6 supermarket shopping rules you need to know this week

SUPERMARKETS are on a mission to feed the nation as coronavirus continues to sweep the UK.

All the UK's major supermarket are staying open so we can buy groceries, but most have introduced new rules to keep customers and staff safe.

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From opening hours for the elderly and social distancing to no children in supermarkets and no couples shopping together - here's all the rules you need to know.

1) Opening hours have changed

Most supermarkets have made changes to their usual opening hours.

Some are closing earlier to allow for restocking and cleaning, while others are extending hours to allow quieter times for shoppers.

While shopping times vary by individual shop, here's the general hours for each supermarket:

Tesco: Typically, larger Tesco stores open between 6am and 8pm, and shut at 10pm Monday to Saturday, while smaller Express branches are open 7am to 10pm.

Sunday hours vary, so you should check using the

Most 24-hour stores are operating reduced opening times.

Asda:  Asda has temporarily reduced the normal opening hours of its stores to either 8am to 8pm or 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday.

You can use its  to find hours at your nearest shop, and Asda says this will be updated every few hours.

Sainsbury's: All Sainsbury's stores are now opening later in the morning from 08.00 to 20.00 Monday – Saturday.

With the exception of some stores in Scotland, Sunday opening hours are the same.

Use the to get specific opening hours at your nearest shop.

Aldi: Aldi has extending its opening hours until 10pm Monday to Saturday.

It says its busiest time is first thing in the morning, so by extending hours you have more time to shop safely.

Normal Sunday opening hours remain in place.

Lidl: Lidl stores are open, but make sure you check our  as the hours in many shops have changed.

Lidl has also introduced a traffic light system to help you find the quietest time to shop.

Waitrose: While Waitrose stores are open, some are closing earlier than usual to allow for extra cleaning and restocking.

Check the for opening hours at your local.

Morrisons: Morrisons has not yet announced any changes to opening times, with most stores open from 7am.

You can

Iceland: Some Iceland stores have reduced their trading hours.

These vary by store, depending on peak times and the number of staff.

You can check using the but Iceland warns this may not always be up to date.

Co-op: Most stores will now be open from 7am to 8pm.

Stores with a petrol station will have a closing time of 11pm to allow for access to fuel.

2) Some hours will be dedicated for vulnerable customers or key workers

Most supermarkets have introduced times where stores will only be open for elderly or vulnerable customers.

There are also dedicated times for key workers such as NHS staff.

Here's what each supermarket is doing:

Tesco

• Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday between 9am and 10am, Tesco will open specifically for just NHS workers.
• Tesco has reserved the hours of 9am-10am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for its most vulnerable customers.

These special hours do not apply to Tesco Express stores.

Asda 

• NHS and careworkers have priority hours in larger stores every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am to 9am.
• On Sundays from 9am to 10am NHS and careworkers will be allowed early access

Sainsbury's

• Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, supermarkets will dedicate 08.00 to 09.00 to serving elderly customers, disabled customers and their carers.
• NHS and social care workers will be able to shop in our supermarkets for half an hour before they open, from Monday to Saturday. Anyone with an NHS ID card will be able to shop from 07.30 to 08.00 on these days

Aldi

• Key workers in the NHS, Police and Fire Service will take priority ahead of queues into our stores if they show a valid ID. This is in place all day, every day.
• On a Sunday, key workers can enter stores 30 minutes prior to opening.
• Aldi is also opening 30 minutes early Monday - Saturday for the Elderly (over 70) and vulnerable. In England and Wales, this is for browsing only.

Lidl

• Lidl has not introduced any additional opening hours for vulnerable shoppers or key workers.

Waitrose

• The first opening hour in our supermarkets is dedicated for elderly and vulnerable shoppers, and those who look after them.
• There are no specific times for NHS or other key workers, but Waitrose says it has set aside hard-to-find and essential products exclusively for NHS staff, on production of an NHS card.
• Waitrose is giving NHS staff priority checkout service.

Morrisons

• Morrisons has introduced a National Health Service Hour at all stores at the beginning of every day, Monday to Saturday, from 6am to 7am.
• On Sundays, the majority of our stores will open at 9am for NHS workers to shop. For any other stores that open later than 9:30, they will open 1 hour earlier for NHS staff.

Iceland

• The final hour of the day at Iceland is reserved for NHS staff
• The Food Warehouse stores are offering NHS workers exclusive access for the first hour of trading from 7am
• Some Iceland stores have introduced a "silver hour" to allow elderly shoppers to make their purchases before the supermarkets open to the public.

Co-op

• All stores have a dedicated shopping hour for vulnerable customers, carers and NHS workers.
• This takes place from 8am to 9am Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 11am on Sundays

3) Stay two metres away from other customers

All the supermarkets have asked customers to respect the government's social distancing measures.

This means you must keep two metres from other customers while shopping.

Some supermarkets are limiting the number of shoppers in store to help with distancing.

Here's what each supermarket is doing:

Tesco

• Introduced new one-way shopping aisles to help customers keep a safe two-metre distance from each other.
• Started a "one in, one out" policy with customers queuing outside to control the number of people in stores.

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Asda

• Asda says: "where necessary, the number of customers in our stores will be limited at any one time so social distancing can be observed."
• The supermarket is also providing clear signage, directional barriers and floor markings to help you maintain a two-metre distance from other customers and colleagues.

Sainsbury's:

• Introduced queuing systems outside of stores to limit the number of customers in stores at any one time
• Clear markings on the floor to help people move safely around stores.
• Limited the number of people at ATMs at any one time.
• Put queuing systems in place outside stores with customers standing two metres apart.

Aldi

• Aldi says it may limit customer entry at busy times and has placed two-metre markers on the floor to help people keep their distance.
• Where possible, Aldi is implementing a queuing system outside of stores.

Lidl

• Lidl has put a crowd control system in place to help manage social distancing in stores.
• This includes positioning security guards at store entrances to keep track of how many customers enter.
• There are messages around stores to remind everyone about the importance of keeping a two-metre distance from one another when shopping.

Waitrose

• Limiting the number of customers in shops at any one time.
• Dedicated marshals at each store to help manage queues, reminding customers of the two-metre social distancing rule.
• Introducing floor signage in all shops to ensure customers keep two metres apart when queuing at checkouts and at welcome desks

Co-op

• The Co-op is marking a one metre distance with tape at pay kiosks for customers to stand behind
• Marking two metre spacing on the floor to guide customer queues.
• If necessary, the Co-op says it will limit the number of customers in the store at any one time to maintain this distance.

4) Shopping with partners or children

A few supermarkets are trying to limit the number of customers from one family who shop at a time.

Here are the supermarkets who are introducing policies.

Asda: is asking customers to stick to one adult per trolley.

Sainsbury's: is asking everyone to only send one adult per household to its stores.

It says its store teams will be asking groups with more than one adult to choose one to shop and the others will have to wait outside.

Children are welcome if they are not able to stay at home.

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Aldi: The discounter has limited shopping people to one person per trolley where possible.

Waitrose: is advising couples not to shop together in a bid to shorten queues.

The supermarket chain on has asked that only one member of any household buy groceries,

The “one customer per household” rule has been put in place across all of s 338 stores.

However, the supermarket told the Sun it is not an outright ban.

5) Rationing on certain products

When the coronavirus crisis started to escalate most supermarkets introduced rationing to try and stop people stockpiling.

Since then, some have relaxed or removed their product limits.

Here's each supermarket's policy:

Tesco

Tesco has removed the purchase limit of three items per customer on the majority of items.

The supermarket says it's been able to increase stock to normal levels across most stores.

The three-item limit is still in place on the following items:

• Toilet rolls and paper goods
• Household and personal cleaning products including hand sanitisers
• Packets and tins of food, including pasta and rice
• Fresh eggs
• Home baking

The 80-item limit for Tesco online orders is still in place.

Asda

Asda has put purchasing limits of a maximum of three items on certain handwashing and baby milk products in store.

There are limits of two items per customer on the most popular items, including pasta, UHT milk, antibacterial products and some tinned and frozen foods.

Aldi

Aldi has removed all of its limits on food, milk, sanitiser and booze.

It has, however, stopped selling its full range of famous specialbuys in stores.

Lidl
Lidl has lifted its volume restrictions on all items apart from toilet paper

Customers are allowed to purchase ‘usual household’ quantities, but this is at the store manager’s discretion.

Waitrose

To ensure food is distributed fairly, Waitrose has introduced a temporary limit on some products.

In shops, customers will be able to buy three of any specific grocery item, and a maximum of any two packets of toilet roll.

The product limit in shops does not include fresh products such as fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, deli, bakery, fresh soups, meals and desserts.

The in-store cap is also not applied to beers, wines, cider and spirits or Easter Confectionery.

Customer limits depend on the size of the branch and the number of tills and are at the discretion of the shop's manager.

Morrisons

Morrisons had limited every product to a maximum of three per customer.

However, the chain has announced that that limit will now be raised to four items per customer.

Iceland

Iceland has introduced a temporary cap on sales of several products online including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes.

There may be similar restrictions on some items in store.

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Co-op

To make sure there’s enough for everyone the Co-op is limiting selected products to two per person in store

You can check with your local store for details.

6) Contactless paying

All the supermarkets are asking customers to pay contactlessly where possible.

They have upped the contactless limit from £30 to £45 to make this easier for customers.

Additionally Asda has asked customers to only touch items they intend to purchase.

Sainsbury's has said that customers who want to pay with cash will need to use the self-service tills.

Iceland has limited payments to cards only (contactless where possible) during the NHS exclusive hours.