should they need them. As long as my kids and animals are fed I'm less bothered about me.

@DitheringDoris yes I'll do that! Usually I carry hand gel and wipes but obviously can't get them now. Totally forgotten I had zoflora til I read this 😊

Tesco’s Home Delivery are doing well too. They have put quantity limits on high demand items like loo roll and paracetamol both of which they were delivered yesterday. . The only thing I haven’t had delivered is tomato purée. They have so far substituted passata (first delivery) and tinned tomatoes (second delivery), both very nice in their own way but not substitutes for tomato purée!

@LittleLittleLittle don’t worry I’m fully aware that baby wipes will block the sewers- im not that daft I promise! I would dispose of them via the bin. Hopefully I will never have to use them anyway they are simply my emergency back up (and very useful anyway!)

I’ve just been to Aldi for my normal fresh food shop mainly fruit, salad and vegetables also bought some bacon and some sweets
Was quite surprised that paracaetamol was in stock so bought 2 packs as getting low
Family of 4 in front of me were bulk buying pasta and cashier told them only 4 packs each, so parents and both kids bought 4 packs each so 16 in total then kicked off because they were not allowed any more
I was

Went to Sainsbury's this morning and plenty of everything except sanitizer. Took one of everything that I needed and there was plenty left.
I also bought fresh pasta with dates into April on so I can keep the dried stuff for if or when I have to isolate.

It really is fucking dire. Went to Aldi, they've got a 4 packs per person limit on everything now. Did manage to get a couple of packs of paracetamol, though.

So many gaps on the shelves, yet really we don't need to panic just yet.

I bought a little extra meat and veg for the freezer, one packet of loo rolls, got the DC's stuff for lunch boxes, and also some long life milk plus bread flour. The milk and bread flour is for absolute emergencies, and we'll be shopping as needed unless and until there's a lockdown.

Dear god - we were off shopping for MIL (including loo roll!).

One Waitrose had a queue half way along the high st (and it’s a small one), the larger one had maybe 2 dozen people outside but the shelves hadn’t really been stocked. Fresh food ok but still out of loo rolls/tissue/Kitchen rolls cleaning items - only 2 bottles of washing liquid on the shelf, maybe a handful of packs of pasta, no canned/jars of tomatoes or passata, about half the eggs, maybe a dozen bags of flour, etc.

So we had to go to M&S - again not stocked from maybe last week on some things (organic beef and chicken) and no loo rolls. Some tissues (at the end of the aisle so people just kept walking by). COOP and 2 Tesco’s later - still no loo roll!

There was some cat litter in Waitrose...