Asda, Aldi, Tesco and others give important lockdown update to customers about in-store rules

As England is plunged into a third lockdown, there are a number of rules shoppers must be aware of in supermarkets.

Supermarkets will remain open throughout the lockdown as before as they fall into the essential shop category.

However, there are a number of safety measures that have been put in place across the biggest players in the market that shoppers need to be aware of.

Many supermarkets are encouraging shoppers to go solo to reduce the number of people inside, and you might find some strict shopping rules such as limits on items you can buy in some stores.

Here’s what to expect in each store…

Asda

You can now expect marshals in busy parts of larger stores to help ease the flow of people and ensure social distancing remains as we all gather around the milk.

Asda will be using an automatic counting technology system that will manage the number of people in the store. Some stores will also see trials of a new queueing app that will ask you to wait in your car until your allotted time to shop. 

You will find a layer of antimicrobial material on trollies and baskets to help stop the spread of bacteria, as well as an increase in sanitation stations. 

Aldi

You will still find Specialbuys in Aldi as per the government guidelines, and as of yet Aldi has confirmed they will not be putting ‘unnecessary’ limits on the number of products you can buy.

Shop alone if you can and avoid the busiest time which Aldi explains is 12-3pm. On Mondays and Saturdays stores will open 30 minutes earlier to provide priority opening times for the elderly and vulnerable. NHS workers can do this on Sundays. 

Lidl

Some managers can bring in limits to specific stores if panic buying starts again so be aware of this. Rather unhelpfully, Lidl confirms their busiest times are between 8am and 11pm and advise people to avoid these (somehow). 

Tesco

Mixed retail sections are not required to be sectioned off in this lockdown but where there is a clear and more substantial standalone section within a supermarket, selling for instance clothes, this should close. 

Fully sanitised umbrellas are being provided to shoppers when they have to queue outside in the rain, as well as face coverings available where you enter the store in case you forget yours.

There is priority access to NHS staff, emergency services and care workers as well as dedicated shopping hours for vulnerable customers.

Restrictions are in place on some items such as one-item limits on toilet roll and three-item limits on flour, dried pasta, eggs, rice, baby wipes, soap and anti-bacterial wipes. 

Morrisons

NHS staff get priority access between 6am and 7am from Monday to Saturday and an hour before opening (usually around 9am) on a Sunday.

Shoppers can expect perspex screens at tills and marshals on the doors.

Sainsbury’s

Priority access is between 7:30am and 8am Monday to Saturday for NHS and care workers. Elderly, vulnerable or less-abled shoppers have a priority entry between 8am and 9am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Sainsbury’s are asking shoppers to shop alone where possible and to avoid busy times. 

Marks and Spencer

You can expect staff on the doors managing the number of people in-store as well as clothes and homeware blocked off. 

You can use the mobile pay and go app which requires you to scan your shopping (as long as it is below £30 and you have a Sparks card) instead of using a checkout. You can also ‘book and shop’ to pre-book a 30-minute slot so you can avoid queues.