Online shopping meltdown – with no delivery slots
BRITAIN’S online supermarket delivery system appeared close to collapse last night.
The Daily Mail found no delivery slots available from any of the mainstream stores to addresses across the UK.
Families and the elderly could not place grocery orders with the biggest chains – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado.
All said they had no delivery slots on their forward booking systems.
Boris Johnson suggested this week that locked-down Britons should arrange food deliveries to cope with home quarantine.
But the evidence suggests this system is collapsing under the weight of demand.
Before the coronavirus crisis, internet ordering and home deliveries made up only 7 per cent of Britain’s grocery market. As a result, supermarkets do not have the drivers and vehicles to increase their capacity significantly without major outside help from, for example, the military.
Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe promised to prioritise the elderly and vulnerable for online orders and deliveries.
But it means the company appears to be refusing to allow existing or new customers to place any orders.
The website carries the message: ‘We’re prioritising vulnerable customers for delivery.
‘We’re really sorry, but we haven’t been able to identify you as one of our elderly, vulnerable or disabled customers.’
Thousands of people have taken to social media to complain they cannot reach the supermarket to register for this service. Pauline Dimmock tweeted: ‘I have elderly in-laws
– 80 and 85 – housebound and apparently a priority!
‘No delivery slots for four weeks. Sainsbury’s have always delivered to them and have identified that they are vulnerable but still no delivery slots.’
Michael Webb wrote: ‘This is a serious problem. I’m in lockdown as sole carer for 92-yearmet old. Supermarket home delivery services have just fallen over.’
Asda had no delivery slots on its forward booking system through to April 14, after which it does not offer any slots.
The same applied to Tesco until April 13.
Customers in some areas trying to log in to Morrisons were with the message: ‘Oh no, it looks like we’re a little busy.’
The Waitrose website reported: ‘Sorry, all slots are unavailable right now.
‘We’re not able to offer home delivery and Click & Collect slots at the moment – but you can still amend or cancel existing orders.’
Customers logging on to Ocado were given a waiting time of four hours.
Some supermarkets have stepped up click and collect services, with pick-up points in their car parks.
Meanwhile, Morrisons is planning to recruit 3,500 people to boost its online shopping and home delivery service.
It is also setting up a call centre to take orders from those who do not shop online.
Sainsbury’s apologised for the delays, with a spokesman saying: ‘We’re working hard to register as many elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers for priority online delivery slots as possible and are very sorry for the inconvenience long wait times could be causing.
‘We are experiencing extremely high demand and advise that customers keep trying to contact us.
‘We will do our best to respond as quickly as possible.’
Asda said: ‘We are working extremely hard to try and serve our millions of customers as best we can.
‘Unfortunately, due to unprecedented demand, we are sometimes struggling to get all of the products ordered to our customers, which is why we have put a limit on products to three per person.’
Tesco hopes to announce improvements later this week.
‘Looks like we’re a little busy’