It feels like eons ago that the nation first went into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic – does anyone even remember normal shopping trips? Thankfully, the major supermarkets stepped up, increasing their online delivery slots, introducing essential-item food boxes and giving vulnerable people priority booking slots.
Here at HELLO! we've been regularly updating you with the latest news and changes from the UK's major grocery stores. Find out what's new for July with online shopping deliveries from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and Ocado below…
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Asda
- Like many supermarkets, Asda is selling food boxes with all the store cupboard essentials – now reduced from £30 to £25.
- The store has increased its delivery slots from 450,000 a week to 700,000 a week.
- Asda has reduced the order amends window on its website to seven days before the delivery date. The cut off time is also earlier – 10pm the day before the order is due.
- Delivery drivers are maintaining a two-metre distance between themselves and customers, and have alcohol hand gel and cleaning materials to keep their equipment clean for every order.
- Asda has given existing care home customers priority access to delivery slots.
- New delivery passes are not available right now.
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Tesco
- Tesco is expanding its home delivery and Click+Collect capacity and recruiting new colleagues and drivers. The store has doubled its online capacity since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
- Existing Tesco online customers who can't shop safely in store but who want access to priority online slots can call 0900 917 7359 for help. · Priority delivery slots have an eight-hour delivery window – either from 10am-6pm or 2pm-10pm.
- Vulnerable customers should include their mobile phone number on their order – on the day of delivery, Tesco will contact you with your one-hour slot in your chosen window.
- Tesco has introduced a limit of one Click+Collect order per person a week.
- There is currently a limit of three units per customer on online orders of face coverings, antibacterial handwash, antibacterial wipes, flour, and eggs.
- To remove yourself from the 'priority slot' or 'vulnerable customer' group, call 0800 917 7359.
Sainsbury's
- A Sainsbury's representative told HELLO!: "We are continuing to prioritise the nation's most vulnerable people for our delivery slots and have increased capacity to over 650,000 orders a week. We have also recently rolled out our one-hour grocery delivery service Chop Chop beyond London and it is now in 15 cities."
- The supermarket is now accepting new online grocery registrations to access their home delivery and Click & Collect service.
- Sainsbury's is not currently accepting any new delivery pass applications.
- The store has started to remove some limits on the number of certain non-essential products you can buy. Limits remain in place on the most popular items which include UHT milk, pasta and tinned tomatoes.
- Sainsbury's is temporarily limiting delivery slots to one per customer within a seven day period. You can still amend your order up to a day before your delivery.
- The store has introduced 30-minute pick-up slots for its Click+Collect customers in some of their locations alongside the usual hour slot.
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Ocado
- Ocado has emailed all customers with priority access with information on how to access a delivery slot. They are updating delivery slots daily. If you can access the website, it means you have been given priority.
- For customers without priority access, you can sign up to receive email alerts when Ocado is able to offer you a delivery slot. Fill out the 'Contact Us' form. In 'Reason to contact', choose 'I am trying to place an order', then in 'My issue is', choose 'I'd like you to email me when you release delivery slots in my area'.
Morrisons
- Morrisons is now offering customers 16 different types of food boxes for home delivery. You need to register on their website for this service.
- The store is also delivering Bouquet Boxes of flowers for just £20.
- Food box orders can be made on the phone with free next day delivery. Call 0345 611 6111.
- Amazon Prime members can now order same-day Morrisons grocery deliveries. At the end of May, this service was extended to over 40 stores.
- Morrisons says you can request a refund online within 48 hours of delivery. Go to 'my orders', and use the request refund function, specifying the product and the issue.
- The store has introduced a restriction of five items per customer on every product line online.