Taking grocery slots you don't need

[CaterpillarInTheGarden]

Was on a Skype group chat with inlaws and DH's aunt was saying she has booked tesco delivery slots. She is in her early 50s, and her and her 18 year old daughter are not in a vulnerable group. They have no underlying health conditions. I asked if she was shopping for elderly neighbours or vulnerable people or parents with young children who can't get to the shops. She said no of course not . Giving a short laugh as if I was asking a ridiculous question. So I questioned why is she taking delivery slots when she can easily go to the shops because she is not elderly, vulnerable, does not have young children and has a car. I said it was shelfish as people who need them are struggling to get them. She just made a huffing sound, said I was being ridiculous and that she doesn't want to wait in the supermarket queues. Everyone else in chat went silent and didn't say anything. I feel guilty enough using delivery slots and am thinking I should stop using them when we don't have a car, have a young toddler and I would need to walk 35 minutes to the supermarket and have asthma and would need to make a few trips a week to get bulky items like nappies. If I had a car I would definitely not be using supermarket delivery. She also spent alot of time complaining she has had to cancel her holiday. Didn't ask how anyone else was and showed zero concern for how it might be effecting others in the country.

I don't book for this reason but I am guilty of having lots in the freezer in case we have to isolate so I guess you are damned either way.

I don’t blame her one bit. If she can get a slot why not.

I have a slot with Tesco every week as I can't stand supermarkets and I'm damn sure that I would not be able to stand them in this current climate. I am however adding bits and pieces for my elderly relatives if needed.

i have a click and collect booked for this weekend, and a delivery slot for 3 weeks time
im not old/vunerable or any reason why i couldnt go to a shop apart from i dont want to
I am also shopping for my 80 year old mother who once i have the shopping i need to drop to hers so any additional precautions i can take not to pick anything up and pass on is welcomed

In an ideal world we would all be using a delivery service. The more people who stay at home the safer everyone is so yabu. Anyone should have access to deliveries

The suggestion you should feel guilty using them in your circumstances is ridiculous. It’s maybe a bit selfish of your aunt but she’s not doing anything she isn’t entitled to do, I can’t judge people too harshly for it.

I think you don’t need to worry much about this. The moment this crisis hits hard a lot of people who are not vulnerable would have their slots cancelled to give priority to people that really need them. Supermarkets are already working on how to identify those customers who are vulnerable

In an ideal world we would all be using a delivery service. The more people who stay at home the safer everyone is so yabu. Anyone should have access to deliveries

I'm struggling to work out how more deliveries will mean less people going out. The higher demand is for home delivery, the higher number of staff required.

Well if there’s one thing this whole crisis has proved it’s how selfish a lot of people are. It’s pretty obvious why she shouldn’t be using a slot, I’m very surprised anyone would need that explained to them as it’s so simple. Of course in an ideal world we would all be having deliveries and avoiding the shops, but since there isn’t currently the capacity to deliver that service to every household, the most vulnerable members of society and those without transport/childcare etc are obviously in greater need.

I'm in shielding due to bone marrow and blood cancer and my husband is currently self-isolating in the back bedroom due to showing symptoms and I pay for a monthly delivery slot pass - we've run out of pet food and some other things like bread and milk and for days now I've been unable to find a delivery slot or even a c&c slot anywhere.
I have no family near me and none of my friends are nearby either and my neighbours on either side are also shielding due to incurable illness too.
Taking slots that aren't necessarily needed are making things really difficult. I'm not allowed out to the shops because if I catch Covid-19, I'll be in intensive care and my doctor has bluntly said, I probably wouldn't pull through thanks to my cancer.

The moment this crisis hits hard a lot of people who are not vulnerable would have their slots cancelled to give priority to people that really need them.

Vulnerable people can't get slots, not even those identified as 'extremely vulnerable'. Supermarkets may change this in the future, but realistically, they'll prioritise their existing customers. If they abandon their regular customers now, it will bite them when this is done and customers remember their loyalty wasn't repaid.

OP, I see where you're coming from. I'm pregnant, but I wouldn't take a local slot. Not when my dad has 3 underlying health conditions and my partner's dad is over 80, and neither can get slots. It's shocking how selfish some people are really. I mean, take the slots if you can get them and want them so badly, but have some awareness that there is a kinder way which could literally save a life.

I'm struggling to work out how more deliveries will mean less people going out. The higher demand is for home delivery, the higher number of staff required.
I don't know actually, I just thought the less people out the better

@Shmabel - it works the other way as well, my young daughter is vulnerable (NHS letter received) so we need a delivery. Can’t get a slot at Tesco who we’ve been loyal customers at for years - If they won’t help us out now I will not be using them in future.

I'm struggling to work out how more deliveries will mean less people going out.

I'm guessing it is similar to the car or bus analogy.

If we all drive cars there is more traffic on the road, we we get into buses there is still traffic but less of it.

Fewer people are needed to make deliveries than would be out if we all went individually shopping because one delivery person can deliver to multiple homes. So there is less risk of cross infection.

I'm struggling to work out how more deliveries will mean less people going out. The higher demand is for home delivery, the higher number of staff required

Surely if one delivery driver delivers to 30 households, then one person (the delivery driver) is out instead of 30 individuals

The problem with people booking slots in advance is then preventing people like me, who has very probably got CV getting a delivery and therefore having to go out when we shouldn’t.

I’m on Day 14 today, so whilst still poorly, technically can leave the house today. However, when I started to be ill, I only had the remains of a weekly shop. My DH had to go to a local farm shop and get veg - he still feels guilty about this now, but we had no one to help. I did get a click and collect slot, by chance late one night, so picked that up, my brain wasn’t working well, so I missed half of what I needed! - I shouldn’t have been out to collect it.

I still can’t get a slot, neither for me, or my G Aunt, who I don’t want to visit yet, she is not internet savvy and has only us to help. I can’t even register for her on any of the shops.

Selfish people do have an effect.

I went to the supermarket today, I wore gloves to protect others and had my scarf over my mouth. It was ridiculously hard not to cough, so I chewed gum. I shouldn’t still be shedding the virus, so it should be under guidelines, safe, but the fact I am still feeling ill doesn’t give me confidence in that.

We had no milk, no bread, no butter, no potatoes, or wasn’t an option not to go.

Surely if one delivery driver delivers to 30 households, then one person (the delivery driver) is out instead of 30 individuals

But it's not just one delivery driver that is involved.

The chain goes back several links.

A huge increase in demand will mean a similar increase in personnel.

Oh and I have always shopped on line, but that makes no difference now, Tesco and Sainsbury’s don’t give a sh1t about their loyal customers.

Fewer people are needed to make deliveries than would be out if we all went individually shopping because one delivery person can deliver to multiple homes.

Have a think about how the food gets from warehouse to store to delivery van. The driver is not the only person involved in the order reaching your house.

I have a delivery this week, technically I don’t need one but I am shopping for my parents, my grandparents in their 80s, my in laws in their 70s and my husbands gran who is 98. I don’t think I have time or ability to go to shops for all these people as I have to work (at home) and have children to school. None of these people seem to be able to do their own online shop due to very limited tech skill (😬) and inability to plan three weeks ahead it seems. so I am spending half my life collating shopping lists and changing the order due to stuff being out of stock. It’s a pain but I am happy to do it. However if the supermarkets just let vulnerable people order this will ruin all of this. Struggling as it is with the 80 item limit, have to stick to bare essentials

Everyone probably fell silent because you were making the chat awkward!! Did you really need to make her feel bad for booking a shop?!

I'm struggling to work out how more deliveries will mean less people going out. The higher demand is for home delivery, the higher number of staff required.

But one delivery driver delivers to multiple households, rather than multiple people visiting the supermarket.

It means she can help herself to avoid getting sick
I don't know why people are taking so much pride in leaving slots, going to the shops etc

We should all be staying in and it's weird if you don't think your own family is your priority
Of course my family is my priority!!

I have Been getting groceries for my family with my online slots

I’m fed up of people judging others for having their shopping delivered! Massive rise in people thinking they can openly judge others at the moment. Who needs a police state when we have people turning on each other?!

@LegoBloodyHurts exactly