Coronavirus: Shoppers told to think of others more needy than themselves when ordering grocery deliveries

Consumers are being urged to think of others before themselves when shopping online, amid an “unprecedented” swell in demand for food deliveries.
Image showing a 24-minute wait today before shoppers can even see the delivery scheduleImage showing a 24-minute wait today before shoppers can even see the delivery schedule
Image showing a 24-minute wait today before shoppers can even see the delivery schedule

Aodhan Connolly, spokesman for the Northern Irish wing of the British Retail Consortium, said that given the pressures on the system, deliveries should be left for only the elderly, infirm and at-risk.

He also indicated that supermarkets are on something of a hiring spree right now, because of the extra manpower needed to pick customers’ baskets of groceries and deliver them.

He was speaking just as the News Letter carried out a snap survey of how different supermarkets are catering to this spike in demand.

This reporter, based in east Antrim, attempted to order groceries from five big chains which are known to deliver (some supermarkets, like Lidl, do not deliver).

Iceland did not allow this reporter to look at available delivery slots online for 25 minutes, because there was a queue for doing so.

When it did display the delivery times, there was just one slot available (on Wednesday afternoon) between noon today and Sunday, May 17.

Sainsbury’s showed no availability for at least an entire week, ending Monday, May 18.

Asda was unavailable until Sunday May 24 when some evening slots were free – but only for orders which had no alcohol.

Tesco had no slots available until at least Sunday, March 31 (though the supermarket is known to throw open slots at short notice).

SuperValu’s nearest store (in east Belfast) could not be reached by phone, but it is understood said they deliver only to the elderly and vulnerable, and then only in “the local community”.

Mr Connolly (whose body includes all the above supermarkets except Tesco as members) told the News Letter: “We’ve had a growth in deliveries that’s unprecedented. We’ve seen some retailers doing delivery numbers they thought they’d be doing in eight years’ time.

“But there’s a big, big thing here - there are people out there, disabled, elderly, and we’re asking the public to think before they click. Quite simply, delivery slots should be for the most vulnerable in society.”

Instead the public should either get their own groceries (while observing the two-metre social distancing) or get click-and-collects.

The whole surge means that “here in Northern Ireland our retailers are hiring proportionately... some are permanent contracts, some are temporary”.

He said they were “hiring for attitude, and training for skill” - meaning people with few qualifications can still find roles in the supermarkets.

He also said that “one of the laziest false narratives out there is that retailers are making a killing”. Rather, their margins have been squeezed by people buying cheaper ‘own brand’ goods instead of treating themselves.

Lastly, he voiced “pride” in how day-to-day staff are handling themselves in the crisis, adding there is a “zero tolerance” approach to people shouting and becoming confrontational if asked to socially distance themselves.

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