Northern Ireland

Coronavirus: Supermarkets and banks offer priority hours for older customers

Lidl stores in Ireland north and south yesterday began holding priority shopping hours for the elderly
Lidl stores in Ireland north and south yesterday began holding priority shopping hours for the elderly Lidl stores in Ireland north and south yesterday began holding priority shopping hours for the elderly

SUPERMARKETS and banks are implementing priority hours for elderly customers due to coronavirus.

Some chains have made special arrangements in a bid to combat panic-buying and reduce the risk of infection for older and more vulnerable customers.

Lidl stores in Ireland north and south yesterday began holding priority shopping hours for the elderly.

This will occur from 9am to 11am every day under further notice and includes prioritised queuing and additional assistance for older customers.

"We may not be able to actively monitor this at all times as our store teams are required on checkouts and restocking shelves, so we kindly ask that customers respect this measure and plan their shopping trips around this timeframe," it said.

Iceland is arranging for stores to keep the first two hours of Wednesday morning free for the elderly and vulnerable.

"We are encouraging our store managers to dedicate the first two hours of opening on Wednesday morning to the elderly (those of state pension age) and vulnerable people in their community, such as those with disabilities," it said.

It comes after Iceland's store at the Kennedy Centre in west Belfast announced it would open its doors only to the elderly from 8am to 9am.

The supermarket chain praised the west Belfast store for the move.

"We commend the action taken by our colleagues in the west Belfast store, who have already dedicated an hour of early-morning opening for the elderly," it said.

"We are focused on being able to feed the nation and to support those most in need."

Banks are also examining ways to assist older customers. Nationwide building society said it would open an hour early – at 8am instead of the usual 9am – at 100 branches across the UK for customers over the age of 70 and those with underlying health conditions.

The Northern Ireland branches in Belfast, Ballymena and Portadown will take part in the trial, which begins today.

"The arrangement will enable groups of people at highest risk from coronavirus to go about their day-to-day transactions with greater confidence and safety during the pandemic," it said.

"They will be able to use the facilities first, benefitting from enhanced cleaning that branches will undergo each evening, and before they open to the wider membership from their usual opening times."

Tesco in the Republic will offer over 65-year-olds and family carers dedicated shopping time up to 9am across its stores starting from today.

Kari Daniels, chief executive of Tesco Ireland, said: "In liaison with the HSE [Health Service Executive] and following discussions with Age Action Ireland and Family Carers Ireland, together we agreed that this is the right thing to do, at this time."