Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons update safety rules in stores

The announcements were made ahead of England entering a four-week national lockdown from November 5 until December 2.

Here's everything you need to know.

What has Asda said?

On Wednesday, November 4, Asda announced it is putting additional safety measures in place to protect customers and colleagues in stores.

The enhanced measures, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks, include:  

• Extending the hours Asda’s 1,000 Covid Safety Marshals will be on duty at the front of every store from 8am to 8pm. These colleagues will be on hand to manage access, help customers with safety queries, and remind them of the need to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing when they shop.
• Positioning Covid Safety Marshals in the busiest sections of larger stores to manage footfall and help customers to maintain social distancing.
• Applying a protective antibacterial coating to all trolley and basket handles to prevent the spread of bacteria. The same coating is successfully used to kill bacteria in the NHS Nightingale Excel Hospital.
• Installing an additional 700 sanitisation stations at the front of stores complementing the 3,500 stations already in place. More sanitisation stations have been added within stores including a minimum of 10 in each superstore.
• Automatic counting technology will be installed in more than 100 stores to manage capacity and help customers socially distance. In addition, Asda is trialling a queuing app in 50 stores where customers can wait in their cars before receiving a notification to enter the store.
• All tills will be opened at the busiest times to reduce queues and speed up the checkout process for customers.

Asda says the additional initiatives will supplement the comprehensive safety measures already in place such as Perspex screens at every checkout, refreshed social distancing signage throughout stores, and regular deep cleaning regimes.

The supermarket chain added that they currently have good product availability in store and online and can reassure customers that they do not need to buy more than they normally would before or after the lockdown comes into effect. 

Roger Burnley, CEO and president at Asda, said: "Providing a safe environment for our customers and colleagues to shop and work has been our priority throughout the pandemic and we are stepping up the measures we have in store to provide additional protection.

"We would ask customers to play their part by respecting social distancing and shopping responsibly when they visit our stores.”

What has Sainsbury's said?

In a letter to shoppers on Wednesday, November 4 - Simon Roberts, the CEO of Sainsbury's said: "Over the last few months, we have been focused on adapting our business to keep you safe and serve you well.

"As we are seeing increased restrictions across the nation, I am writing to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to keep you and our colleagues safe when you shop with us.

"We are also aware that this is a challenging time for those in need and I want to tell you more about how we are ramping up our efforts to support the communities we serve and help get food to those who need it the most.

"As we approach winter, we know that queuing will become harder for some of our customers.

"From Thursday (November 5), we will offer elderly and vulnerable customers and NHS and care workers with an NHS ID priority access to our stores. This means you can skip the queue at any time so that we can welcome you into our stores quickly and safely.

"We will continue to have socially distanced queuing systems in place outside our stores, supported by a greeter at the front of stores at busier times of day and we ask that you please queue at a safe distance of two metres apart.

"We are following government guidance and encourage you to please do the same by wearing a mask when you are in our stores. However, we completely understand if you are medically exempt from wearing a mask.

"Where possible, we ask that you only send one adult per household when you shop with us. This will help us manage the number of people in our stores and make your shop quicker and smoother.

"As we keep working hard to feed the nation, we are focused on getting as much food and other essential items as possible onto shelves. We have a good supply of stock so please also continue to buy what you need for yourself and your family and there will be enough for everyone.

"We have been working hard to increase the number of online orders we can carry out and we are on track to fulfil 750,000 online orders per week across home delivery and Click and Collect.

"We’ll be going into the festive season able to serve more people than ever before and we’ll increase this as much as we can as we head into Christmas.

"Since March, we have delivered over seven million orders to our elderly and vulnerable customers and these customers still have priority access to online orders. If you are a self-isolating customer, please use the delivery instructions box on the online checkout to let us know.

"I also want to let you know that our online order slots for the core Christmas period, 20th to 23rd December, go on general release from 29th November.

"All our online orders will continue to be delivered without bags, which allows us to serve more customers, however our drivers can help our elderly and vulnerable customers transfer their shopping into bags if needed.

"Earlier this year, with help from our customers and colleagues, we donated over £4 million to Comic Relief and Children in Need and £3 million to Fareshare to support food banks. However we know that sadly, many people are still struggling to feed themselves and their families.

"To ensure that no one goes hungry this Christmas, we are creating a £5 million community fund as part of our ‘Help Brighten a Million Christmases’ campaign.

"We invite you to support by donating Nectar points, food and other essential products or money in store and online between 1st-14th December.

"We’ll match donations up to £4 million and with your help, we can raise up to and beyond £8 million for local charities and communities, supporting the most vulnerable in society.

"In addition to the £4 million guaranteed donation, we are creating a £1 million pot for our stores to contribute to local community groups and good causes. We’ll share more details on how you can help us Brighten a Million Christmases in the coming weeks.

"We are also proud to support The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal, for the 26th year, to raise funds to help the Armed Forces community. In addition to purchasing paper poppies until 11th November, you can support by donating your Nectar points via the Nectar app and website, or through cashless donations at checkouts in store and online.

"Finally, to recognise the amazing effort of our colleagues across the UK, we will be making a second thank you payment, of 10% of four weeks' pay, to all of our frontline colleagues and managers who have gone above and beyond this year, in time for Christmas.

"I know this has been an incredibly challenging year for everyone, so thank you for being patient with us. Our colleagues continue to come to work on the front line every day to help keep the nation fed and I am extremely grateful to them for everything they are doing day in, day out to serve you and all our customers."

What has Tesco said?

The supermarket chain shared an update on its website.

It read: "We’re continuing to do all we can to ensure that everyone can get the food they need in a safe environment.

"We have installed a simple ’traffic light’ system in some of our larger stores to help us manage the flow in and out. Once in-store, please keep to the social distancing markings.

"If there’s a queue outside and it’s raining, we’ll be handing out sanitised umbrellas in our larger stores.

"Hand sanitiser and cleaning stations are available around our stores, and we continue to have social distancing guidelines and signage in place.

"There are screens at the checkouts to keep everyone safe, and we encourage you to use contactless payment where you can.

"When you visit our stores, please follow the legal guidance on wearing a face covering.

"If you forget to bring one, we have packs available to buy at the front of our stores, which you can open immediately and pay for with your shopping later.

"As a reminder, the police can issue fines for not wearing a face covering, unless you’re exempt.

"We’re continuing our dedicated hours for vulnerable customers. 

"As the NHS continue to work hard each day, we’d like to extend the thank you for all they are doing.

"We’re giving NHS, emergency service, and care workers priority access to our stores to help them shop when they have the time. If there’s a queue, please come to the front with your valid ID to enter."

What has Morrisons said?

Supermarket chain Morrisons has re-introduced limits on a number of products following concerns of panic buying. 

The full list of products that have been capped are:

• Bar soap - maximum of three items 
• Hand sanitizers - maximum of three items 
• Hand wash - maximum of three items 
• Calpol - maximum of two items 
• World foods rice  - maximum of three items 
• World foods flour - maximum of three items 
• World foods oil - maximum of three items 
• Toilet paper - maximum of three items 
• Bathroom cleaning - maximum of three items 
• Floor cleaning -  maximum of three items
• Glass and window cleaning - maximum of three items  
• Kitchen cleaning - maximum of three items 
• Multi-purpose cleaning - maximum of three items 
• Bleach - maximum of three items 
• Disinfectant - maximum of three items 
• Toilet care bleach and disinfectant - maximum of three items 
• Kitchen roll - maximum of three items 

A Morrisons spokeswoman said: "We are introducing a limit on a small number of key products, such as toilet roll and disinfectant.

"Our stock levels of these products are good but we want to ensure that they are available for everyone."

In September, Morrisons revealed an investment plan to increase its hygiene standards - as part of a new programme that would see every one of its 494 stores receive a three-week deep-clean, brand new equipment, and additional cleaning staff.

It follows the supermarket already spending £25 million to implement store safety measures - such as Perspex screens, PPE for colleagues and floor markings and visible signage during lockdown.

Jayne Wall, operations director at Morrisons said: “The hygiene within our stores has become more important than ever due to the impact of Covid-19.

"We want to make sure our customers feel as safe as possible when doing their grocery shopping with us. So we’ve made this multi-million-pound investment to introduce first class hygiene procedures.”