Tesco boss pleads with shoppers to leave delivery slots to elderly and vulnerable
THE boss of supermarket chain Tesco has urged healthy shoppers to leave delivery slots for elderly and vulnerable customers during the coronavirus crisis.
Stores across the UK have been placed under extreme demand in recent weeks with delivery slots selling out at an unprecedented rate.
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CEO Dave Lewis sent an email to customers last night reminding them to think of shoppers who can’t make it to stores.
He said: “We know that it’s difficult right now to get a delivery slot for online shopping.
“We are at full capacity for the next few weeks and we ask those who are able to safely come to stores to do so, instead of shopping online, so that we can start to free up more slots for the more vulnerable.”
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 and vulnerable customers.
Tesco had no delivery slots available, going up to April 15, when The Sun online checked this morning.
We only used one London postcode to check availability, so you may have better choice in your area.
How to get an online delivery slot
MANY retailers have sold out of online delivery and click and collect slots.
But it's worth continuing to check regularly as some say they are trying to increase capacity.
We've asked supermarkets when the best time to check sites is but in the past, shoppers have waited till midnight for new slots to be released.
At this time of night, websites are also likely to be quieter which means there's less chance of them crashing due to high demand.
If you're vulnerable, disabled or elderly you should also let Iceland and Sainsbury's know as these supermarkets are giving online priority to these shoppers.
You can contact Sainsbury's on 0800 328 1700 if it hasn't already contacted you to tell you you fall in this category, while with Iceland you simply need to select that option when you visit its website.
Sainsbury's and Morrisons had also sold out of delivery slots.
Iceland is reserving all online delivery slots for pensioners, vulnerable people, and those that are self-isolating.
Anyone visiting Iceland’s website is met with a message asking them if they are eligible for the service.
But it is unclear how the retailer would check if customers genuinely meet the criteria.
If you do decide to shop online, remember to check if your supermarket has a minimum spend and how much it charges for delivery.
And ensure you let your supermarket know if you’re self isolating when you order so it can take extra precautions.
Online shopping and deliveries are set to continue despite the lockdown of “non-essential” UK shops, which was announced.
Most supermarkets are also rationing what you can buy.
But is there a good time to visit your local supermarket during lockdown?