// Supermarkets shut off parts of stores following government advice to limit access to “non-essentials”
// Follows updated guidance on which retailers in England are considered essential and what they are permitted to sell
Tesco and Sainsbury’s have reportedly closed off parts of their stores that are deemed as “non-essential” following updated government guidance amid England’s lockdown.
The country entered its second and month-long lockdown on Thursday, but it wasn’t the following day that the government issued further guidance on which retailers in England are considered essential and what they are permitted to sell.
Shoppers have since taken to Twitter to complain to Tesco and Sainsbury’s about not being able to access clothes and other parts of their shops across England.
READ MORE:
- Frasers Group confirms closure of English stores & M&S shuts clothing & home areas
- M&S clothing to “remain fully open” during second lockdown
“In line with new government guidance in England which requires the closure of separate floors selling non-food items, we have closed the clothing and general merchandise departments in our stores that sell these products from a separate mezzanine level,” a Tesco spokesperson said.
It comes after news emerged yesterday that Marks & Spencer had been forced to shut off clothing and home areas within its stores that also sell food.
This equated to over half of its non-food selling space and more than it initially thought it would have to shut down before the lockdown started.
The updated guidance stipulates that shops in England that have “sufficiently distinct parts” should close the areas selling non-essential items.
For example, grocery retailers can sell “non-essential” homeware if it is stocked on its aisles, but if the goods are on a separate floor, it must close off the area.
However, the guidance adds that shops are not required to cordon off particular aisles, which it what sparked the recent controversy in Wales when it went into a 17-day “firebreak” lockdown last month.
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You shut off non essential items yet you allow 100s of people to gather in London to buy booze in the streets with no masks on dont make sense to be honest .
How about someone deleting the previous post. These idiots don’t help. Some people even believe them. Think Trump.
Clothes are assential bras and knickers ect shall we all walk round naked lol fuck covid…
Was discusted my grandson came home from school with ripped school shoe tried to get him some from tesco told shoes not essential try telling that to a 13 years old
Why can’t they close off the alcohol thats not needed forgot government 80% tax from it government to government
This is against human rights. Who gives the right for anyone to say something they may need as non essential.
So clothes are non essential now? FFS, the managers of these stores need their heads examined.
All our liberty is being taken away from us yes we need to be careful but we still can make our own choices. This not a Russian stalag country
If you are already in a shop buying food I don’t see what difference it makes to buy clothes etc! I am 70 still work part time in a GP practice seeing patients and staff, I go supermarket shopping but i can’t c my children/grandchildren! Hard to understand any of it now!!
I understand children’s clothing being essential (they grow, get holes in things etc.). For adults though, why exactly would you need to buy new clothes when you can only go out for essentials at the moment? It’s less than 4 weeks ffs, give your head a shake and use the clothes you already have and be grateful for a change! Oh and, if you needed bras and knickers, he gave you enough warning!
This has gone way way beyond tackling a virus,domething far more sinister is happening,what i
Big retailers should not be following guidelines which are not based on scientific evidence or even common sense and go against their customers needs and welfare. We cannot leave home without clothing, or cook without cooking equipment, therefore it is essential. Every bit of evidence shows lockdowns are far more harmful than covid, and doing this creates more fear, humans do not react well to scarcity. Big retailers need to stand up against this nonsense, they could do so much to turn this situation around. The current mass testing of asymptomatic people will only bolster the false positives, so many medical and science professionals are saying this, even Sage said it! These false positives and manipulated stats can lead to further lock downs. We should all be writing to our supermarkets, they have alot of sway
This govt, who’re they to dictate what the public can buy and from where. When did we turn into such a power-hungry dictatorship?