Supermarket chains in the UK announced strict new procurement restrictions and pointed to relaxed regulations on the matter because they have difficulty keeping food on the shelves or even there business storage while customers are shopping.
Hoarders – Help for individuals & family members
Asda and Tesco closed service counters (such as deli and fish counters) and joined Sainsbury, Aldi, Liddell, and cooperatives by limiting the number of purchases.
Online grocery store Ocado closed its whole website and application until Saturday while the bosses are working on approaches to make more delivery hours available. The grocery store has restricted orders to existing customers.
David Potts, CEO of Morrisons, asked the government to specify some regulations that food markets must adhere to, including reducing weight restrictions on trucks so that each car can contain more foodstuff. He also hopes to scrap competition laws so grocers can work jointly to fulfill marketplace demand. Potts stated, “There’ll be a piece of regulation that functions correctly in peacetime and not so ideal in wartime.”
Stores and coffee shops are also taking steps to help give protection to their employees and customers from the corona spread. Tesco introduced a social distance line one meter away at the checkout, and Morrison installed protective screens for sales staff on each checkout system.
The government ’s recommendation is to avoid restaurants and bars, which has also promoted the demand for supermarkets, as families prepare more meals at home in days of quarantine.
In the past two weeks, Morrison’s sales are approximated to have increased by 15%.
The company stated that “the inventory is large” because customers are prepared to have a longer period staying at home.
Morrison also stated that it has decided to postpone the payment of a special dividend to shareholders, and analysts expect the dividend to be about £ 100 million. It can be ready for any problems related to these difficult times related to the virus.
Potts and company chairman Andy Higginson explained in a joint statement: “At present, we are facing unheard of challenges and uncertainties for coping up with Covid-19.”
Morrison stated its aim is to meet a growing demand by narrowing the scope and increasing food creation. The company explained it can pack more bread this week, for example, reducing the bread offered on convenience stores.