Best supermarket you have been to in the pandemic

[HT96]

Thought I would give some praise to the supermarkets that are all working so hard to make sure we can all eat!

Best by far in my area has been Tesco! Still have queueing systems in place only allowing certain amounts in the shop, one way system and also the only supermarket iv seen constantly disinfecting the trolleys!

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 all round for tesco

Sainsbury’s

Aldi was so disorganised at first but now down. I prefer shopping there and the staff are lovely.

Tesco recently has been fine and Morrison’s too. Of course waitrose was fine but far less people queuing. (Yes I do go more than once a week supporting others through work)

M&S

The area I live in, we’re not spoilt for supermarkets. Locally I shop at a Coop that has been well stocked, queuing hasn’t been bad and security on the door.
For a big shop Lidl in the evening have been the best. Very quiet, well stocked and helpful staff.
I’ve had click and collects from Sainsbury’s. They’ve missed things and added some weird substitutes.
Tesco home delivery was great. The guy just dropped and ran 😂

I've only been to Sainsbury's as its closest but no issues with it. Queues handled well outside and only allowing a small amount in at once so its not too busy. My only complaint is certain aisles have feet indicating its one way but not others so I always end up going up the wrong way as the aisles before have no signs.

It is in a nice part of town and I suspect most of us going there are sticking to lockdown rules at home and so will apply the same rules while shopping. On my towns local facebook pages the complaints about supermarkets don't seem to matter which supermarket it is (we have two of most supermarkets and in the case of aldi, 3!). I have seen good and bad things said about aldi and the difference seems to be the area they are in usually means they are the ones in poorer areas have the most complaints numbers, lack of social distancing etc.

My local ( one village away) BUDGENS has been fantastic- quick short queues - helpful staff - plus a really fab selection of vegs and specialist stuff - 'free from' ranges etc - whole foods and just everything you need.

Better in every way from the chaos of the badly stocked own village Co-op.

Tesco and M&S are the best in my area. The worst is Morrisons; aggressive management, empty shelves most of the time and a ridiculous queueing system for the till.

Sainsburys round here. Tesco are awful; the one way system is a joke and says alot about how Tesco view their customers' ability to socially distance. Their staff are wandering around unprotected and blocking the aisles yet I have to negotiate with someone to go back for the butter I missed as I was hustled through aisle 3.

Sainsburys is much better; queue outside then move freely inside, being mindful of other customers.

Don't start me on Lidl, where it's a free-for-all with tiny aisles that aren't 2m wide anyway.

The smaller town Sainsbury's has been best - the queue is well managed and not in anyone else's way, the staff are really nice and cheerful and once you're in you can make your own way round. Tesco's with their daft one-way rules just make it more complicated.

Marks and Spencers has wide aisles and no one is ever there. It is a limited range, but what they have is great and I am in and out in 30 minutes.

I top it up with Lidl every other week for frozen food for vegan son.

We've got Sainsburys, Waitrose and M&S - they're all ok but none have one way systems. There's also a Coop not that far away but the one time I walked past there was a queue so I didn't go in.

Sainsburys is the worst stocked and at times there have been massive gaps on the shelves, but at other times you can get everything so it must just depend on when their deliveries arrive.

I went to Sainsbury's at the start of LD and it was a total shitshow. After finding out how they've treated their staff (and Argos staff) through all this they're on my list of companies I'm going to be avoiding in the future I thought they were treating their staff well, eg shielding staff receiving full pay for 12 weeks.

We also have a mini Spar at the local garage. It's usually empty and has milk (including skimmed), bread, eggs and loo roll. So it's really useful as it's less than 5 minutes walk away.

Aldi and Morrison's - both have been amazing and staff beyond helpful

My local Lidl.

Everyone is always very aware of social distancing and hand sanitisers right in front of you as you go in.

Worst Tesco

Yes you queue to get in and there is a one way system marked but once in people come up close and breathe all over you whilst reaching for something on the shelf.

The discounted section had about 10 people fighting over the food

The one way system isn’t adhered to and if you leave a space between you and the person in front of you when you are in the queue to pay then someone takes up the space.

From this thread it’s clear that it must be down to local management but also probably the time when you go. Since lockdown I’ve been to Morrison’s, Asda, Sainsbury’s and M & S (two different branches). I tend to go midweek late afternoon as everyone else seems to be going home for their tea then, but of course that means I’m not always able to get the fresh stuff I want.

Morrison’s - quiet, no direction signage except for checkouts but wide aisles so not an issue, staff supervising checkout queues & only alternate checkouts open.

Asda - direction signage which only I seemed to be taking any notice of. Quiet & wide aisles.

Sainsbury’s - no direction signage but quiet.

M & S out of town - this was the worst for me. Poky aisles and no direction signage so I was constantly having to back up to avoid people - and there seemed to be a lot of people allowed in relative to the amount of space. Shelf stackers out in force as well.

M & S in town - very quiet so despite having the same physical issues as the other branch, not a problem.

Maximum time of queuing to get in was under 10 minutes (but I’m very well served by supermarkets so if I drive past and there’s a long queue would just go to the next one).

Waitrose, as the staff have always been calm, friendly and welcoming. The manager has been walking outside down the queue (2 metres distance) asking if everyone is OK and thanking us for our patience.

Tesco staff are getting stroppy and are barking out orders like Frau Farbissina.

I like M&S as they have people wiping the trolley clean and taking the used one from you to clean it.

Waitrose > there must have been about 50 people in the queue so I just drove away.

Waitrose are brilliant. Queue is often long, but inside the store is always quiet as they do a brilliant job at enforcing the limits. Wider aisles , well stocked shelves. Lovely and polite security staff.

Asda are ol, except they allow far too many people in the store. This isnt reflected by the mahoosive queue outside.

Lidl are disgraceful, or at least their security staff are. It's the only place I've been in lockdown where the security staff have been anything less than nice. The guard was so rude and not at all polite or helpful in the least. Will not be returning! He made me go into the store to get a token for the trolley (youd think they had spares) and then made me return to the bqxl of the long queue I had just queued in , to get to the front. Was seething.

Lidl. The queue is never overly big -longest I waited was ten minutes which I don't mind.
Pleasant staff, well stocked with everything and very calm and orderly inside. I didn't use Lidl much before lockdown but I will definitely keep using it now.

My local butcher who I have always used for meat has also been great. Again, queue not too big, well stocked and him and his staff are as friendly as ever.

Although I haven't been in, I think Asda have been the worst near us, purely because of the enormous queues. People have reported waiting up to two hours to get in. Not the stores fault of course but I haven't ventured there because of the queues.

Sainsbury hands down round here. Good queuing system managed well by cheerful store colleagues, no one way system but far, far fewer people in the store than Tesco. And people just using their common sense to shop sensibly and work around each other as needed.

Our Tesco meantime is appalling. The people managing the queue are clearly redeployed from normal duties outside pubs and clubs and have no empathy or common sense. Far too many people let in, a one way system that is so confusing everyone is ignoring it. People who clearly don't understand that it's supposed to be 2n distance, not 2cm and constantly leaning past others or actually pushing them out of the way. Total carnage. No way are we going back there.

Ironically the Tesco is about twice the size of Sainsbury - but the Sainsbury is better stocked and a much less stressful experience.

I have been shopping At Sainsbury's in the nhs slot since lockdown as couldn't face Aldi where I'd normally go
I'm totally converted- it's so calm and quiet (appreciate this is due to being nhs slot though) and staff have twice given me free bunch of flowers and are so friendly . The quality of food is great as well and now I've got used to where everything is it's not costing me much more than my Aldi shop (maybe a tenner more) but I'm not popping out to the coop a couple of times a week which I did pre lockdown so actually it's probably cheaper.

Asda near me has been fine. Queues to get it, hand gel, one way system round the store, and perspex in front of the cashiers.

Its the only store I've been to though, so I can't compare.

Agree lonelycrab - respect to them all!

Aldi was like a spa day! Very short queue, lovely man disinfecting the trolleys and passing them over, nice and calm inside, lots of hand gel available. Some staff wearing masks but none of them behaving like crazed lunatics like I saw in Tesco.

My Sainsbury's and Aldi have been brilliant, with a special mention for Superdrug too.

My Tescos has a nightmare one way system which I can't get the hang of.

Part from one trip to Tesco’s right at either beginning I have only been using or small local Sainsbury’s, usually use the NHS slot once a week but even if I have had to go at a different time the queue is good natured and quick, staff are a amazing. Our little local Spar is good as well