Food shopping during the pandemic

Emma_vogelmann_scope

Hi all. As you may know, I work on the Consumer Affairs team at Scope. I am looking into issues surrounding accessing food and essentials. It's a huge issue which was featured here - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/coronavirus-disability-shopping-uk-b1767994.html?utm_content=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1607443218 

I'm interested to see how/if things have changed from lockdown 1, eased restrictions, lockdown 2, tier system. I'd be so grateful if you could share your experiences here/by message/email.

Thanks! Emma

woodbine

We have shopped for many years just once a week, and all through this pandemic we have been able to do that. ok in lockdown one we had to queue sometimes, but not in LD2, we have been very grateful that the taxi drivers had carried on working as getting to the shop would have been hit and miss as the buses weren't that reliable.

MrAllen1976

My Parents shop at Tesco once a week, usually on a Thursday morning while I'm on my course.

chiarieds

Hi Emma - as many will have found, in Lockdown 1 some people who were able to shop were panic buying some staple foods, to say nothing about loo rolls! Many who relied on online shopping had difficulty booking online slots; I had to book mine 3 weeks in advance, & change/delete several items that had become unavailable the night before my delivery slots.

'Normality' somewhat resumed for me between the lockdowns, with me just having to think ahead 5-7 days when booking grocery deliveries online, yet several of the foods I'd often bought seem to be no longer stocked.

With Lockdown 2, & likely due to the run down to Christmas, last weekend there wasn't a single slot left for next week, so I managed to book one for tomorrow instead, choosing some frozen items, or those that I could freeze for the following week. Fortunately I'd already booked a slot for 21st December on the day they became available to customers already having a Delivery Saver plan with Tesco, tho I'd hoped for one a couple of days later.

My area was in Tier 1, & like most was moved up a tier, so now in Tier 2.

Ross_Scope

Thanks for sharing this opportunity and thank you to those who have shared their experiences so far. 

Available slots have definitely been a big point of concern for many people. I've moved house since the first lockdown and now live with my partner and thus we do our own shopping. We've not subscribed to any online shopping website yet but I fear a week when for some reason we can't make it to the store and have to rely on getting online at short notice.

How accessible the websites are are my main worry, such as will they work well with a screen reader.

woodbine

In LD1 we couldn't get a delivery slot with anyone, since then we have been able to get them with Asda and Iceland.

janer1967

I did a weekly shop during lockdown and after the initial period of panic buying everything was fine

However in 2nd lockdown my son had to isolate for 14 days and as I cant go out shopping without his assistance I had to rely on online shopping, As this was the start of 2nd lockdown there were no slots available for 7 days, I am able to go to the shop o n my scooter and get a few bits but not a full shop and also I dont like to go alone due to my very poor vision . I had no choice other than to go out for milk and bread while I waited for the delivery

I know always have some long life milk in and a spare loaf in the freezer