Tesco's policy around prioritising online delivery for the vulnerable and elderly, matches that of Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, and other supermarket chains – which are rising to the challenge of serving the nation in unique circumstances. There are delivery slots available in 2-hour delivery windows. These are available from 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week. Each delivery slot has a maximum capacity, so place you order well in advance to guarantee the slot you want. You can order your shopping up to 3 weeks in advance. UK supermarkets have vowed to help the vulnerable and elderly who order their grocery shops online by offering them priority delivery slots. They will also limit consumers to only buying three of.
Sainsbury's is the latest supermarket to announce measures to help the elderly and vulnerable during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
All its stores will only open to these two groups for the first hour of trading on Thursday, chief executive Mike Coupe said, but will open for an hour longer so other shoppers do not miss out.
Supermarkets have seen a huge surge in demand for delivery services, with no slots available until next month for both Tesco and Waitrose in some parts of the south east.
The surge came as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps authorised a temporary relaxation of the drivers' hours rules to help deliver goods to stores across the country.
Iceland outlets across the country have also introduced reserved time slots to give the vulnerable and the elderly a chance to shop in store.
Mr Lewis confirmed Tesco is looking at increasing the number of delivery slots available but didn't say when. The supermarket boss also said he'll be setting aside more of these slots for elderly. Tesco has claimed it is reserving 'hundreds of thousands of home delivery slots a week' for the most vulnerable customers. A spokesman said it has already started getting in touch with those people to let them know. Slot timings are not guaranteed, with shopping turning up anytime from 10am to 6pm or 2pm to 10pm.
Sainsbury's has now said customers over 70 and those with a disability will also have priority access to online delivery slots from Monday and the chain is also expanding its 'click and collect' service.
Mr Coupe added that as of Thursday, Sainsbury's will be closing its cafes and its meat, fish and pizza counters to free up freight capacity for essential products.
Customers will also only be able to buy a maximum of three of any grocery product and a maximum of two on the most popular items such as toilet roll, soap and UHT milk from Wednesday onward.
'As we work to feed the nation, we are also focusing all of our efforts on getting as much food and other essential items from our suppliers, into our warehouses and onto shelves as we possibly can', Mr Coupe said.
'We still have enough food for everyone – if we all just buy what we need for us and our families.'
Tesco has had to bring in similar purchasing restrictions to curb panic buying, particularly on anti-bacterial wipes, dried past and toilet roll.
It was forced to take its mobile app offline temporarily due to high demand on Tuesday, and announced it would be reducing the hours of all of its 24-hour stores to 6am to 10pm.
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Check the number of cases in your area with our interactive map
Your work, travel, and childcare rights
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How to self isolate
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A spokeswoman said: 'It gives our colleagues the time overnight to restock the store, replenish the shelves and support our online grocery service at a time when demand is high.'
Elsewhere, rival Morrisons announced on Tuesday it is creating 3,500 jobs to meet surging demand for its home delivery service caused by the pandemic.
The chain said it would be recruiting 2,500 pickers and drivers while hiring about 1,000 people to work in distribution centres.
It is also planning a new call centre for those without access to online shopping, plus the launch of a new range of simple-to-order food parcels from next Monday.
© @Copyright HELLO! Hello! Magazine
As most of us have discovered, bagging a supermarket delivery right now is on a par with winning the lottery – the booking slots are snapped up straight away, meaning many vulnerable customers are struggling to find a solution to getting their food shopping. The government has provided stores with a list of clinically vulnerable people who qualify for priority booking, however, some are still unsure of how to book their delivery slots. We contacted Tesco to find out exactly how these customers can book online shops…
Tesco Delivery Slots For Elderly Citizens
A spokesperson for Tesco told HELLO!: 'We have been working hard to increase the capacity of our online delivery service to help more customers gain access to this service when they need it.'
© Provided by Hello! tesco-signTesco are prioritising their vulnerable customers
How many vulnerable people have Tesco contacted?
Tesco's CEO Dave Lewis said: 'On Thursday, we were given an initial list of 110,000 clinically and socially isolated people by the Government. From these, we were able to match 75,000 existing customers and we've already contacted them to let them know we're making home delivery slots immediately available to them. As we receive more data from Government, we'll make even more slots available.'
How do I book a Tesco delivery slot for a vulnerable person?
To book a slot for a vulnerable person, you need to go to tesco.com/groceries and log in. Vulnerable customers can book a priority slot with an eight-hour window for delivery.
MORE: Waitrose launches e-gift card for self-isolating customers during coronavirus
What if I don't have a Tesco account but am a vulnerable person?
If you don't currently have an account with Tesco but have received a letter from the NHS because you're classified as clinically vulnerable, you can create an account on their website or call Tesco on 0800 917 7359. The store can then check if you are on the government's list.
Is Tesco adding more online delivery slots?
Tesco CEO Dave Lewis said: 'We have increased our online delivery slots by 145,000 in the last two weeks with hundreds of thousands more due to become available shortly; but we know it's still difficult to get an online delivery slot at the moment due to high demand, and we ask those who are able to safely come to stores to do so, instead of shopping online, so we can start to free up more slots for the more vulnerable.'
Is Tesco recruiting more delivery drivers?
The supermarket is in the process of adding almost 200 new delivery vans and has recruited 2,500 new drivers and more than 5,000 pickers.
Tesco Home Delivery
MORE:How to secure a Sainsbury's home delivery slot for a vulnerable person
What are Tesco's shopping times for vulnerable customers?
Sainsbury's has now said customers over 70 and those with a disability will also have priority access to online delivery slots from Monday and the chain is also expanding its 'click and collect' service.
Mr Coupe added that as of Thursday, Sainsbury's will be closing its cafes and its meat, fish and pizza counters to free up freight capacity for essential products.
Customers will also only be able to buy a maximum of three of any grocery product and a maximum of two on the most popular items such as toilet roll, soap and UHT milk from Wednesday onward.
'As we work to feed the nation, we are also focusing all of our efforts on getting as much food and other essential items from our suppliers, into our warehouses and onto shelves as we possibly can', Mr Coupe said.
'We still have enough food for everyone – if we all just buy what we need for us and our families.'
Tesco has had to bring in similar purchasing restrictions to curb panic buying, particularly on anti-bacterial wipes, dried past and toilet roll.
It was forced to take its mobile app offline temporarily due to high demand on Tuesday, and announced it would be reducing the hours of all of its 24-hour stores to 6am to 10pm.
Coronavirus: Everything you need to know
Your daily one-minute update from ITV News
Check the number of cases in your area with our interactive map
Your work, travel, and childcare rights
How to protect yourself against the virus
The most Googled questions - answered
How to self isolate
The new sick pay rules
A spokeswoman said: 'It gives our colleagues the time overnight to restock the store, replenish the shelves and support our online grocery service at a time when demand is high.'
Elsewhere, rival Morrisons announced on Tuesday it is creating 3,500 jobs to meet surging demand for its home delivery service caused by the pandemic.
The chain said it would be recruiting 2,500 pickers and drivers while hiring about 1,000 people to work in distribution centres.
It is also planning a new call centre for those without access to online shopping, plus the launch of a new range of simple-to-order food parcels from next Monday.
© @Copyright HELLO! Hello! Magazine
As most of us have discovered, bagging a supermarket delivery right now is on a par with winning the lottery – the booking slots are snapped up straight away, meaning many vulnerable customers are struggling to find a solution to getting their food shopping. The government has provided stores with a list of clinically vulnerable people who qualify for priority booking, however, some are still unsure of how to book their delivery slots. We contacted Tesco to find out exactly how these customers can book online shops…
Tesco Delivery Slots For Elderly Citizens
A spokesperson for Tesco told HELLO!: 'We have been working hard to increase the capacity of our online delivery service to help more customers gain access to this service when they need it.'
© Provided by Hello! tesco-signTesco are prioritising their vulnerable customers
How many vulnerable people have Tesco contacted?
Tesco's CEO Dave Lewis said: 'On Thursday, we were given an initial list of 110,000 clinically and socially isolated people by the Government. From these, we were able to match 75,000 existing customers and we've already contacted them to let them know we're making home delivery slots immediately available to them. As we receive more data from Government, we'll make even more slots available.'
How do I book a Tesco delivery slot for a vulnerable person?
To book a slot for a vulnerable person, you need to go to tesco.com/groceries and log in. Vulnerable customers can book a priority slot with an eight-hour window for delivery.
MORE: Waitrose launches e-gift card for self-isolating customers during coronavirus
What if I don't have a Tesco account but am a vulnerable person?
If you don't currently have an account with Tesco but have received a letter from the NHS because you're classified as clinically vulnerable, you can create an account on their website or call Tesco on 0800 917 7359. The store can then check if you are on the government's list.
Is Tesco adding more online delivery slots?
Tesco CEO Dave Lewis said: 'We have increased our online delivery slots by 145,000 in the last two weeks with hundreds of thousands more due to become available shortly; but we know it's still difficult to get an online delivery slot at the moment due to high demand, and we ask those who are able to safely come to stores to do so, instead of shopping online, so we can start to free up more slots for the more vulnerable.'
Is Tesco recruiting more delivery drivers?
The supermarket is in the process of adding almost 200 new delivery vans and has recruited 2,500 new drivers and more than 5,000 pickers.
Tesco Home Delivery
MORE:How to secure a Sainsbury's home delivery slot for a vulnerable person
What are Tesco's shopping times for vulnerable customers?
The Tesco website states: 'We want to help everyone through these uncertain times, especially those who need extra help. So all our stores (except Express stores) will be prioritising the elderly and most vulnerable for one hour between 9am and 10am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.'
