Which supermarkets are opening earlier and when to help elderly access supplies
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SUPERMARKETS including Iceland and Lidl are opening their doors earlier to help elderly customers during the coronavirus outbreak.
It means older shoppers won’t miss out on essentials or risk being caught up in huge crowds stockpiling goods.
Iceland was the first supermarket to confirm the change in hours, prompting calls from customers for other grocers to follow suit.
As well as supermarkets, banks have also started dedicating hours to pensioners.
It comes as cases of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, have jumped to 2,692 in the UK with 137 deaths reported at the time of writing.
Here's everything you need to know.
What are supermarkets doing to help the elderly?
Iceland said it would be opening some stores early, just for elderly customers.
Other stores will be sticking to the same opening hours, but will dedicate their first hour of shop to older shoppers.
During these times, other shoppers will not be allowed into stores.
Iceland couldn’t give us an exact list, or tell us which days the special hours will be operating and how often.
Instead, it is advising customers to get in contact with their local supermarket to find out if they’re offering elderly-only hours.
The first store it confirmed was its supermarket in the Kennedy Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland - this opened from 8am till 9am yesterday morning, March 17, just for the elderly.
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Asda: The supermarket is asking regular customers not to shop before 9am on March 20 so the elderly have priority.
Asda say they’ll decide whether to do more days at the end of this week.
Aldi: Aldi isn't adapting its store hours but it's donating £250,000 to Age UK.
Iceland: Some Iceland supermarkets are giving pensioners one hour to shop, while others it’s two.
Iceland has 960 stores in the UK - you can track down your nearest one and its contact details by using its .
Lidl: Lidl shops in Ireland allowed only pensioners to shop during the first two hours of service on Tuesday, March 17.
These hours were in force across all 163 shops in Ireland.
However, Lidl confirmed to The Sun that it won't be doing anything similar in England, Scotland and Wales.
M&S: M&S is dedicating the first hour of trade every Monday and Thursday to elderly shoppers.
It’ll do the same for emergency service workers every Tuesday and Friday.
Morrisons: Morrisons is dedicating one hour, between 9am and 10am, Monday to Saturday where the vulnerable and the elderly will be given more help in the store.
This will start from today, March 19, and will be on-going for the foreseeable future.
The Sun has asked Morrisons exactly what help will be offered, and if other customers will be allowed to shop during this hour.
Sainsbury's: Tomorrow only, March 19, will see Sainsbury's allow only elderly and vulnerable customers to shop.
Customers are being advised to call their local store to check they’re taking part - use the to locate your nearest branch.
From March 23, Sainsbury's customers over the age of 70 and shoppers with a disability will have priority access to online delivery slots.
Tesco: Elderly shoppers will be prioritised during the first hour of trade, usually 9am to 10am, in all larger stores across the UK every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tesco expects this to be an on-going measure. It doesn’t include Express stores.
Waitrose: From Friday, Waitrose supermarkets will give priority to elderly and vulnerable customers for the first hour of trade. We've asked Waitrose if they expect this to be on-going and we'll update this article when we know more.
What else is being done to help older people?
Nationwide said it would open banks an hour early – at 8am instead of the usual 9am – to help those over the age of 70.
These special hours will be in place at 100 Nationwide branches for now, but the bank said it would look to extend it if the service proves popular.
We've asked Nationwide if banks will open early every day for the foreseeable and we'll update this article when we know more.
Contact your nearest branch by using the to see if it is opening early for the elderly.
Meanwhile, Day-Today convenience stores in Scotland have been praised on social media for reportedly looking out for elderly and vulnerable customers.
Shoppers say one Edinburgh store is handing out free COVID-19 "survival packs" including toilet roll, an anti-bacterial handwash, a packet of pocket tissues and one packet of paracetamol.
While others say a Falkirk branch is giving out face masks, anti-bacterial hand gel and cleaning wipes to pensioners.
We've put this to the firm, which has 200 stores around Scotland, and will update this story when we know more.
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