SHOPS USED AS ‘DAY OUT’ BY FAMILIES
WORKER SAYS ‘PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO BEND RULES ANY WAY THEY CAN’
FAMILIES in Hull have been accused of using the supermarket shop as a “family day out”.
Several shoppers have reported seeing full families, including two parents and two or three children together, in Tesco and Asda stores in the city.
Shoppers spoke out on the Hull Live Facebook page after a single mum was “humiliated” at a Tesco in another part of the country when security staff said she couldn’t come in because she was with her kids.
Some Hull shoppers say the situation is very different here though, with supermarkets “rammed” with families, including mum and dad spotted shopping together.
One north Hull shopper, 18, who did not wish to be named, said Tesco in Hall Road is particularly bad.
She said: “Just been to do the weekly shop and there were full families treating it as a day out. It really was that bad, full families of five doing their shopping, with two parents.
“I understand the need for single parents to bring children with them, but people are seriously trying to bend the rules in whatever way they can.
“All I’m saying is that as someone who works in a shop, it’s incredibly irritating when an unnecessary amount of family members enter the store.
“It puts us at a greater risk and not to mention the kids, often uncontrollable and run around, picking up everything they get their hands on.
“I understand that in current times shopping is one of the only things a family can do together. But by allowing large groups into shops, infection rates are never going to go down, and it will take so much longer to get back to normal.
“I think forcing people to shop alone, with the exception of those with disabilities and single parents, is a very small sacrifice to make in return for normality and less deaths.”
Tesco asks shoppers to shop alone, unless they are with a carer or with children. They also encourage people to shop only when they need to, in line with government guidance to stay at home.
The retail worker said she was also shocked with the amount of people not wearing a mask, despite it being a legal requirement to wear a face covering in supermarkets.
Tesco says it “won’t let anyone into our stores who isn’t wearing a face covering, unless they’re exempt in line with government guidance”.
However, the Hull shopper said mask wearing was not being enforced when she visited.
She added: “While I’m at it, the number of people with no face covering whatsoever was absolutely unreal.
“Tesco has this whole new thing of ‘no mask, no entry,’ but they don’t seem to be sticking to it at all.
“It wouldn’t be so bad if social distancing was adhered to, but it is absolutely not. I try my best to keep my distance as both my parents are vulnerable, but other people just don’t seem to care. “It seems like every time I step aside to let someone pass with enough space, someone walks past me close enough to brush shoulders.
“I know it seems like I’m excessively moaning but I am so fed-up of coronavirus and its restrictions, but unlike those who just break the restrictions they no longer want to abide by, I do everything in my power to abide by them in the hopes that rates will drop and life can go back to normal.” Another shopper, who also did not wish to be named, reported the same in Asda Mount Pleasant, in east Hull.
She said: “It’s an absolute joke when you go for your shopping and there are massive families out together. Mount Pleasant Asda is really bad, it was absolutely rammed.”
A Tesco spokesperson said: “Since the start of the pandemic, we have focused on ensuring everyone can get the food they need in a safe environment.
“We are asking our customers to shop alone, unless they’re a carer or with children.
“Also, to protect our customers and colleagues, we won’t let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with government guidance.
“We have also introduced traffic light entry systems at many of our stores to ensure that customer numbers in stores are kept at safe levels.”
A spokesperson for Asda said: “We strongly encourage all customers to shop solo or in as small a group as possible to help minimise the number of customers in our stores.
“We have increased security at our stores as well as having implemented safety marshals in addition to the many Covid-19 safety measures in place in our Hull stores.
“We are working hard to protect our customers and colleagues in store and would ask the local community to help us help them.”
Just been to do the weekly shop and there were full families treating it as a day out
Shopper