Money Moral Dilemma: Should I be shopping online during the coronavirus lockdown?

afis1904

Pollycat said:

phoebe1989seb said:

I assumed the question referred to non-grocery/food/household items....but I could be wrong 

We get all those items in person from the supermarket - haven't done an online grocery shop for years - but we do buy quite a few items online (mostly eBay) and this has increased since the government ordered certain types of shop to temporarily close.

For example - books, dvds, gardening related items. I'm also in the process of ordering some plants from our local nursery as collecting in person would be considered non-essential. Imho, this is all good for the economy/keeping smaller businesses afloat. I know that when we ran an online business - for over ten years - we'd have been glad of the business.

I think the replies would be very different if the original dilemma had specified clearly whether the online shopping was for groceries or a new pair of sandals for the holiday that might happen this time next year.

But I too assume that it meant the latter not the former.

So if online shops are still doing business - and a lot of shops such as Next, River island, TKMaxx have stopped all online orders - then I don't see why the end customer should be blasted for using those online stores.

I'm currently waiting for a delivery of wild bird food from Wilko. It made more sense than getting in the car, driving 7 miles to the shop and mingling with people who may or may not be infected on the off-chance they had the stuff I wanted in stock. They often don't and I have to resort to ordering online and doing click & collect - which is not currently an available option.

I will be careful and allow the courier to leave the parcel where he feels comfortable and allow him to get back in his van/lorry before going to pick it up.

I've never done grocery shopping online and certainly wouldn't consider it at this time.

OH goes shopping once a week to one shop (Tesco Extra) and gets pretty much everything we need (but not necessarily everything we want which is a different thing altogether).

The original dilemma specified that quite clearly

BobbinAlong

The garden industry in particular is struggling because the many many pounds worth of stock plants they have raised in small pots at this point of the year will not keep until the lockdown is over as they do not have the space or pots or compost to pot them on or plant them out and many are flowering annuals which will be over by the time we are free to shop again. Many of these nurseries are small one man businesses and desperately need our support. So yes I will mail order from my local nursery (Simpson Seeds) as it's run by one man and specialises in unusual tomato and chilli plants and seeds. Garden plants aren't truly essentials though it means I'm self sufficient in some veg from July to the end of October but we should help these businesses survive. Similarly for many wool shops, the one person owner is now working alone doing mail orders. So yes mail order, but from small businesses if possible. 

Pollycat

afis1904 said:

Pollycat said:

phoebe1989seb said:

I assumed the question referred to non-grocery/food/household items....but I could be wrong 

We get all those items in person from the supermarket - haven't done an online grocery shop for years - but we do buy quite a few items online (mostly eBay) and this has increased since the government ordered certain types of shop to temporarily close.

For example - books, dvds, gardening related items. I'm also in the process of ordering some plants from our local nursery as collecting in person would be considered non-essential. Imho, this is all good for the economy/keeping smaller businesses afloat. I know that when we ran an online business - for over ten years - we'd have been glad of the business.

I think the replies would be very different if the original dilemma had specified clearly whether the online shopping was for groceries or a new pair of sandals for the holiday that might happen this time next year.

But I too assume that it meant the latter not the former.

So if online shops are still doing business - and a lot of shops such as Next, River island, TKMaxx have stopped all online orders - then I don't see why the end customer should be blasted for using those online stores.

I'm currently waiting for a delivery of wild bird food from Wilko. It made more sense than getting in the car, driving 7 miles to the shop and mingling with people who may or may not be infected on the off-chance they had the stuff I wanted in stock. They often don't and I have to resort to ordering online and doing click & collect - which is not currently an available option.

I will be careful and allow the courier to leave the parcel where he feels comfortable and allow him to get back in his van/lorry before going to pick it up.

I've never done grocery shopping online and certainly wouldn't consider it at this time.

OH goes shopping once a week to one shop (Tesco Extra) and gets pretty much everything we need (but not necessarily everything we want which is a different thing altogether).

The original dilemma specified that quite clearly

MSE_Kelvin said:

Since the government told people to stay at home, I've been shopping online — admittedly at times for non-essential items — which obviously helps the economy and keeps retailers in business. But would it be more helpful not to shop online, to reduce the risk of exposing stores' warehouse workers, delivery drivers etc to coronavirus?

which is why there has been so many comments about shopping online for essential items i.e. groceries.

It really wasn't clear - imho.

Castle_Rock

Just a thought, are we not at risk of getting the corona virus by receiving mail as the postman etc have been handling mail and the virus could be past on this way?

elizabethhull

Castle_Rock said:

Just a thought, are we not at risk of getting the corona virus by receiving mail as the postman etc have been handling mail and the virus could be past on this way?

Barely, as current guidelines say the virus is very short-lived on paper. I read my daily paper without moistening my finger to turn pages over (hadn't realised before how often I do that ! ) and wash hands after = a simple precaution.
Hubby, who is more wary, lets his post simmer in the garage for 24 hrs before opening. 

SSil

I read the question as non-essential / non grocery, so with that in mind....
If I have managed to get a delivery slot for groceries (I too am shielding for 12 weeks) then I will add non-essentials if available, my thinking being that a delivery is taking place anyway and therefore better to do it all at once as opposed to multiple deliveries. I expect that companies will be taking all the necessary precautions for their workers and where I’m made aware that is not the case (been publicised, eg ASOS, etc.) I deliberately choose not to.  That said, I have also ordered the odd items elsewhere, which I guess weren’t strictly essential though were for birthdays / filling the time, mental wellbeing, etc. I have tried as much as possible to buy from small businesses who will, no doubt, be struggling in the current environment and this may be make or break for them. I now find myself deliberately seeking out these small / local businesses so as to support them. I do think it’s important to keep the economy ticking over in some way.

REJP

Dilemma?  Why not follow the guidance given by the Government? It is clear enough.

lnuk58

My husband is 76 years old and has asbestosis of the lungs so we are self isolating but finding it extremely difficult to get an online shop, but I see others going up the local shop and having an online food delivery - thanks!

Pollycat

REJP said:

Dilemma?  Why not follow the guidance given by the Government? It is clear enough.

I'm not sure whether you agree or disagree with ordering non-essential items online.

Does the guidance given by Government specifically cover ordering non-essential items from online stores?

I don't think it does.

I'm getting lots of emails from all sorts of companies - just today I've deleted emails from Debenhams, M&M Direct, Dunelm, Clarks shoes, 7 Day Shop and Sports Direct.

The Government has ordered certain businesses to close - I'm sure we all know what they are - but say "Other businesses can remain open and their employees can travel to work, provided they cannot work from home."

4. Going to work

As set out in the section on staying at home, you can travel for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home.

With the exception of the organisations covered above in the section on closing certain businesses and venues, the government has not required any other businesses to close – indeed it is important for business to carry on.

Employers and employees should discuss their working arrangements, and employers should take every possible step to facilitate their employees working from home, including providing suitable IT and equipment to enable remote working.

Sometimes this will not be possible, as not everyone can work from home. Certain jobs require people to travel to, from and for their work – for instance if they operate machinery, work in construction or manufacturing, or are delivering front line services.

If you cannot work from home then you can still travel for work purposes, provided you are not showing coronavirus symptoms and neither you nor any of your household are self-isolating. This is consistent with advice from the Chief Medical Officer.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others

ostaragirl1

I've been reading about Etsy business owners and how they feel justified in remaining open for business. Frankly I'm surprised that so many rely on the business as their main source of income. I'd have thought from seeing complaints about how hard it is for Etsy shops in the past that they make so much money from it that they don't require another job or benefits. I personally find online shopping for non essentials not something I am willing to do right now. I'm more concerned about the drivers, order pickers, posties etc and their health right now given they are the worst paid with poor working conditions I'd prefer to know they're delivering essential goods to those that need it most.