Under-pressure supermarkets question distancing rules

BRITAIN’S BIG supermarkets fear they won’t be able to supply the country’s 60 million people without longer opening hours or a relaxation of social distancing rules introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Industry executives, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, said they expected a jump in demand once Britons under lockdown had worked through supplies amassed at the start of the crisis and as shoppers stocked up for the long Easter weekend holiday.

The lockdown has also temporarily transferred the eating out market – bars, cafes, restaurants, school meals and workplace canteens – to the home, shifting about 30 per cent of the nation’s food consumption back to stores.

“The problem is, can you feed 60 million people at the rate you can get people through the stores with that social distancing?” one industry executive told Reuters.

In the four weeks before the Government restricted movement and announced social distancing rules on March 23, UK grocery sales leapt 20 per cent as Britons stockpiled an extra £1 billion worth of food in their cupboards and freezers.

Sales growth has slowed over the past fortnight as stores cut their opening hours, limited the number of customers allowed in at any one time and restricted sales of some items, all leading to long queues outside many supermarkets.

But executives believe the drop in demand will be shortlived as people shop for the Easter break and because of the pressure on supplies as everyone eats at home. Big supermarkets are budgeting for a 15 per cent to 20 per cent rise in sales volumes during the lockdown, said one source with knowledge of the matter.

This is one reason why market leader Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons, are recruiting tens of thousands of staff.