Top supermarket lockdown tricks – from getting delivery slots to the best time to visit
SUPERMARKET shopping has become more challenging throughout the coronavirus pandemic, with rules on face masks and limits on the number of customers allowed in stores.
Since the first lockdown in March 2020, retailers have introduced a host of new measures to help deal with the pressure from panic buyers and stockpilers.
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They've increased the number of delivery slots to help cope with the demand for online shopping and tightened regulations on face masks in stores.
From the best times to go to the supermarket to how to get a delivery slot, we take you through all of the tricks you can do to make your grocery shop less stressful.
1. Boost your chances of getting a delivery slot
Between the busy Christmas period and since the start of England's third national lockdown, some supermarkets have seen delivery slots being completely booked up weeks in advance.
Official advice is those who are able to should go to a supermarket to do their food shop freeing up online delivery service for more vulnerable customers.
You can boost your chances of getting a delivery slot by reserving one when new slots are released.
For example, Tesco told us that some stores add new slots to its website at midnight.
But Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Asda says that there is no specific time that new slots are added so you'll need to keep regularly checking online.
Lidl doesn't offer home delivery on its food items, and Ocado releases delivery slots for non-priority customers at 6pm every day.
Some stores are recommending that customers try their click and collect service too if at all possible.
2. Order supermarket food via Amazon, Deliveroo or Uber Eats
If you're really struggling to get a slot with your local supermarket then you can try and order your groceries through Amazon, Deliveroo or Uber Eats.
For example, Amazon Fresh is a tie-up with retailers including Boots and Morrisons, which means you can buy their own-brand goods.
Both Amazon Fresh and Amazon Pantry are add-on services for Prime members.
Prime costs £7.99 a month or £79 a year, although you can sign up for a .
Once you've got Prime, you can order household essentials from Amazon Pantry for £2.99 for a box, and 99p per box for others placed in the same order.
Amazon Fresh, meanwhile, costs £3.99 a month or £2.99 per order, as long as you order at least £40.
Deliveroo is another alternative for shoppers who can't get a supermarket delivery slot.
Here's how to cut the cost of your grocery shop
SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from Hannah Maundrell, editor of Money.co.uk, about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills:
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
The takeaway service has a tie up with hundreds of Co-op and Aldi stores across the UK, meaning families at home can access household items seven days a week in under 30 minutes.
The process is the same as if you were ordering from a restaurant on the Deliveroo app, but prices may be higher as you're paying premium for the service.
The courier service also offers an "Essentials by Deliveroo" range of convenience items to some areas of the country.
Deliveroo purchases the goods, such as cereal, pasta and rice, through a distributor and aims to get them to you within 30 minutes - the delivery fee depends on the order.
There are over 600 convenience stores available on the Uber Eats app which you can find under the "Grocery" tab.
Prices may be steeper than the supermarket though which is worth noting before placing your order.
3. Find the quietest time to shop
Supermarkets are busier on certain days of the week and at specific times of the day.
There is no definite way of knowing how busy a store will be, but generally weekends will typically be busier.
You may also find early mornings are busier due to stock being replenished overnight, but this isn't always the case.
Google has a "popular times" feature which uses visitor data to show you how busy your nearest supermarket store usually is on a certain day.
"Popular times" is broken down hour-by-hour for every day of the week.
To use the tool, start off by Googling your nearest supermarket branch in the "maps" section of the search engine.
Scroll down past the opening hours and you'll see the "popular times" graph, which is made up of blue bars.
The higher the blue bar, the more customers are usually shopping in your local at that time.
It'll also show a pink bar to represent how many customers Google believes to be in the store right now.
4. Vulnerable and elderly customers should shop at dedicated times
As well as offering vulnerable and elderly shoppers priority delivery slots, some retailers have dedicated opening hours for these customers.
These dedicated "silver hours" are to protect those over 70 to do their shopping safely, shielding them from the effects of panic buying.
Please note that this is a general overview and hours may vary by branch.
- Co-op has a dedicated shopping hour for vulnerable customersfrom 8am to 9am Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 11am on Sundays in all stores.
- M&S has said that the first opening hour () will be dedicated to elderly and vulnerable customers and their carers on Mondays and Thursdays.
- Sainsbury's is offering priority access to vulnerable customers throughout the day, meaning they can skip the queue at any point by asking a member of staff.
- Tesco - all stores (except Express stores) will be prioritising the elderly and most vulnerable for one hour between 9am and 10am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Waitrose will prioritise disabled, elderly and vulnerable customers whenever there’s a queue outside stores.
Aldi, Asda, Lidl UK and Morrisons don't offer dedicated silver hours but are working with local charities to make sure the elderly are able to access what they need.
5. Show your NHS work pass to skip the queue
Supermarkets including Iceland and Tesco hare running dedicated opening hours for NHS staff so they can access food and essentials during the coronavirus epidemic.
It comes after one nurse made a tearful plea to fellow shoppers to stop stockpiling food and essentials after ending her 48-hour shift to find supermarket shelves empty.
Some stores only require you to show your NHS work pass to skip the queue, while others have specific shopping hours for those working on the frontline.
Here's what each supermarket it doing to help NHS workers:
- Co-op: Co-op has a special shopping hour for NHS staff, everyday for the first hour of trading. The dedicated hour is 8am to 9pm, Monday to Saturdays, and 10am and 11am on Sundays, in all stores. It won't be closing off stores to other customers during these times, but said it'll be prioritising NHS workers and vulnerable customers.
- Morrisons: Morrisons has an NHS hour from 7am to 8am Monday to Saturday. Staff will need their work badge to get in.
- Sainsbury's is offering priority access to NHS workers throughout the day, meaning they can skip the queue at any point by showing their NHS staff pass.
- Tesco: Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, all Tesco stores (except Express) will prioritise a browsing hour before checkouts open for NHS workers. You will need your ID.
- Waitrose will prioritise NHS workers and carers with a valid staff card whenever there’s a queue outside stores.
6. Follow Covid-secure rules
Supermarkets have introduced a raft of new measures for shoppers when in store to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
This includes wearing a face mask unless you're medically exempt, and social distancing when in stores.
Some supermarkets have implemented a one-in one-out policy, only allowing one adult per household in the store at any one time and urging parents to leave children at home when shopping if possible.
We've put together a round up of all the rules supermarkets are enforcing during England's third national lockdown.
The main social distancing rules issued by supermarkets are:
- Keep two-metres apart from other shoppers (indicated by floor-markers),
- Only touch items you intend to purchase,
- Perspex screens put up at checkouts,
- Number of people allowed in-store at one time limited (based on each store),
- Use card over cash payment when possible,
- Cars to be spaced out in store car-parks.
Because of these measures, expect your usual grocery shop to take a little longer than usual.
7. Shop yellow sticker discounts
Shoppers can pick up some heavily discounted goods if they hunt down the yellow sticker discounts.
This is when retailers mark down prices on products that are cosmetically damaged or approaching their sell-by date.
Shoppers have previously revealed the best times to shop for these bargains and when each supermarket tends to apply the reduced prices.
As a rough guide, the first yellow stickers tend to appear mid-morning, and silly-price reductions begin early evening, when stores cut prices by 75 per cent and more.
It's worth calling your local store ahead of leaving the house to avoid disappointment.
8. Find out what's on offer
You can still shop around for a good deal on your groceries as supermarkets are still running other offers and discounts.
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Each retailer has a dedicated page on its website to showing what's on offer that day or week.
If you're unable to get a delivery slot then it's worth checking these out before you head out to the store so you know what to look out for.
You can also get details of the latest news and offers at each retailer by signing up to retailers' newsletters.
