How does Sainsbury's "pack without bags" work?

[Deleted User]

I know that with Amazon Fresh/Morrisons, the driver carries all your shopping to your front door in big brown bags.   This minimises Covid-19 exposure risk to driver and customer as there's very little interaction.

I'm about to do my first Sainsbury's home delivery shop but I'm concerned that it says it's packed without bags.   What I think happens is that the driver carries plastic crates to your door.   And you then have to empty them into your own boxes and take them inside.   The driver then takes the plastic crates away with him.

If that's right then the Sainsbury's way of doing things will take longer, more interaction required between driver and customer, and so there's more risk.   Seems odd way to operate considering it's often those who are shielding who'll use home delivery services rather than going into a supermarket.

Am I understanding it correctly?   It sounds difficult to minimise contact if this is how Sainsbury's operate.

I'd much rather pay for bags!!!

od244051

My friend uses Sainsbury’s and she takes her large bags and pack them at the door. Large things like crates of beer, kitchen rolls etc, doesn’t bag them 

Sheel

Poster_586329 said:

I know that with Amazon Fresh/Morrisons, the driver carries all your shopping to your front door in big brown bags.   This minimises Covid-19 exposure risk to driver and customer as there's very little interaction.

I'm about to do my first Sainsbury's home delivery shop but I'm concerned that it says it's packed without bags.   What I think happens is that the driver carries plastic crates to your door.   And you then have to empty them into your own boxes and take them inside.   The driver then takes the plastic crates away with him.

If that's right then the Sainsbury's way of doing things will take longer, more interaction required between driver and customer, and so there's more risk.   Seems odd way to operate considering it's often those who are shielding who'll use home delivery services rather than going into a supermarket.

Am I understanding it correctly?   It sounds difficult to minimise contact if this is how Sainsbury's operate.

I'd much rather pay for bags!!!

I have a Sainsbury's delivery once a week usually and you're correct that this is the way it happens. My husband empties the contents of the crates onto the hall floor or into a laundry basket and I put it all away after the driver has gone. The driver stands back whilst the crates are emptied so I can't see that there is much difference to him putting carrier bags on your doorstep and you taking them inside as it doesn't take much longer and the contact is the same.

Sainsbury's aren't the only supermarket home delivery service that do this. I use Asda and Tesco and usually don't bother with bags as I was getting tons of them! Sainsbury's bags are rubbish, but I get bags with Iceland as they're good strong bags and Ocado I don't think you have a choice.
It's usually 40p for bags so I personally think it's a matter of choice to which method that you find the most convenient.

JulieM

I do Sainsbury's Click and Collect which is also without bags, you take your own shopping bags and pack them yourself straight out of the crates. Though any perishable items always come in plastic bags. Like you, I think it's an odd way to operate as the staff have to hang around while you pack, which can take quite a while if it's a large order.
I was invited to complete a satisfaction survey after my first order and I made a comment to this effect  so I suggest you do the same.

jap200

I did a Tesco click & collect recently and opted for it to be packed in bags for speed of unloading, however, in the small print I noticed it said that plastic tray liners might be used instead, which is what I got. It was a total waste of plastic and time because they were like wide shallow plastic bags that covered the base of the big crates. It wasn't possible to lift them out of the crates with the contents as they were too shallow, had no handles and the contents were too heavy, so I ended up having to put all the loose shopping into the boot of my car. I had not taken my big reusable bags because I had specifically ticked the option for the shopping to be packed in bags. I have a big family, so usually have about 8 crates-worth of stuff. It was utterly ridiculous. I have no idea what these crate liners where supposed to achieve. I have not used Tesco C&C since. 

General_Grant

Are the plastic crate liners of use for anything else?  Carrier bags can obviously be re-used in the future but are these crate liners just plastic waste?

(I'm just interested in the waste aspect as I don't use a home delivery or C&C service and haven't bought a new plastic carrier bag since September 2015.)

KxMx

This topic may be of interest about Tesco home delivery:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6224842/tesco-tray-liners-home-delivery/p1

GaleSF63

General_Grant said:

Are the plastic crate liners of use for anything else?  Carrier bags can obviously be re-used in the future but are these crate liners just plastic waste?

(I'm just interested in the waste aspect as I don't use a home delivery or C&C service and haven't bought a new plastic carrier bag since September 2015.)

There's no obvious immediate use, but I've been receiving them for a while, and they built up, but most seem to have now been used for one thing or another. for example one to wrap my Christmas tree for storage and one as "stuffing" in a parcel to stop the contents moving around. 

MrsStepford

Had a delivery yesterday and the food was in bags in crate.

MalMonroe

Poster_586329 said:

I know that with Amazon Fresh/Morrisons, the driver carries all your shopping to your front door in big brown bags.   This minimises Covid-19 exposure risk to driver and customer as there's very little interaction.

I'm about to do my first Sainsbury's home delivery shop but I'm concerned that it says it's packed without bags.   What I think happens is that the driver carries plastic crates to your door.   And you then have to empty them into your own boxes and take them inside.   The driver then takes the plastic crates away with him.

If that's right then the Sainsbury's way of doing things will take longer, more interaction required between driver and customer, and so there's more risk.   Seems odd way to operate considering it's often those who are shielding who'll use home delivery services rather than going into a supermarket.

Am I understanding it correctly?   It sounds difficult to minimise contact if this is how Sainsbury's operate.h
I'd much rather pay for bags!!!

Hi, it's not about paying for bags or not paying for bags. Sainsbury's is trying to help cut down the use of plastic bags which are detrimental to our environment. We have a weekly Sainsbury's delivery and what we do is put out several 'bags for life' that we already had from pre-coronavirus times. Just before the appointed time we open them and line them up outside the front door and the Sainsbury's delivery person brings the crates down from the van and fills them up for us since my daughter and I are both isolating as we are both vulnerable. 

We were told that delivery drivers will do that for customers. Sometimes we ring the changes and put a couple of laundry baskets out together with a storage crate. But the delivery people always pack them nicely for us. We don't have any interaction with them as they fill the bags, baskets or crates and when they've finished they knock on the door and we go to get in the shopping. They'll wait at a safe distance until we've opened the door - sometimes they don't, though, if they've spotted us through the window. As far as I'm aware you don't have to go and empty the crates yourself, unless you really want to and the driver waits at a safe distance.

It's all very civilised and it's been working for us since last March.

There is no interaction with anyone and no risk whatsoever. It takes no longer than any other form of shopping, as far as I am concerned. In fact, it's easier for me than going to a supermarket and having to carry all the bags from the car and then unpack. This way, we just have to get the bags in and unpack them.