Will the coronavirus change the way you food shop, for good ?

pumpkin89

I'm probably bucking the trend, but will be shopping online far less in the future.  I used to get an Ocado delivery most weeks and every time I've checked there have been slots available, but as a younger non-vulnerable person, I chose to leave them for those more in need.  Once everything settles down, I might shop with them monthly for the bits and pieces nobody else sells.

I also used to visit supermarkets probably 5 times a week, to get the different special offers and continuously top up.  Now I've got into the habit of doing one big weekly shop, I've realised the offers weren't saving me enough to justify the time spent.  I'll definitely carry on with weekly shopping.

MrsStepford

Thank you all responding  I feel less alone now because I see that other people have been let down by their usual supermarket too and have had to make an extra effort to get food. I never thought to ask local cafes if they had eggs, that was a smart idea !

JezR

My experience with Ocado has been excellent in contrast to others on this thread. Very early on I had weekly deliveries, which dropped down to fortnightly for a while but are now back to weekly although I don't take all the opportunities up. Sometimes a niggling substitution but no more than usual really. I do have an anytime pass. I have shopped on average once a week elsewhere rather than picking things up in dribs and drabs.

My parents on the other hand who used to have regular deliveries from Tesco couldn't get any delivery slot from them, even though they are in their mid-eighties with a number of health issues (but not being on the 'government list'). They have needed to rely on friends and neighbours dropping stuff off outside as I live some way away and I couldn't find anyone else that would deliver to them on a regular basis. They received an email from Tesco after about two months about them noticing they hadn't shopped there recently which in the circumstances they thought inappropriate, especially since it didn't offer them any help. I doubt they will be going back to them even though a few slots come up now and again as they believe they can't rely on this.

olgadapolga

JezR said:

My experience with Ocado has been excellent in contrast to others on this thread. Very early on I had weekly deliveries, which dropped down to fortnightly for a while but are now back to weekly although I don't take all the opportunities up. Sometimes a niggling substitution but no more than usual really. I do have an anytime pass. I have shopped on average once a week elsewhere rather than picking things up in dribs and drabs.

My parents on the other hand who used to have regular deliveries from Tesco couldn't get any delivery slot from them, even though they are in their mid-eighties with a number of health issues (but not being on the 'government list'). They have needed to rely on friends and neighbours dropping stuff off outside as I live some way away and I couldn't find anyone else that would deliver to them on a regular basis. They received an email from Tesco after about two months about them noticing they hadn't shopped there recently which in the circumstances they thought inappropriate, especially since it didn't offer them any help. I doubt they will be going back to them even though a few slots come up now and again as they believe they can't rely on this.

That's really odd regarding Tesco. I'm not classified as extremely vulnerable but have been told by my consultant to self-isolate until the shielding period is over and then practice social distancing until such time that a vaccine is available (I have a suppressed immune system). I rang Tesco and explained this to them as I was unable to book any deliveries. They were brilliant and added me to their database so that I have a delivery slot once a week. I'll definitely be continuing with Tesco deliveries (I was already a regular customer anyway) as it's better than going to the shop.

od244051

MrsStepford said:

Thank you all responding  I feel less alone now because I see that other people have been let down by their usual supermarket too and have had to make an extra effort to get food. I never thought to ask local cafes if they had eggs, that was a smart idea !

With the eggs that my neighbour bought from a cafe opposite work. It was the first day of lockdown where the cafe owner went to my neighbours work and said she has some food left. Gave the milk for staff room and some food like the eggs were for sale. 

badger09

@JezR
Did either you or your parents phone Tesco?
My experience was similar to olgadapolga. Over 70s with some health problems but not on Gov list, regular shopper at Tesco, though mostly in store before lockdown. I couldn't get any normal delivery slots but now there are priority ones available to me which I use every 10 - 12 days. I will continue to do my main shop at Tesco after this is all over.

JezR

My mum did early on, but she is no longer that good on the phone these days (dad never was), and she didn't get anywhere. She considered that she had simply been fobbed off. Maybe if she had called later on when things had settled down and were not so chaotic she might have been better received. I did offer to call on her behalf but by then she wasn't convinced that Tesco could be relied on to deliver every week and didn't want to mess her friends around.

fatbelly

Similar to Pumpkin (above) I still like to do my own shopping but have cut down drastically my shop visits.

In the past I would use Morrisons, Tesco, Iceland, Waitrose, Lidl, Co-op - probably picking up a few things from Poundland too. Every day I would be in one shop or  another.

I decided to limit my shop contact by choosing one shop and doing just one visit per week. I thought I would have to do interim shopping for eggs* and milk but I find by checking the dates on things, and making use of a second fridge in the garage,  I can easily get through the week.

I chose Lidl. I can get 99% of the products I used to get there, though maybe not the brands, and hardly anything is cheaper elsewhere. It's meticulously planned, timed to the quietest time of the week. One contactless payment (if I can keep it below £45) and I'm out.

I can't see me ever going back to how I used to shop.

*One side benefit of the lockdown is that I have got into the routine of a daily walk and have explored local footpaths that I never knew existed just a few minutes from my house. On my walks I have discovered two places where they keep hens and sell eggs with an honesty box outside their gate. So I do get some eggs from there. There's also a man who sells 25kg sacks of potatoes so I bought one of them at the start of the lockdown and I'm still working through it!

PiersHudson

Bacman said:

Until things are totally back to normal i'm just using online shopping.

Until we can go into a clothes shop and try items on before buying, we are boycotting them. Clothes are so hit and miss at the best of times, you have to try them on; until we can shop as normal I see a lot of clothing businesses going out of business. Why stand in a long queue to go into a store, have to wander about in a line and not go back when you preferred something you saw earlier in the store; have to queue for ages to buy something you don't know it it fits; then have to go back again to stand in another long queue to get a refund? What is the point? Only businesses who benefit are online companies, our retail businesses will go to the wall.

I do the same, but I miss going to a normal store from time to time

JaneDoeJohnDoe

Used to do ALL the supermarkets getting offers (cherry picking) plus Poundstretcher/Poundland/Home Bargains etc to get bargains. However, to limit risk of getting Covid19 have had Tesco/Asda/Sainsbury's deliveries. Basically bulking up where can & sharing delivery costs with girlfriend (lives separately but needs me around at times to help personal care) who has car so can transport stuff. Plus we've done Click n collect as all we could get. One time during heat of lockdown we made an afternoon of it. Stopping en-route to have a daily walk & a cuppa from a flask. Had to go about 8 miles to a Tesco click n collect. All we could get anywhere "local". So unlike certain govt officials we did not break any rules. Had to get shopping. G'friend needs assistance so went together. 
Can't see myself going back to physical store shopping for a long time. Easy to do online once you can plan ahead for several weeks. Only drawback is some trolley pickers clearly do not look properly at what they put in trolley as had mouldy peaches/skanky carrots/potatoes/ squished plums & several dented tins. However, contacted supermarkets & refunded without quibbles.