Online shoppers facing three-week delays
GROCERY shoppers now face a threeweek wait for online deliveries because of the coronavirus crisis.
Demand is so great that some supermarkets are refusing to process orders for new customers.
Ocado, Britain’s biggest online supermarket, said: “We have made the call to temporarily prioritise deliveries for our existing customers. We’re very sorry but we’re unable to offer new customers a delivery slot right now.
“We are releasing new delivery slots as soon as they become available, but as they are bookable up to three weeks in advance we suggest booking one or more slots ahead of time to avoid disappointment.” Tesco announced it was closing all of its 24-hour stores at 10pm last night – re-opening at 6am this morning. They will continue to open between 6am and 10pm for the immediate future, it is understood. It is not known whether workers whose hours are cut will have their wages cut. Tesco declined to comment.
The retailer has already put a block on shoppers buying more than two of certain products, including dried pasta, tinned vegetables, toilet roll, tissues and long-life milk.
Morrisons chief executive David Potts said: “We expect the days, weeks and months ahead to be very testing and we are determined to do our bit.”
Sainsbury’s has announced that the first hour of opening in every store will be just for elderly and vulnerable customers from this tomorrow.
From Monday they will also have priority for online delivery slots. Other customers will be encouraged to use the click and collect service.
Shelves around the country are being stripped bare of essentials as shoppers panic-buy. In an unprecedented plea for calm Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Iceland, Waitrose and M&S issued a joint statement yesterday.
They said: “We would ask everyone to be considerate in the way they shop.
“Buying more than is needed can sometimes mean that others will be left without. There is enough for everyone if we all work together.”