Tell me about your supermarket visit today

[QuimJongUn]

I've been to Aldi (won't need to go back til Friday now, possibly longer).

Everyone had to queue to get in, at least 6ft apart. Security guard was letting one person in as one came out (only single shoppers allowed, no children/couples etc). I had to wait quite a long time as you'd expect, which was of course fine and actually reassuring. The mood in the queue was quite sombre and low key but everyone was friendly and understanding of the measures. A couple of arses tried to skip the queue and took offence when told to get to the back of it though. Guard was letting older/disabled people to the front of the queue.

Inside the shelves were well stocked - no dried pasta or toilet roll but everything else. Scored my first tinned tomatoes in weeks. Fruit and veg fully stocked. And wine! Thank goodness

There were only about 30 customers in what's quite a large store so it was actually all very relaxed. Everyone observing social distancing and no panic buying or anything silly. All in all v impressive.

What are the supermarkets like where you are?

Tescos was abnormally quiet at 3PM this afternoon with a kind of hushed atmosphere. Plenty of food but no flour, yeast or normal bread. Also only liver left in the meat session. Plenty of other choices though so we have enough for at least a week.

Went out early this morning for first time in nearly a week. Waitrose operating one in one out policy. 25 in store at one time medium store so plenty of space. Only 1 person per family. Trolleys were being sanitized as used but I used my own bag. Not that well stocked and couldn't get some of the things needed. Paid at self service checkout no queue.
Went into Lidl across the road, busier but ok and people were good a keeping apart but seemed no policy or floor markings to help just relied on people being sensible. Nothing being sanitized. Pretty well stocked and got the remaining required items. No self service checkouts so no choice but to pay via cashier. On a lighter note a lady asked if they had toilet rolls, they did but she said "on no I only want Cushelle, I'm fussy".
Neighbour went to Morrison's equally early and said it was fine and reasonably well stocked.

That's me done for a week I hope!

Much better than I anticipated after last night's announcement but we have been pretty lucky in our town with little evidence of panic buying.

A big thank you to all the supermarket staff.

Went to Aldi, nobody there! It was surreal after the scenes of the last few weeks! We have everything we need for 3 weeks worth of lockdown now (without stockpiling!)

Regarding children, Waitrose allowed mother to take in her child. Lidl no restrictions in our branch.

Went to waitrose. Very quiet. Security on door, one in, one out policy.

No loo roll, bread or pasta. I just got what i needed and was out in a couple of minutes.

Normally I go to Sainsburys but our neighbour who works there, put me off. So I went to Waitrose. They were letting 10 people in at a time...everyone keeping their distance.
It was quiet..I got loads of fruit and veg, veggie mince, eggs.....there was no pasta or tinned stuff.
I have enough for about 14 days. Could do with more kidney beans and chickpeas.
Distancing at the tills marked with tape

I went to both Tesco and LIdl because i am shopping for my Dad, an elderly friend and another friend that is recovering from cancer. Both were very quiet and neither had a queue. Both had limits on how many units of each item you could buy, shelves were better stocked than last week although they were not full, no pasta but plenty of toilet roll, nappies and fresh produce.
Glad i wont be going back for a few months.

Went to Tesco
Fully stocked with lots of veg and fruit as well as loo rolls.
Fairly quiet but there were still security at the front presumably to watch how many people eventually went it and manage if needed.

Aldi 9.30 this morning had no queue to get in, red tape on floor on the approach to tills showing you where to stand. I sighted toilet roll for the first time in ages, paper tissues too. Fresh meat was picked over and there was no frozen veg but other than that it was well stocked and felt like a normal shopping experience.

Checkout staff were wearing gloves, some of the staff on the shop floor had masks.

Lidl Glasgow

I’m just out of two weeks quarantine so needed to shop today. Having heard horrific stories during the past two weeks I wasn’t looking forward to it but was pleasantly surprised.

Fruit and veg. were plentiful as were meat and fish. Plenty of milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, nuts and cold meats. Cereals and biscuits less choice than normal but drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic) plentiful. Bakery items well stocked (they even had my favourite low gi cob). Best of all I got my usual detergent, conditioner, washing up liquid, bleach and bathroom cleaner.
The only things I couldn’t get were rice, oats, lentils and pasta.

A couple of customers had on masks, many of us were wearing gloves both disposable and regular and everyone was politely keeping their distance.

The mood was somber but overall a pleasant experience.

I went to a big Sainsbury’s yesterday evening and people was just everywhere not even following distance rules and the security never bothered and with lots of empty shelves and empty freezers. I had 10 items on my list but only got 3 out 10. Maybe next time I will go in the morning

Here in the west of Ireland our supermarket has been really on the ball for over a week now . Spray and paper towels for the trolley handle, and hand gel before you go in. Lines on the floor at checkout and plexiglass screens between checkout operator and customer.

We haven't really had any shortages either, no loo roll or eggs for a couple of days but mainly ok. We're lucky in that a lot of the produce is local, so not so reliant on big distribution systems.

I have to say I've been amazed at how slow shops in the UK seem to have been getting their act together.

Don't need to go shopping yet apart from some bread. Concerned about the children rule. DS is 13 but has asd and high levels of anxiety (was threatening suicide a few months ago), I can't leave him home alone.
Worried they're going to see that his not a small child and not let me in with him.

Still fairly busy in my local Tesco. Saw staff wiping down shelves and things, and the checkouts were arranged with lines for you to wait behind, and the chip and pin machines moved further from the staff. Would have been better if they'd opened alternate ones though, people were still queuing fairly close together.

Definitely less stock than usual, still a selection of value and premium brands but very little own brand options. No flour or pasta and only a few boxes of eggs left. They did have loo roll, didn't looks for soap.

Didn't see anyone wearing masks, although a couple of women has scarves pulled up. Checkout staff were using hand sanitizer between customers.

Got to say while I usually prefer loose fruit and veg, I didn't fancy it so much having watched several people pick stuff up and put it back. Made sure everything got washed down before being put away and put my shopping bags straight through the wash.

RadioRodeo

I have run out of tonic but I know it's not essential

You have my deepest sympathy. I was bought a fancy bottle of gin and a bottle of tonic water. I don’t drink gin. Sorry. 😳

Can I just mention that the OP was merely explaining what she personally saw on her visit to her local Lidl this morning. She did not say that she has discovered HM Gov have introduced a NO CHILDREN RULE at all supermarkets.

So I reckon unless you want to go to OP's Lidl, you'll be ok.

I’m in isolation. My friend went to the local coop for me and picked up my prescription. It was pretty well stocked. She bought two whole chickens, a tin of pringles and two packs of brioche for dd. She said there were eggs, ready made meals etc but we didn’t need any.

I went to big Sainsbury's in the afternoon. It was really quiet. No pasta but they had plenty of fresh bread. No paracetamol but they had toilet paper.

Oh they didn't have any baskets only trollies.

Pretty quiet in my local aldi this morning, I deliberately went early though. Shelves mostly well stocked, loads of fresh fruit veg and meat, no pasta rice and not many tins tho, they had toilet roll but no paracetamol. And not many eggs left. Only every other till was open to stick to social distancing rules and all the cashiers had gloves on

What were Aldi doing about children too young to be left alone?

One lady had to leave her two DC in the car (they looked to be about 5/6-ish). I would imagine babies/toddlers who fit into the trolley seats would be ok. On the one hand I can see the sense - the fewer people in the shop the better, no kids running around. OTOH, a complete pain for those whose children can't be left. But this is just my Aldi as far as I know. PPs haven't mentioned similar measures in other supermarkets.

A friend's just texted me to say that our local Tesco Express was full of families clearly popping in on their way back from their daily exercise (lots of bikes and scooters outside, kids in the aisles picking stuff up and being told to put it back etc). No social distancing or anything. I think I'll be avoiding that one!

This thread has reassured me. I have to go food shopping tomorrow and am dreading it.

Have absolutely no problem queuing as long as it is calm and I can get what I need!

@theneverendinglaundry honestly, it's so much better than it has been. Beginning of last week I was having to go to three or four shops to get even half of what I needed. Today I got pretty much everything in one go and it was calm and quiet.

Friends who have been on lockdown in Italy have said that as soon as the stricter measures were brought in there, everything was abundant in the shops once more. Seems to be the same here, thankfully.

Went to Asda about 11am. Quite a few cars in the carpark, but inside was not that busy. Meat aisle was pretty devoid of stuff, also no paracetamol products (no surprise there) and gluten free pasta and flour all sold out (I am coeliac). However plenty of everything else. I got what I needed mostly. Will not be back for a week.

@quimjongun yes perhaps it's because what everyone's been fretting and panicking about has finally happened.

I'll take a book for the queue!

Asda, 11am. A surprisingly calm, serene atmosphere. Not busy, plenty of stock, although no loo roll/pasta/cleaning products etc.
I felt a complete idiot, but wore blue rubber gloves and felt safer for it! Checkout staff were wearing clear gloves to keep themselves safe.
Almost everyone was really respectful and kept our distance. I was upset by a couple of men who were either deliberately or ignorantly walking far too close to people. I was shocked as I was leaving the store to see a member of staff coming in, cough into her hand and do nothing. I honestly think some people don't realise their habits and personal hygiene.
We have enough stuff now and won't be going for another week.