Supermarkets need to get real!

[Justa47]

When will supermarkets stop being a day out and only allow single parents in with kids and not families and couples?

Why doesn’t one parent wait in the car?

God help grown, able bodied adults who can't shop alone. Pathetic. How anyone can find that attractive I'll never know.

You’ve just called every able bodied adult with a mental disability or severe learning disability pathetic and ugly. Many disabilities are invisible. Suggest you open your mind as you come across as very ableist and smug.

Couples (groups of two adults) should not be barred from shops. How do you know that one is not a carer assisting the other?

Ffs why do people not do an online shop if they have so many problems with shopping alone as an adult.

We're clearly talking here about people who CAN shop alone as adults but don't WANT to.

I get online deliveries (disabled and housebound, even if the housebound wasn't a factor I'd still need deliveries as I'm 4 floors up and can't carry stuff safely)

At the start of lockdown when everyone and their mother was getting deliveries UNNECESSARILY it caused major problems for people like me who found it incredibly difficult to get slots. Its still difficult now

Couldn’t your DP have picked up the prescription?

Yes, or you could get it delivered I have mine delivered.

Who wanted ID?

All the excuses being given I very much doubt apply to the majority. For most it's just arsehole entitlement is the reason they're doing this stuff

Regarding staff being subject to abuse - your security staff should be ejecting these dicks with full support from management. I understand management are also being shit, I think you all should be making sure you're in unions and bugging the unions to get the management and security staff to do their jobs in protecting you.

My mum worked security in supermarket and she would never have allowed staff to be abused in this way and wouldn't have stood for management not being supportive of that. She worked in a rough part of a rough town and took no prisoners! Anyone who so much as swore at staff was barred. The result was her store massively reduced their loss to shoplifting and increased custom as decent people felt more comfortable and safe shopping there again, the store had lost custom in the years prior to her appointment due to it being seen as "dodgy"

The supermarket management absolutely have to step up here.

To those without cars I recommend a shopping trolley which is what I used to do when I could manage the carrying up at the home end. Vanity has no place here. If you have a partner/spouse who can help at home end you can shop with the trolley and then the 2 of you work together to sort it home end?

Seeing as there will be large numbers of "bouncers" unemployed at the moment due to pubs/clubs being closed, why don't supermarkets employ them to "man the doors" to enforce social distancing, single shoppers, etc. They'll be accustomed to abuse etc and dealing with awkward people.

I think that's a really good idea. Not just pubs and clubs that usually hire them but concert venues too, they'd be glad of the work I'd think

But one could wait outside? One shop then carry it back together?

This is an option too

Maybe fine in the summer but not when it's -1 outside

I KNEW someone would say something like this. Assuming they are generally fit and well it won't actually hurt them to wrap up warm and wait outside.
They could even not come with the other person at the start of the shop depending on how far co-ordinate so they're meeting the shopper as they finish?

Peoples common sense and planning abilities seem to have vanished! -1 isn't even that cold! We've had a pretty mild winter actually

Perhaps that's all the selfish people I read about a few months ago holding delivery and collection slots with random items in their baskets for days until they are ready to use them?

If they use them how is that selfish?!

I'm booking my deliveries up to 3 weeks in advance as otherwise there's a high risk of not getting a slot at all! I haven't anyone who can shop for me, the people who support me in normal times are CEV.

I put in the basket the stuff I know I get every week and then the day before update it with adding things I particularly want that week. This is a normal way of using online delivery anyway.

but some of the excuses on here are really quite feeble. lots of them are and it's worse in real life. I have a number of people in my circle work retail and they've been told some crackers!

The people getting impatient because you are cleaning tills and other touch points, instead of serving them, are also a pain. yes I've heard of customers ranting about this stuff too.

Yet another reason why management need to stop hiding in the back offices and step up to defend and support staff

Retail management pretty much throughout have behaved appallingly passive and irresponsible.

I have a lot of anger towards Sainsbury’s who've been supremely shit to elderly and disabled customers generally and me in particular and even when I spoke to head office their attitude was disgusting.

I'm currently with Tesco who've been the best out of who I have available to me but even they have had their moments.

And I'm not talking about not immediately being able to sort things in response to the pandemic but about certain issues that could and should be easily remedied and they just ignore.

We could really do with a more competitive market supermarket wise.

And another thing. It is a supermarket, so slap a mask on your schoolkids' faces. They've just left a classroom heaving with germs and they might not have to wear a mask there, but they bloody well should when they are anywhere else.

[quote lunalucie]@Feedingthebirds1 it's not about having the power to stop people entering. It's the aftermath we face when they complain, how do we know everyone's circumstances and who's telling the truth? It's down to the public to be responsible for their own actions and actually do the right thing. I won't be policing it and I hope our union step in and we are not put in that position. It's no joke working in retail at the moment and tempers are fraying already and it's only a matter of time before a staff member gets seriously assaulted and injured. [/quote]
That's pretty much the point I was making. It should be personal responsibility. But I wasn't suggesting shop floor staff should enforce it. I mentioned security. Big burly blokes that no-one with any sense argues with.

My experiences yesterday. Till operator in Waitrose dropped her dirty mask on the scanner. Till operator in Aldi wiped his nose with his hand. Basic hygiene rules being ignored. Far worse than any shoppers mask issues. Noticed that few staff on tills now wearing masks at all.

@PlanDeRaccordement, that comment wasn't directed at people who have disabilities. It was in response to a poster who said men can't be trusted to shop.

Club doormen wouldn't be suitable for supermarkets. I've seen how ex bouncers treat families and the elderly. We've had a few on our local Lidl and Tesco. I live in a rough area and at first it was thought that they'd be better suited. The Lidl one threatened to drag an elderly woman out of the shop because he felt that she was dithering. The Tesco one badly assaulted a teenage girl. They go for easy targets. There's a reason why a percentage of them get stabbed or shot and we don't need that bringing to the supermarkets. In terms of dealing with the younger men who won't wear masks, especially the gym going conspiracy theorists, they'd be quoted the law and argied with. Without getting the Police, there's little they can do. The Police don't have the Staff levels to deal with maintaining public order.

It's why they won't take a hard stance on mask wearing on the buses.

@Hawaii99, till staff don't have to wear masks because of the screens. I do agree that too many people haven't been taught hygiene practices, though.

@PlanDeRaccordement then the carer shops alone. Yes, in normal times, you want be trying to encourage independence and teaching skills such as checking BBD and choosing things for yourself but we are not in normal times, we are in a pandemic.

What I don't understand is that every single person on this thread is using a pc or device, yet so many seem to be unable or unwilling to shop using delivery or click and collect options.
Even if you can't get that from a supermarket, there are a lot of small suppliers locally who will deliver fruit and veg and meat.

It's also quite depressing in 2021 to read about so many women who can't drive and are very dependent on their 'men' to do so much.

There is rarely any good reason for two adults to be in a shop together unless - and it goes without saying- one is disabled and for whatever reason, they simply can't shop online.

Not long ago I saw two very old and infirm women in wheelchairs being pushed around my supermarket by younger women and I felt really worried about the risks they were taking.

My elderly mum has not been to a shop since March because her age makes her vulnerable. As a family we order all her food and have it delivered. She'd love to get out to to shop, but it's not safe.

We had a full lockdown here in Kuwait and kids 16 and under weren't allowed anywhere. Supermarket shopping was by appointment only and you could only shop in the governate (like a small county) that you live in. Police everywhere checking. You could still get clothes and take away food etc but online delivery only.

I've not read the entire thread but for those slagging off supermarket staff you can go and do one. We've worked throughout this pandemic, with that worry you could catch the virus off anyone of the thousands of customers. lockdown last march we had a member of staff on the door, a one per household rule. It was great standing there been swarm at as if you were being a bloody nuisance. I agree about the masks and social distancing but it is not going to be much fun for us informing these rules, so please don't slag off the staff and treat them with respect.

I think people here really underestimate

1. How many people have hidden disabilities, and
2. How many people just don't have the money to do large irregular £200 supermarket shops. Minimum orders are £25-£35 and many people live day-to-day with a low budget and simply can't order that way
3. How there's hardly any delivery slots these days
4. How many people don't drive - and it's hardly cheap and quick to learn
5. How many people need to be looking at packets on the shelves to insure their child doesn't have a serious allergic reaction to something

And I don't get this hero worshipping of supermarket staff "risking their lives" - tell that to my local ones who come so close they practically sit on me in aisles when shelf stacking or at self checkouts. And could do without the dirty looks from them as well when I have my children.

Not all couples share finances or even homes and some might be getting shopping for a parent - making assumptions means you could be wildly wrong - often I have our shopping and dp picks up stuff for his mum and buys the booze, now my dd is living with us (she's autistic) I encourage her to come with me and to buy ingredients for a meal that she plans and cooks for us as part of developing independence skills - she looks "normal" but can't shop alone as thanks to isolating and being essentially shut up for months due to the pandemic she's having panic attacks in public places more, we are building up (she's due to be vaccinated in group 6 so hopefully not too long)

These above scenarios, explanation, reasons and issues all highlighted above from countless posters is possibly why without strict personal behavioural moderation the pandemic will get forever worst to impact all of society. Your entitlement pushing of science rules behaviour of today will impact tomorrow’s Covid landscape and health outcomes. It’s no longer self entitlement and no civic duty of care to protect others especially those more vulnerable with less health and mobility privilege as you forever out and about unnecessarily as a part of the problem not solution. Think of those more vulnerable than you as Covid only discriminates on those with most likely and potential exposure.

The thing is so many people are entitled now they don't want to change what it is they want to do. The abuse some people give retailers is disgusting. I see it daily while families wandering round the shop complaining that the non essential aisles are shut off, complaining that they have the right to buy whatever they want. My favourite line is what is essential to me is essential and you shouldn't stop anyone buying what they want. ( like I made the bloody choice to close the aisles and not EHO) So many are Constantly kicking off at staff. I have been sworn at multiple times a day my colleagues have been abused had items thrown at them and spat at. Not a single one of the restrictions has been followed by the general public in high numbers. They kick off at us because they can't moan at the government who are making these decisions. Then we had the law abiding customers also kicking off because other people aren't following the rules and they want us to enforce them. Hardly anyone will follow the one way system, so many don't wear masks or if they do have them under their nose, they take them off at the checkout because they are stuffy or come right up to staff on the shop floor to ask a question and don't respect social distancing at all. I really don't get paid enough for this shit and if wasn't the fact the hours are perfect for my family I would be off, back to my cushty job in an office without the crazy public to make my life a nightmare. We have become a society where huge numbers are selfish and won't do the best they can for the collective good.

@movingonup20

Not all couples share finances or even homes and some might be getting shopping for a parent - making assumptions means you could be wildly wrong - often I have our shopping and dp picks up stuff for his mum and buys the booze, now my dd is living with us (she's autistic) I encourage her to come with me and to buy ingredients for a meal that she plans and cooks for us as part of developing independence skills - she looks "normal" but can't shop alone as thanks to isolating and being essentially shut up for months due to the pandemic she's having panic attacks in public places more, we are building up (she's due to be vaccinated in group 6 so hopefully not too long)

So here is a perfect example of how you could change this.

Why don't you do ONE shop for the whole family including parents and your DD, sit down, discuss what you need and one adult goes to the shop?

It's just thoughtless and selfish to make so many trips when it's under your control to go out less and even use technology to buy your food online. Your DD can help choose ingredients online.

If shop staff want all customers to wear masks, then they should wear them too. I always wear a mask, but I can kind of understand others not when they see shop staff walking around, picking stock, filling shelves etc without. If we really are moving to masks for everyone, then it really needs to be for everyone, staff and customers.

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows

I think people here really underestimate

1. How many people have hidden disabilities, and
2. How many people just don't have the money to do large irregular £200 supermarket shops. Minimum orders are £25-£35 and many people live day-to-day with a low budget and simply can't order that way
3. How there's hardly any delivery slots these days
4. How many people don't drive - and it's hardly cheap and quick to learn
5. How many people need to be looking at packets on the shelves to insure their child doesn't have a serious allergic reaction to something

But these are just excuses, and most of them could be sorted with some forethought.

Most people are paid monthly even if they are on benefits.

They can budget for a shop.

You don't need to spend £200 on a supermarket shop- where's that idea coming from?

There are delivery slots if you plan ahead and use all the supermarkets- you just need to be onto it, looking daily and booking ahead.

Every single ingredient in a packet of food is listed and this is shown online. I regularly read the labels online.

@Kazzyhoward

If shop staff want all customers to wear masks, then they should wear them too. I always wear a mask, but I can kind of understand others not when they see shop staff walking around, picking stock, filling shelves etc without. If we really are moving to masks for everyone, then it really needs to be for everyone, staff and customers.

Unless people are medically exempt. There is no way of knowing who those people are but they exist.

It must be difficult to be a member of retail staff medically exempt from wearing a mask as there aren't masses of roles that can be done away from customers.

Not everyone who looks like a couple is one. I take my lodger with me as he doesn't drive and we go round together but pick and pay for our own shopping. If he just needs a few bits I get a list but thats harder for the big shops.

It's not that we can't drive, we just choose not to have a car, living in London it doesn't Make sense to have one.

We do hire one occasionally, say last summer to visit family when that was allowed, normally we'd get the train.

If they have queues outside the small local place, one goes in but I've not seen a queue outside a large Sainsbury's for months now.

@CrimsonCattery

Not everyone who looks like a couple is one. I take my lodger with me as he doesn't drive and we go round together but pick and pay for our own shopping. If he just needs a few bits I get a list but thats harder for the big shops.

But you could go around separately with a trolley each and then nobody would be any the wiser, you wouldn't look like a couple? Meet back at the car.

the reckless indifferent bored unmasked self declared exempt Covidiots

God help grown, able bodied adults who can't shop alone. Pathetic. How anyone can find that attractive I'll never know

Good god. What have we become that people think it's ok to make disgusting comments like these.