Shopper clearly thinks sales limit is pants

A MAN visited a Welsh supermarket wearing just his boxer shorts in response to government restrictions on the sale of non-essential items.

Supermarkets in Wales have been blocking off aisles stocking “non-essential” items such as clothing and homeware in line with Welsh Government restrictions brought in under the firebreak lockdown.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said the measure will help create an “equal playing field” for other businesses which have been forced to close.

The move has been met with opposition by some and a petition signed by thousands.

Christopher Noden, from Newport, said he decided to visit Tesco in Spytty Retail Park wearing no clothes apart from his underpants on Saturday to protest against the measures.

A video showing him walk into the store with a trolley while wearing only his boxer shorts has been viewed tens of thousands of times on Facebook.

“What determines essential?” Christoper, 38, asked.

“What if I ran out of boxers and socks? I couldn’t have bought any boxers or socks because it’s non-essential.

“Everything is essential at some point and in some way.”

Christopher said he did not expect to be allowed into the supermarket, and left after he was asked to do so by security.

“Our intention wasn’t to go and to push past them or anything silly,” he said. “It was just to let people know that it is possible to get a reaction from them and to get the point across that clothes are essential there.”

Rules regarding the sale of non-essential items in Welsh supermarkets came into force at 6pm on Friday.

The Welsh Government said areas of a store selling products including electrical goods, telephones, clothes, toys and games, and items for the garden should be closed to the public – and these products should not be sold.

But pictures surfaced of stores restricting the sale of items such as stationery and greeting cards.

On Friday morning, supermarket chain Asda said that they hadn’t been given a list of what is or is not classed as an essential item or been given “sufficient notice” to implement the changes.

The Welsh Government tweeted on Saturday clarifying that supermarkets can continue to sell items which can be found in other “essential shops”. “Supermarkets can keep selling items you can find in other essential shops – such as stationery/greeting cards,” the Welsh Government said.

“The purpose of selling essential items only during firebreak is to discourage spending more time than necessary in shops and to be fair to retailers who have to close.”