– Supermarket will introduce new cleaning schedule, equipment and staff in all stores –
– Investment in next 12 months will create 2,240 jobs –
Morrisons is investing even more to increase its hygiene standards – as part of a new programme that will see every one of its 494 stores receive a three-week deep-clean, brand new equipment, and additional cleaning staff.
The latest investment is to make customers feel even safer in store. 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.
2,240 brand new cleaning roles will be created, including a new Market StreetHygiene Assistant in all stores – to clean food preparation areas across Market Street.
This will ensure Morrisons foodmakers can concentrate on making fresh quality products for its butcher, baker, fishmonger, deli, greengrocer and florist departments. Morrisons is unique in preparing and making more than half of the fresh food sold in its stores.
Additionally, nearly 30,000 more hours each week will be put into Morrisons existing Housekeepers and Core Cleaning roles. This will see more areas across its stores – such as toilets, shelving and ‘high touch’ areas – being cleaned even more frequently to protect colleagues and customers.
New Welcome Cleaning Stations are also being fitted at all store entrances providing antibacterial wipes for baskets and trolleys, as well as hand sanitiser.
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.”
Why our weekly shop may never be the same post Covid-19
New research shows that many of the online shopping habits we have adopted over lockdown are here to stay
61% of Brits say they shopped more online during Covid-19 with 89% saying they will continue to shop as much online or even more post-lockdown
The impact on businesses could be huge with the uptick in buying groceries, home and garden products, and hygiene products all set to stick around
Your weekly shop may never be the same according to brand new research which shows lockdown may well have permanently changed Brits’ buying habits.
Trading in the shopping trolley for a laptop, the figures show that the huge rise in online shopping during the pandemic will be anything but a flash in the pan, with shoppers keen to continue to log on and check out.
An e-commerce revolution
Covid-19 is ushering in a new age of consumer behaviour according to research which shows the vast majority of Brits plan to stick to their lockdown online buying habits.
Retailers have seen online sales increase dramatically with 61% of Brits admitting to shopping more online during Covid19. This rapid increase in ecommerce is expected to add £5.3bn to UK ecommerce sales in 2020, totalling £78.9bn[1].
It looks like this rapid e-commerce revolution is here to stay, with 89% saying they will continue to shop online at the same level or even more post-lockdown. An overwhelming 93% of Brits now feel confident about buying items online.
One of the categories that has seen the biggest increase include groceries, with 39% of Brits reporting an increase in online shopping. As much of our attention turned towards our homes, it’s no wonder that 29% of Brits reported increased online shopping for home and garden products – contributing to the 41% of Brits who received a home, garden or DIY related product since the Covid-19 crisis[2].
The research is borne out further by statistics from DS Smith, a leading provider of e-commerce packaging in Europe, with the company seeing a 100% increase in packaging demand for food packaging, flowers, and hygiene products sold online since the start of the pandemic.
The new normal
Even with lockdown easing, DS Smith’s research shows that many of these new shopping trends catalysed by Covid-19 are here to stay, with more than half of Brits planning to buy groceries (60%), hygiene products (51%), and home and garden products (54%) online at the same rate or higher in the next six months.
Across all surveyed categories – except beauty – men reported a greater uptick than women and said they were more likely to continue with their online shopping habits.
Trying something new
The changes aren’t just about volume. Not only are we buying more online, we’re also buying in new ways. Nearly a third of Brits said they have signed up to a new shopping website that they hadn’t used before lockdown and spending on meal kits and grocery delivery boxes soared by 114% after people were told to stay indoors.
There’s also evidence that Brits did pick up new lockdown hobbies, spiking online orders for leisure products. DS Smith’s data shows a 60% increase in demand for e-commerce solutions for leisure.
One in five (19%) have been embracing their creative side during lockdown by ordering arts and crafts items and Peloton, fitness equipment maker, saw their quarterly revenue soar by 66% since Covid-19 took hold.
As a result of these accelerated changes and to meet new customer demand, businesses large and small have been forced to rapidly initiate or adapt e-commerce offerings – a process which may have taken years without the imperative provided by the global pandemic.
Stefano Rossi, Packaging CEO at DS Smith, said “There has been a seismic shift in the way consumers are shopping and we’ve been using our expertise to support businesses of all sizes with the rapid growth of e-commerce so they can survive and thrive through this uncertain time.
“What’s clear is that as lockdown eases further, these trends aren’t likely to fall away. Consumers have found new confidence and convenience in the way they shop, buying a whole range of items online – everything from the family food shop, to toiletries and home and garden products. If companies are not already transforming their business to meet this new age of e-commerce, they risk being left behind.”
What drives the e-consumer?
Reasons for buying online during the pandemic splits by gender and the generation. Men and younger people prioritise convenience, while women and older generations focus on safety.
However, as a green recovery and building back better becomes a global priority, sustainability is an increasing concern for shoppers post-lockdown.
Almost a quarter (24%) are more likely to buy online if items are delivered with less packaging or more sustainable packaging, and 21% are more likely to buy online if their products arrive in more recyclable packaging.
Of the age groups, those between 25 and 34 were most sustainability conscious and women held this as a higher priority than men (27% of women would rather deliveries had less packaging than compared with 21% of men).
Consumers have different reasons for why they have drastically increased online shopping during Covid-19. There are nuances between genders for choosing to shop online, with 35% of men shopping online more for convenience, whereas 48% of women said safety was the main reason they have been buying items online.
Interestingly, Brits are also mirroring some of their brick and mortar shopping habits online; a third of people have “window shopped” online or kept a wish list during lockdown and over a third of Brits bargain hunt online.
Stefano Rossi, added: “The research shows that greener packaging is a real concern for shoppers and as we help our customers make a green recovery a practical reality and priority through simple measures like adopting sustainable packaging.
“We’re keen to help brands and businesses navigate this path and work with them so that they can benefit from sustainable packaging solutions that its very clear their customers desire.”
New discounts have been unveiled at the Laura Ashley closing down sale in Edinburgh, with all fabric and wallpaper 70% off, plus all womenswear and fashion accessories 60% off.
Snap up a homeware bargain with 60% off ready-made curtains and 50% off furniture, bedding, lighting and rugs. Everything in the store is reduced in all departments and everything must go!
All Laura Ashley stores are ‘COVID secure’ and adhere to a strict policy of social distancing with a limited number of shoppers allowed in-store at any time. Card payments are encouraged.
Laura Ashley stores will continue to trade until further notice.
A spokesman for Laura Ashley said, “There are some amazing bargains to be found in-store, especially with these new discounts. Popular items are selling fast and customers are advised to take advantage of these discounts while stock lasts.”
Blind and partially sighted people in Scotland who have been struggling to get food and groceries will now be offered priority access to online delivery slots from Iceland stores.
Where appropriate, those in need of support will be given an individualised code that will let them book available delivery slots on Thursday mornings between 9 and 10am, before other shoppers.
The move is intended to help those people with sight loss facing persistent difficulties accessing food, who have no available support from others, and live in a postcode area serviced by an Iceland store. Iceland currently operates within 22 of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas, including Edinburgh.
Sight loss charity RNIB Scotland said the move will be welcomed by many blind and partially sighted people living alone.
“Some people with sight loss have experienced a very anxious past three months,” said director James Adams. “As we entered lockdown the competition for delivery slots has increased, and many of our members reported that they were struggling to get access to their usual reliable supermarket delivery.
“This has been compounded by social distancing measures which are largely laid out with visual signs and markers, making it more difficult for people with sight loss to navigate shops safely. This move by Iceland will be a relief to many blind and partially shoppers.”
In a UK-wide survey undertaken by RNIB in May, 67 per cent of respondents had experienced difficulty finding a supermarket delivery slot, and three in four reported being very or quite concerned about getting access to food.
Since the lockdown began in March, RNIB has pressed government and supermarket chains to add blind and partially sighted people to their priority delivery lists.
Anyone with sight loss struggling to access food can call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 between 8am and 8pm Monday-Friday and 9am and 5pm on Saturday and will be directed to the most suitable option in their local area.
Retail trade union Usdaw has received numerous calls from concerned members after the Scottish Government announced that face coverings will be mandatory in shops from this Friday.
Usdaw officials met with government ministers on Monday to urge retention of the two-metre rule and seek assurances that shop workers will not have to enforce the wearing of face coverings. Usdaw is now concerned that Government guidance has not yet been published.
Stewart Forrest, Usdaw’s Scottish Divisional Officer, says: “Our big concern is who enforces mandatory face coverings and we made that clear to the Scottish Government on Monday.
“Shop workers are worried that they will be expected to turn people away from the store because they do not have a face covering or it is not being worn properly. Incidents of abuse against shop workers have already doubled through the coronavirus emergency and this would be yet another flashpoint.
“Government guidance has not yet been published and that is a concern when we are so close to the new face coverings rule coming into force on Friday. We need assurances that the existing two-metre rule will be observed and enforced. In our experience retailers have taken the two-metre rule seriously and are complying, we see no reason why it should be relaxed.
“Safety in stores needs customer co-operation and we urge the public to respect staff and observe social distancing. At no time should abuse be a part of the job. Shopworkers deserve respect.”
More than a third (36%) of people say that they have been forced to pay sky-high prices to get hold of essential hygiene and medical products during the coronavirus pandemic as opportunistic sellers have sought to exploit the crisis by price gouging, new Which? research reveals.
Analysis of almost 1,500 reports sent to the consumer champion’s price-gouging reporting tool over the last two months shows that more than 696 (47%) of the overall tool reports were for essential hygiene or medical products that people vitally need during this pandemic.
There have been price gouging issues both online and in-store, according to the consumers that reported to the tool. Most reports related to alleged profiteering by sellers online, with tech giants Amazon and eBay accounting for the majority of listings.
Three-quarters (75%) of items with inflated prices reported to Which? were seen online, either on marketplaces or through online shops, while 25 per cent were spotted in-store.
Among the cases logged by the tool – shared by Which? with the CMA’s Covid-19 taskforce – are Dettol handwash being sold via Amazon, unknown to the brand, for £14.99 rather than £1.49 and a packet of paracetamol on sale in a local store for more than seven times the usual price.
These significant price hikes on items have affected vulnerable people with underlying health conditions as well as key workers who had no choice but to go out and work.
One person who bought a case of hand sanitiser off Chemist-4-u.com told Which?: “I am furious that after buying hand sanitiser for £64.99 in late March, more recently the price has magically fallen by £40. I am a non-medical frontline worker and as a self-employed lawyer I am reliant on hand sanitiser to keep myself and others safe.”
Among the examples reported to Which? by consumers were medical-grade face masks that might be required by key workers, including an N95 face mask for £28.99 – nearly 20 times the usual price according to the tool user – via medical supply website UK Meds. Another person reported seeing the same mask on sale on the website for £14.99 – 10 times the usual price, they reported.
An FFP3 mask from eBay in May was on sale for £19.99 instead of £4 – five times the price. While a silverline branded moulded face mask, which usually costs around 80p, was being sold for £6.99 in a pharmacy before lockdown began – more than eight times the price. The person that saw the latter example told Which? that they felt that the price was exploitative.*
Which? found that the average percentage price difference for hygiene products such as hand sanitiser and disinfectant was 414 per cent – five times the price on average.
Four in 10 (40%) of the essential hygiene products which were reported as having inflated prices were hand sanitiser and soap. Recently the competition regulator (CMA) announced it is investigating four pharmacies and convenience stores for the suspected charging of excessive and unfair prices for hand sanitiser.
Across all product categories, 30 per cent of people had bought an item at an inflated price while four in 10 (40%) reported that they simply had to go without because of the excessive price of the product.
Hundreds of people, both those that had bought an item at the inflated price and those that had gone without, told Which? that they felt the price was unfair and exploitative.
For the 133 reports of price gouging on PPE, such as face masks and gloves, the average markup was 478 per cent.
Forty one per cent of the inflated prices reported were seen in the several weeks prior to the reporting tool launching, 11-30 April.
While the number of reports has decreased in recent weeks, people continued to report items at extortionate costs throughout May and June suggesting that there are outstanding problems with suspected price gouging due to seemingly unjustifiable price hikes.
These prices could be high because of increased costs of materials or supply chain issues. However Which? is calling for the regulator to have more effective powers to investigate and ensure that prices are not due to businesses exploiting the crisis.
Consumers are encouraged to report any examples of price gouging with the CMA’s Covid-19 taskforce complaints service, and some online marketplaces also enable people to report listings directly to them.
Which? believes that no-one should be able to exploit a national emergency and leave people with little choice but to buy essential items at unfair prices in order to stay safe and survive in a crisis. There is a risk that problems could flare up again with lockdown easing and an increase in demand for products such as hand sanitiser from consumers, as well as from businesses that are reopening.
Which? is calling for emergency legislation to give regulators the tools to swiftly crack down on price gouging of essential products such as hand sanitiser and cleaning products, during this crisis and any future ones. This would assist the CMA in its current investigation to tackle suspected price gouging on hand sanitiser products by certain businesses.
Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection at Which?, said:“Our tool reports show that price hikes on essential items have too often been excessive and people consider them to be unfair and exploitative.
“International experience shows that price gouging is frequently a problem during national emergencies and the UK should ensure it is better able to crack down on profiteering.
“It’s good the CMA is now attempting to take action to investigate some instances of price gouging using competition law. However, the government should be helping the regulator by giving it more targeted powers to take swifter action to stamp out price gouging, and ensure the price of essential items stays at reasonable levels during a crisis when people need them most.”
One person who bought a case of hand sanitiser off Chemist-4-u.com told Which?:“I am furious that after buying hand sanitiser for £64.99 in late March, more recently the price has magically fallen by £40.
“I am a non-medical frontline worker and as a self-employed lawyer I am reliant on hand sanitiser to keep myself and others safe on public transport travelling to and from court, in the courts themselves and for interactions with prisoners and the police.”
Another person, a mutual aid volunteer in London, raised concerns about a local pharmacy:“We have a local pharmacy that seems to be gouging to an extent far worse than other pharmacies and is causing lots of stress amongst the people we support.
“To the extent it is making those who are already anxious even more so as they can’t afford the uplift of 100 per cent plus on their pain relief and they are considering going without.
“We are covering the increase in cost to ensure they don’t continue in pain, but having mentioned my concern to the pharmacy in person they laughed, so I wanted to formally report their behaviour. They are charging double what other local pharmacies in the area even during these times, so it’s clearly not simply the cost of supply has gone up.”
Stuart Randall, 57, told Which?:“I was born with immune system problems which mean I am reliant on disposable gloves for lots of everyday tasks. However, as soon as the pandemic started, prices for this product started to rocket.
“The free delivery and bulk offers on online marketplaces, such as Amazon Marketplace, have disappeared and the cheapest are over 50 per cent more expensive. It seems unfair that chancers are slapping silly prices on goods to fleece the unwary.”**
*The UK government and medical experts agree that medical-grade respirator masks of these types aren’t appropriate for everyday use by the general public and should be reserved for frontline health workers. The WHO advises that those over 60 consider wearing basic surgical-style medical masks, not respirator style masks, in areas where social distancing isn’t possible.
**To note, while some extremely vulnerable people may need disposable gloves for particular health reasons, they are not recommended by experts for the general public for activities like shopping.
The CMA’s COVID-19 Taskforce continues to ask consumers and businesses to report any businesses that behave unfairly by, for example, unjustly raising prices, via its online form: https://www.coronavirus-business-complaint.service.gov.uk.
Since Which? began reporting on price gouging in March, it has received thousands of reports of inflated prices across its channels including social and Which? conversation.
The majority of these have come through Which?’s price gouging reporting tool. From its launch on 29 April until 14 June, it received 1,468 reports of inflated prices from shoppers.
Amazonsaid: “There is no place for price gouging on Amazon. When a bad actor attempts to artificially raise prices on basic need products during a global health crisis, it’s bad for customers and the hundreds of thousands of honest businesses selling in our store.
“In line with our long-standing policy, we have recently blocked or removed hundreds of thousands of offers and pursued legal action against hundreds of bad actors across a number of countries.”
Chemist-4-u.comresponded: “At the early stages of the Covid 19 pandemic, the availability of hand gel was in short supply with UK manufacturing output insufficient to meet consumer demand and as a result our cost price from our supplier Brodie & Stone increased circa 4 fold.
“Our pricing has been queried by the Competition and Markets Authority who instructed an audit on our pricing strategy during this period. We have fully co-operated with this enquiry and supplied all cost of goods information.
“As manufacturing output has increased over the period of the pandemic we have seen significant cost reductions in the price we are being charged by our suppliers. This reduction has been passed on to our customers as evidenced by the reduced pricing on our website.”
eBay said: “The single listing that Which? was able to share with us was reviewed and removed for reasons unrelated to price gouging.”
UK Meds: Which? sent details of the face mask reports it had received from consumers to UK Meds, but at the time of writing the company has not responded.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Friday 26 June:
Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s briefing.
I’ll start with the usual daily update on Covid-19.
An additional 17 positive cases were confirmed yesterday – that takes the total now in Scotland of confirmed cases to 18,213.
It’s possibly worth noting that the percentage of people tested who turn out to be positive is now well below 1% on a daily basis. Yesterday it was 0.3%, which is one of many signs of the progress we are making.
A total of 823 patients are currently in hospital with the virus either confirmed or suspected. That is three fewer than yesterday, and it includes a reduction of five in the number of confirmed cases.
A total of 17 people last night were in intensive care and that is one fewer than yesterday.
Since 5 March, a total of 4,042 patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 and needed hospital treatment have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.
And in the last 24 hours, I’m very pleased to say that no deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having COVID-19. It’s worth noting that when I’ve announced a zero figure for deaths in last couple of weeks, it’s been reflecting deaths registered at the weekend and we know those can be artificially low.
Today is the first time that figure has been at zero on a weekday since 20 March, which is before lockdown began.
That is really significant and it is down to the sacrifices of each and every one of you so thank you to all of you.
And it means that the total number of deaths in Scotland – under that measurement of people confirmed by a test as having the virus – remains at 2,482.
The loss of life is still devastating of course, and I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone behind these statistics who has lost a loved one as a result of this illness. As I hope we continue to report lower numbers of deaths, we should never become inured to the human suffering behind these figures, so again my thoughts are with everybody who has suffered bereavement.
I also want to express my thanks – as I always do – to our health and care workers, and indeed to all our key workers across the country. I’m going to make a special mention today, given an issue which I’ll mention later on, to our refuse collectors who – right throughout this crisis – have been working to help keep our country clean and tidy. Key workers the length and breadth of the country are doing extraordinary work and you have my, and the Scottish Government’s, very grateful thanks.
There’s one main issue I want to focus on today. And it concerns a very significant change which comes into effect next week.
From Monday, all retail premises with outdoor entrances and exits will be able to reopen. That change doesn’t apply to indoor shopping centres yet – they will have to wait a bit longer. But it does cover the vast majority of shops.
Many stores have – of course – been planning for this moment, for some time.
At the start of phase 1 – in late May – we published guidance to help retailers prepare for a safe reopening.
This morning, I visited the New Look store at Fort Kinnaird, in Edinburgh. And I saw for myself, the kinds of measures which shops are putting in place.
Among other things, those measures include new limits to the number of customers that are allowed in store at any one time; new processes for cleaning and quarantining items which have been handled; and new signs to help with physical distancing.
Alongside these in-store preparations, retailers and local authorities have also been making changes to the public spaces outside shops. For example, distance markers are being laid down, and street furniture is being removed – to allow for safe outdoor queuing.
All of that has required an enormous amount of work. So I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who is helping our retail sector to get back up and running. At the same time, I also want to thank the key workers – in shops and pharmacies – who have kept our country going over the past three months, because they’ve been working in what we have called essential shops. All of your efforts are hugely appreciated as well.
Scotland’s retailers are making the necessary preparations, but I want to stress that all of us – each and every one of us – have a role to play in making sure that this reopening can work and work safely.
That’s why today the Scottish Government is publishing new guidance for customers. It sets out the basic rules that all of us need to follow, in order to keep safe ourselves and to help keep others safe too.
As the guidance says, there are some people who should not be going into shops at all for now – for example, those who have COVID-19 symptoms and are self-isolating, and those who are in the shielding group.
If you are in either of these groups – or if you need extra support – then you can have food and medicine delivered to you – that might be by family and friends, local volunteers, or supermarket delivery services. If you need help over and above that you can call our National Helpline – the number is 0800 111 4000, and help, including the delivery of essential food and medicines can be arranged.
For those of us who are able to go to the shops from Monday, the guidance is clear.
You should shop locally if you can. For now, use the five mile limit as a guide – and don’t travel further, unless it’s absolutely necessary. I appreciate that for people living in rural or island communities, it might not be possible to stick to that kind of limit – but for most of us, it should be, and it is perhaps an opportunity to support our local shops in the process as well.
You should try to shop on you own – or in as small a group as possible. And avoid going to crowded shops at peak times – choose a time when the shops are likely to be less busy.
When you do go into a shop, please wear a face covering. That’s something that we are advising you strongly to do.
I wore a face covering this morning, when I visited New Look. So I know that it takes a bit of getting used to. But you do get used to it.
And the hard fact is that a bit of discomfort – which none of us enjoy – is preferable to getting COVID or passing it on to someone else.
Face coverings serve a really important purpose, in enclosed spaces like shops.
By wearing one, you reduce the risk that you will unknowingly pass on the virus to other people. And other people, by wearing a face covering, are helping to protect you. So please – unless medical reasons prevent it – wear a face covering if you’re going into a shop.
In addition, you should only visit stores which have infection control measures in place. You should use the hand sanitiser they provide – and at New Look this morning there were plenty of hand sanitiser stations around – but take your own as well in case you can’t find any that is available.
And finally, when we are out shopping, all of us need to remain patient and polite.
There are going to be times when retail staff ask us to follow rules which we’re not used to because they haven’t previously been in place. So it’s important for all of us to listen to them, and to treat staff – and our fellow customers – with respect. These rules are there for the protection of all of us. Abusing retail staff because they’re telling you to do something you don’t want to do is not acceptable. These people are at work and have to be kept safe too so please, treat them with respect and courtesy.
The guidance we’re publishing today is very straightforward – it’s also extremely important. So please take a look at it. As with all our guidance you’ll find it on the Scottish Government’s website.
By following the guidance, we can help to support our retail sector. This crisis has been and continues to be tough for our economy overall, but within that the retail sector has been hard hit, so I want to see people support our shops in communities the length and breadth of the country, but make sure we do it safely and responsibly so that this important step out of lockdown can be taken while we continue to suppress the virus.
And that really is my concluding point. Suppressing the virus, driving it as far as we can towards total elimination has to be our overriding priority.
We have made exceptional progress over the past three months, and the figures today highlight that. But it has only been possible, because the vast majority of us have stuck to the rules.
You’ll keep hearing me say this time and time again, because it’s true and it is important that we never forget it. The virus hasn’t gone away, and it will not go away of its own accord. There are plenty of parts of the world right now where it is still on the rise, and there are some parts of the world where, unfortunately, it appears to be on the rise again as societies and economies open up. The warning signs are all around us and we must not ignore them. We ignore them at our peril.
A big concern for me is that – as we ease more restrictions – people drop their guard. It is perhaps human nature. And of course, the potential for that increases – as people are out and about, and seeing each other much more.
We saw an example of that last night in Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow. And while I understand people’s desire to enjoy the sunshine – on the very days of the year when we actually have any – please avoid crowded places.
If you find that the place you want to visit is busy, don’t go there. Try to find somewhere quieter or go back at a time when it is going to be quiet. Crowded places are a big risk, and that is true of outdoor crowded places – although the risk might be slightly lower than it is of indoor places. Crowded places generally, please seek to avoid them.
When large crowds gather, it provides opportunities for the virus to spread. And this highly infectious virus – which we know can be deadly and increasingly we know it can do long term health damage – this virus will take those opportunities if we give them to it.
So we mustn’t provide them.
And, of course, if you are out and about, enjoying public spaces responsibly, please take litter home with you. Refuse collectors across the country are doing an incredible job – and I thank them – but they should not have to clean up after outdoor gatherings.
So please, now more than ever our individual decisions affect all of us – they affect society as a whole. That means all of us need to be considerate of one another. That should be the case at all times but it is particularly true right now. It’s really important that we care for each other, that we look out for each other, that we remember that the things we do could harm other people. And if we all act in that collective spirit of love and solidarity, as we have throughout this, then we will continue to see that progress continue.
So before I hand over to the Economy Secretary, I want to remind everyone what key public health guidance says.
At the moment, you should still only meet up with other households outdoors. So if you think it may rain, plan for that, don’t go indoors just because it’s raining.
And only meet with up to two other households at any one time. The restrictions on larger gatherings – and it’s worth stressing that includes mass gatherings such as demonstrations – remain enforceable by law.
If you are visiting people, you should only be going indoors to use the toilet, or to get through to a garden. And remember to clean any surfaces you touch, as you do so.
I will end with facts, as I have done repeatedly in the last few days, which is the public health campaign summarising the key points you need to remember.
Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as shops. They are mandatory on public transport.
Avoid crowded places.
Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
Two metre distancing remains the rule.
and Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.
If we all remember and abide by these five basic measures, all of us can stay safe, protect others and save lives.
We have made so much progress – but it will reverse in a heartbeat if we drop our guard.
It would be heartbreaking – for so many reasons – to go backwards now.
So please let’s all unite to keep this virus under control.
I want to thank all of you for what you have been doing, and what I know you will continue to do, to help us achieve that.
Which? has developed a simple tool for people to report coronavirus profiteering amid concerns that price-gougers are getting away with hiking the prices of essential items.
The consumer champion has uncovered widespread problems with basic products being sold for hugely inflated prices on online marketplaces such as Amazon Marketplace and eBay – and there are concerns that similar behaviour could be happening on other sites and in shops up and down the country.
These practices may have left key workers and charities struggling to get essential products they need or forced to pay extortionate prices.
Which? spoke to a charity that helps provide hundreds of meals to elderly and vulnerable people – demand for this vital service has gone up since the Covid-19 crisis. However the price of essential items to keep its employees and vulnerable clients safe, such as antibacterial probe wipes, which the charity has only been able to buy in the high quantities they need from eBay, has more than doubled since the crisis.
The Competition and Markets Authority has set up a dedicated Covid-19 taskforce, and reports shared using the tool will help the regulator to establish the scale of the problem and take action against the worst offenders. Which? is also calling for emergency legislation to give regulators the tools to swiftly crack down on price-gouging on certain essential products during this crisis, and any future ones.
The CMA and Chartered Trading Standards Institute have both raised serious concerns about problems with price-gouging and the Prime Minister has also warned traders against “exploiting people’s need” during a national emergency.
Which? has heard reports from hundreds of consumers that unscrupulous sellers have been taking advantage of the situation and its investigations have uncovered huge price hikes on products such as handwash, cleaning products and baby formula.
Which? experts have found Dettol bleach and cleaning sprays being sold by third-party sellers with price hikes of almost 1000 per cent more than the typical price on eBay with evidence of dozens of purchases being made at these prices.
Researchers also encountered sterilising fluid for baby bottles for more than 10 times the original price by a seller on Amazon and a bundle of one handwash and one antibacterial gel for £30 on eBay, instead of the £3.50 it would usually cost.
Some shoppers have felt pressured into buying these overpriced products because of a lack of alternative options available, including older and more vulnerable people who need access to vital hygiene products such as hand sanitiser.
One told Which?: “I’m disabled and struggle to leave my home, but the current crisis is forcing me to go out and struggle to get essentials when I normally get as much online as I can.
“My trust in buying from online marketplaces has been shattered, some items are fine if I find it at a reasonable price, but others I can’t trust as they’re either gouged, possibly diluted and therefore useless, or it’s a scam listing and the item never existed to begin with.”
Another said: “I paid £19.80 plus £5.25 for post and packaging for 2 x 250ml of hand sanitiser from a seller on eBay. Outrageous price but we are a captive audience and it was the cheapest I could find. Someone is getting very rich from this pandemic.”
Which? has also heard numerous reports of price-gouging at bricks and mortar retailers including pharmacies.
Which? is calling for the government to introduce specific legislation to stop unjustifiable price hikes of essential items during times of emergency, as well as requiring online marketplaces to ensure compliance on their sites or face enforcement action.
New legislation would also give the UK a head start in tackling price-gouging during any future emergencies. The absence of legislation has made it harder to take action on this issue swiftly and left the UK trailing behind other countries that already have laws to combat price-gouging during crises.
In the meantime, Which? believes online marketplaces need to bring in stricter, more effective controls and policies to tackle price gouging, and is encouraging the CMA to take strong enforcement action using its existing powers where appropriate.
Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection at Which?, said: “It is unacceptable for people to be left at the mercy of unscrupulous sellers during a national emergency. We’re calling for people to report opportunistic coronavirus profiteers via our tool so that we can press home the need for swift action and put an end to price-gouging on basic goods.
“The government, working with the CMA, needs to step in with emergency legislation to crack down on price-gouging and keep the price of essential items reasonable during a crisis.”
I wrote to you last week to update you on how we are supporting elderly and vulnerable customers with access to groceries online. I wanted to share some progress we have made on this over the past few days.
When I wrote last, we had offered 450,000 elderly and vulnerable customers priority booking to online delivery. At the end of last week we received the government database, which includes details of all the people in England who have registered with the government to say that they are vulnerable and need help getting a food shop.
Since then we have been able to match almost 150,000 additional customers against our database. We have already contacted almost 30,000 of those and so we are now contacting almost 120,000 additional customers to offer them a priority delivery slot.
We are waiting for the databases for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and will contact vulnerable customers in those areas as soon as we are able.
We know many elderly and vulnerable people who need to self-isolate are relying on the kindness of family, friends and local communities to shop on their behalf and we encourage this.
You wrote to tell me that product limits were a barrier to being able to shop for other people. We understand that it can be difficult to buy what you need and shop for someone else with the 3 item product limit.
We have now lifted buying restrictions on thousands of products and hope that this will help more of you to shop for others. I also want to reassure you that stock levels are now much better right across the store.
We are keeping limits on the most popular items for now, including pasta, UHT milk, antibacterial products and some tinned and frozen foods. But you can now feel confident in shopping in our stores at any time of day and being able to find most of what you need.
To help people shop for others easily, we will be introducing a new volunteer gift card and online voucher in the next week or two. I will share more information on this soon.
Many of you have also written to me to tell me about food banks and community groups near you that are struggling in this crisis. We know from our ongoing support of food banks that this is a particularly tough time for them right across the country.
To help with this, we have donated £3 million to Fareshare, who will use that money to distribute donated food to the people who need it the most.
We are also partnering with Comic Relief and the BBC on The Big Night In which aims to raise money for people impacted by COVID 19. We’ll be sharing more information on this in stores and online.
I’ve written to you regularly over the past few weeks as we adapt the way we work to keep our shelves full while keeping you and our colleagues safe.
We continue to make changes in line with government guidelines and in response to feedback from you and our colleagues.
I am writing today to tell you about measures we are taking to protect our customers and colleagues and to update you on our product availability and on how we continue to support our elderly and vulnerable customers.
Keeping our customers and colleagues safe
Keeping you and our colleagues safe is our number one priority. This week we have brought in further measures to help you keep a safe distance from other customers and from our colleagues when you are visiting our stores.
We have queuing systems in place outside stores and ask you to please queue at a safe distance of two metres apart. Please also try to keep a safe distance from other customers and from our colleagues when you are doing your shop. We have placed clear markings on shop floors to help you know what a safe distance is.
From today, we are asking everyone to please only send one adult per household to our shops.
This helps us keep people a safe distance apart and also helps to reduce queues to get into stores. Our store teams will be asking groups with more than one adult to choose one adult to shop and will ask other adults to wait. Children are of course welcome if they are not able to stay at home.
To help keep our colleagues safe while serving customers, we now have screens at most manned checkouts. In the next few days we will have finished installing the screens across all manned checkouts in every supermarket, convenience store and Argos collection point.
Feeding the nation
We have been working hard with our suppliers to improve our product availability. Most people are now just buying what they need for themselves and their families. This means we now often have stock on the shelves all day and at the end of the day.
People have been queuing to get into our stores when they open in the mornings, but customers are now finding they can shop at any time of the day and feel confident in finding most of what they need.
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 immediately as we know families often want to buy more than three and we have plenty of these in all stores and online.
Supporting elderly and vulnerable customers
We are continuing to prioritise elderly and vulnerable customers for online delivery slots and our customer Careline has helped 170,000 customers, who will now get priority access to online delivery. In total, we have offered priority booking to more than 450,000 elderly or vulnerable customers.
I apologise to customers who have been struggling to get through to our online team. The team is working at full capacity and we are doing our very best to get to people as quickly as possible.
We are expanding our groceries online service as much and as quickly as we can. Two weeks ago we had 370,000 online grocery slots available. By the end of next week we will have increased this to 600,000 across home delivery and click and collect and we will continue to add more capacity over the coming weeks.
Supporting our colleagues
Our colleagues really are doing a remarkable job. I have been into a number of stores over the past few days and have been struck by their dedication and their determination to do the best job for our customers. These are very uncertain times and our colleagues really are on the frontline.
We are doing everything we can to keep our colleagues safe and this includes supporting them if they need to self-isolate. Where colleagues are considered vulnerable, we are paying them in full for the recommended 12 weeks self-isolation, including colleagues who live with extremely vulnerable family members who the government has asked to shield for 12 weeks.
I am personally committed to ensuring the safety of our colleagues and we will continue to do the right thing to protect them throughout this time.
I have been delighted to see that customers have told us they think colleague friendliness is at an all-time high at the moment. I think this is real testament both to the hard work of our colleagues and also the fantastic recognition they are getting for the vital role they are playing throughout this crisis.
Thank you for treating our colleagues with the respect and kindness they deserve. They really are doing their best to serve our customers well in these challenging times.
