After an impressive hiring spree and masses of work from staff and suppliers, Britain’s supermarkets are finally starting to remove their buying limits.
The latest moves from Aldi and Sainsbury’s follow relaxed limits from Lidl , Morrisons and Waitrose earlier in the week.
“Due to out amazing colleagues our shelves are now fully stocked,” Aldi wrote in a message to customers.
But things aren’t quite back to normal yet.
(Tesco , Asda , (Aldi , M&S) , Morrisons , Iceland and Sainsbury’s all still have chang es to opening times and rules to stop shoppers from panic buying.
Common themes are special arrangements for NHS staff as well as elderly and vulnerable customers, as well as reduced Opening hours to allow re-stocking and limits are still in place on how many of certain items you can buy.
There are also changes to the shops themselves – from plastic screens at the checkouts to closed counters and markings on the floor to help make social distancing easier.
Among other things that have changed this week include the raising of the contactless limit at most store – letting people buy £ 90 Worth of groceries by card without having to touch the PIN pad – as well as new guidance on how many people can shop at once.
We’ve rounded up the latest supermarket buying restrictions, opening times changes and more below:
Sainsbury’s has brought new rules and opening times into force.
These include queueing systems outside of stores to limit numbers, markings on the floor plus screens at our checkouts in every supermarket and convenience store.
Counters and cafes have been closed to free up staff and space for essentials.
The latest changes limit people to sending just one adult per household to the shop – with others asked to stay outside – while buying limits are abeing relaxed.
Chief Executive Mike Coupe said: “As stock continues to build, we have been reviewing whether we still need to limit the number of items people buy. I am pleased to tell you that we will start to remove limits from Sunday. Limits will remain in place on the most popular items which include UHT milk, pasta and tinned tomatoes.
“We have removed limits from Easter eggs immedia tely as we know families often want to buy more than three and we have plenty of these in all stores and online. “
Key changes:
Giving our existing online customers who are vulnerable priority access to online home delivery
- , 0 slots across home delivery and click & Collect (up form , (0)
- Every Monday, Wedne sday and Friday, supermarkets will dedicate (to) . to serve elderly customers, disabled customers and their carers
- NHS and social care workers can shop for half an hour before supermarkets open from Monday to Saturday. Anyone with NHS ID will be able to shop from to on these days (Only one adult per household per shop)
Tesco) ![]()
(Image: Birmingham Mail) Tesco has cut opening times at many stores to let staff re-stock shelves.
It is also giving priority access to NHS staff 9am – 30 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as browsing hour on Sundays – but this does not apply to Express stores.
Other changes in store include limits to customer number, a one-way system and floor makings at the tills to help social distancing as well as protective sreens and hand sanitiser dispensers.
Tesco also (limited online shops to items
, and each product is limited to a maximum of three per customer.It’s also “simplified” its range of some products where demand is high – for example no longer stocking skimmed milk to free up space for the more popular semi-skimmed and full fat varieties.
Key changes:
![]()
Asda has changed opening hours (Image: Getty Images) ( Asda has also limited numbers of people through the doors at any one time – as well as brought in protective screens and floor markings at the tills.
Asda is giving NHS workers early access to larger stores every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am to 9am. Sunday’s browsing hour is also dedicated to NHS staff.
The chain has revealed it will be temporarily closing its hour stores between am and 6am.
Key changes:
![]()
Reduced the opening hours of stores to 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday![]()
Prioritising NHS / care workers in larger stores every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am to 9am ![]()
Limits to number of people at any one time
A limit of three of any product across food items, toiletries and cleaning products.
Aldi has said it will scrap buying restrictions across a range or products thanks to the hard work of its staff but some still remain in place.
“Due to out amazing colleagues our shelves are now fully stocked,” Aldi wrote in a message to customers.
“We have therefore lifted restriction on most items across the store, including nappies, beers, wines and spirits.”
Key changes and buying limits:
NHS, Police and Fire Service take priority ahead of queues into stores. This is in addition to early access on a Sunday, where they can enter stores (minutes prior to opening
(Extended delivery time frame for all deliveries to 3 to 30 working days Opening hours shortened to 8am – 8pm every day, apart from Sundays when it opens from (am – 4pm (9am – 6pm in Scotland) 2 units limit of antibacterial gel, baby formula, UHT milk
- 4 units limit of hand wash, soap, shower gel, antibacterial wipes, bleach, loo roll, kitchen roll, tissues, pasta, canned tomatoes, beans and sausages, part baked bread units per online order on wines or spirits Iceland
Iceland’s supermarkets will open early for elderly shoppers before they open to the public.
Throughout the week, elderly shoppers can pop into their local store between 8am and 9am to get their shopping done first.
The supermarket chain is also offering a daily slot for NHS workers to shop.
It has introduced product limits to all purchases, with essentials such as pasta and loo roll having harsher restrictions.
Monday to Saturday first hour of trading: priority access to the elderly and vulnerable customers.
Opening hours vary across the UK. You can find out opening hours for your local Morrisons store by visiting groceries.morrisons.com
.
Stores across the UK have a dedicated hour from Monday-Saturday between 7am and 8am as well as (minutes to browse from 9 am-9.) (am on Sundays.
(M&S) 21698789
NHS staff, the elderly and vulnerable customers will have hours set aside for them to ensure they are able to buy the essentials they need.
A statement by M&S read: “Supporting our customers and communities during this difficult time is our number one priortiy.
“We want to make sure everyone has access to the items they need, so we are setting aside the first hour of trading on certain days for our older and vulnerable customers, and for our brilliant NHS and emergency workers.
“For older and vulnerable customers, this will start tomorrow on Friday th March, and going forward after that, on Mondays and Thursdays.
“For NHS and emergency workers, this will be Tuesdays and Fridays.”
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