What is your local supermarket like?

[Pigeonpresent]

Until today, I haven’t needed to go in a supermarket during lockdown. I went to Asda and, though there was a controlled queue, once inside I felt like I’d stepped into another world. No direction arrows as others had mentioned, whole families shopping, people browsing- trying make-up, flicking through the magazines, no social distancing despite signage, a woman leaned over me as I crouched to a low shelf, people cramming into checkouts as normal, staff chatting to each other and customers etc. etc. Just literally no sign anything was different. Is it a one off? Did I go in knobhead hour? Or has anyone else seen the same?

When I was Asda, it was controlled but when I went inside it was heaving! Clearly not controlled properly and I felt so uncomfortable the whole time. Aldi so far so good. Only 10 people allowed in at a time and very spacious with markings on the floors and also arrows.

When I went to Asda*

Asda sounds a bit of a nightmare. What are they playing at?

I think other stores are better.

I have found the exact same! I've only been to a Tesco metro which opens at 6am near us, and the asda which doesn't open till 8am. I go as early as possible, and the crowds don't seem as bad.

The worst part is the staff restocking the shelves and huge trolleys in the middle of the aisle. There is no where to pass, multiple staff unpacking together and chatting away etc. I realise things need restocking, but considering that the opening hours are vastly reduced, surely they could start this an hour or more before opening, so they aren't blocking aisles and causing even more people to be in the shop at once?

Our local Asda is doing okay, arrows, customers being considerate. Shelf stacking can only be done as the stuff arrives in store. Tinned arrives during the night but fresh arrives during the day. Pickers for home shopping are starting at 2am with the aim that they are nearly finished as customers come in.

I'm not a massive fan of Asda but half my family is working there at the moment!

I found the same in Morrison’s.

Utter chaos

Waitrose and Aldi are excellent

Sainsburys is excellent. Super helpful and professional staff. Very compliant customers.

Lidl last week: no arrows, but only limited number of customers, most people shopping on their own (some single parents with children, but no couples) social distancing as the checkouts mean the queue extends down the aisle so difficult to maintain social distancing when you need to access the end of the aisle.
Some limited restocking, but not causing a problem.
Staff and shoppers all polite so pretty good really.

Our 2 nearest towns boht have a Tesco and both have the same social distancing rules in place - BUT one is so much more pleasant to go to than the other.

The bigger of the two is apx 10 mile away and it's where i chose to go. You usually have to queue up to get into x factor style in a section of the car park. 10/15 mins nothing too awful. Inside though it's big enough to have a store wide central 'horizontal' aisle (if that makes any sense at all) which is directionless so that you can back track if you need to without snaking the WHOLE way back up and down all the 'vertical' aisles. They have music playing and the atmos is nice over all. Staff chatty - shop floor members will share a smile. Till staff happy to natter away with you while you pack.

The other town is apx 6 miles away but it's tesco is smaller and it's horrible going in there. Never a queue, but once you're in you have to shuffle along at the pace of the slowest shopper in a continuous snake as there's no middle aisle and can't dither for fear of having everyone bank up behind you. It's dead silent and the staff seem so much more down and depressed than the other store.

massive ramble sorry!

I’ve only been to Sainsbury’s but very well organised. Queue outside with markings on the ground 2m apart, someone on the door to let people know when they can come in. Bottles of disinfectant spray and paper towels by the baskets and trolleys. One way only system in store with floor markings in tape at least 2m apart so everyone waits for the person in front of them to move to the next mark. Self service tills only every second one open, Perspex panels up for the tills with someone serving and they’re encouraging people to use the self scan service so that you just put everything in your bags on the way round.

All very handmaids tale but very impressed although there are still people that don’t get it. There can be a queue of 10+ people and someone will still go to walk straight in to the shop and people walking the wrong way down aisles etc

I am pretty certain I have got cv and the only place I’ve been to is the supermarket (Aldi) - my failing was not to wear a mask - I didn’t have one at the time, now ordered online. I don’t know if it would have helped but it was the only thing I didn’t do! Wore gloves, dettoled food packets down, wiped trolley handle etc. Would recommend wearing a mask and only going shopping if you really need to. This thing is not pleasant. I live in Greater London so no doubt things are much less risky if you are outside London altogether. Aldi was one in one out but clusters of people around the meat and fruit and veg sections def not observing the 2 m rule, no children though xx

Our asda was brilliant two weeks ago, I went last Friday and it was as you describe. I noticed a definite difference, it was like there was nothing happening. Tesco is apparently very strict re social distancing/ disinfecting trollies, I'll probably go there next time.

I've been to both Asda and Tesco.

Both were ostensibly good in terms of limiting number of people in shop, wiping down trolley handles, one way systems in store.

In reality, once in store, it was pretty much impossible to social distancing as there were too many people not sticking to it (most people were, but it only takes a few), people standing and making phone calls in the middle of aisles, shelf stackers blocking aisles, packing boxes stacked up ...

I ventured out to Sainsbury's (Home Counties) last week. Maybe I was unlucky but I found it terrifying. There were distancing markings and sanitizers/ paper left out but no one seemed to be bothering with either and were chatting across the aisles. I fled without buying anything and won't be going back. Luckily we only have 1 DC at home and other options locally (village shop, farm shops who offer click and collect)

Was last in the big Asda here on Thursday. Don't recognise any of what you experienced. Lots of directional arrows on the floor. They had squirrty cleaner and paper towels at the entrance to wipe the trolley. Security on the door managing the flow of people into the store. I did scan myself so didn't queue at the checkout but people were sticking to the spacing. No children at all, did see one or two people shopping in couples buy 95% of people were there on their own.

Stock levels were good too, got everything on my list. Including "non-essentials" like hair dye and Easter Eggs.

Our Tesco's is excellent. They have set up a queuing system outside using crates and barriers. A cleaning station inside the door. A one way system which is monitored by staff. Distance markers on all aisles. A queueing system for the tills. Staff all have headsets to communicate. Screens for the checkout staff. Loads of social distancing inside. Really impressive. However I have heard that the Lidl next door is a nightmare!!

Went to a Sainsbury’s (Surrey) and it was horrific. Yes there were markers on the floor but no one was paying any attention to them, couples and whole families shopping still, browsing around without a care in the world, picking things up, putting them back etc, not caring how close they got to each other, up and down and across aisles etc.

Total nightmare. I think it’s less about which shop you go to and more about the area you live - therefore the mindset of the people you are shopping with.

This particular Sainsbury’s is in quite a wealthy area and I honestly think people here don’t think the rules apply to them. The other week, same shop, guy at the till was giving the poor cashier grief because she wouldn’t allow him to buy over £150 worth of fresh meat all in one go and how ridiculous it all was how was he possibly supposed to feed his family for more than one day etc etc.

Our Tescos have taken all the measures. However, when you get in there, you've got couples stood discussing their shopping lists, people taking a lot longer to decide than I would do, one lady was stood in the middle of an aisle just looking at her list last time, another lady gone in for a social trip to talk to assistant about everything other than food was blocking the whole aisle as well - felt sorry for assistant as he was surrounded by her and queue.

I usually like shopping, but hate it right now. Not easy having to shop and pay cash at self serve for elderly person, alongside scanning your own shop. Screens aren't working as people have damaged them using liquids. I offered to shop for theee elderly, so glad only one accepted now.

Tesco seems to be great with all this and I've heard waitrose is too.

Our local Sainsburys has a very organised queue. I was impressed until I got in. Despite markings on the floor, not many people were paying attention to them and there was no policing of a one way system (not blaming the staff, the customers are more than capable, they just didn’t want to).

Our local Tesco is apparently much better and has a clear one way system that is enforced.

Sainsburys local would work really well as the tape is all out but again, customers are idiots...