Asda urges customers to play their part in lockdown

The Leeds-based grocer is asking customers to play their part by shopping considerately and not buying more than they normally would.

Asda is also stepping up its online capacity to help more customers shop online, especially those that are shielding or unable to visit stores. It has increased its grocery home shopping capacity by 90 per cent since March to 850,000 weekly slots and expects this to rise to 900,000 slots a week by the start of April.

The supermarket is also doubling the size of its partnership with Uber Eats, with 200 stores providing customers with a 30-minute delivery service for 350 Asda-branded products from February.

To keep colleagues and customers safe, Asda will step up Covid-safety measures across its store estate. It will double the hours that Asda’s Covid safety marshals will be on duty at the front of every store from 8am to 8pm to manage access and help with any safety-related queries.

Sanitisation stations have been installed at the front of all 631 stores, adding to the 3,500 stations already in place inside stores.

It will also increase the frequency of cleaning regimes for basket and trolley handles and will add a protective, antimicrobial coating to customer ‘touch points’ in stores such as fridge and freezer handles, checkout areas, plus all trolley and basket handles.

Asda’s virtual queuing app ‘Quidini’ is now available in all 421 superstores, allowing customers to wait in the comfort of their cars for a slot if the store is busy.

Automatic counting technology has been installed in Asda’s 100 busiest stores to control access and help customers to socially distance.

New point of sale signage will remind customers to respect social distancing in store and to shop solo if they can to ease congestion in stores.

These additional initiatives are on top of the existing safety measures Asda already has in place such as Perspex screens at every checkout, clear social distancing signage throughout stores, and regular deep cleaning regimes

Roger Burnley, Asda CEO and president, said: “As Covid restrictions are tightened across the UK to protect our health, we will continue to do all we can to keep colleagues and customers safe in store as we have since the start of the pandemic.

“Our stores and distribution centres have proved to be highly resilient to the challenges of a national lockdown and we are confident that we can continue to deliver choice and value for customers in the weeks ahead.

"We are asking customers can play their part too by continuing to shop considerately and respecting social distancing when they visit our stores.”