Sainsbury's and Tesco have warned there are delivery slot shortages and have posted notices online urging shoppers to come to the stores instead.
The online supermarkets have informed customers of changes to the availability of delivery slots. stating the sites are experiencing ‘high demand’.
A notice on Tesco’s website reads: “We are releasing slots as and when they become available, but they are filling up quickly.
“We ask those who are able to safely come to stores to do so, instead of shopping online, to help us prioritise slots for more vulnerable customers.”
Cannot book a delivery slot – Tesco customer services have no idea why not. Book a slot button whited out on website. Re-entering address and clearing browsing history does not work.as suggested.
They have no available slots until Wednesday.
Sainsbury's notice reads:”Slots are still in high demand.
“We have been working hard to expand our service.
“More slots are now available and we are able to offer some of them to other customers.
“Customers who are vulnerable will get priority access and are able to book slots in advance of anyone else.”
It comes as government scientists warned the UK could be heading for a second lockdown.
On Ocado’s ‘pick a slot’ page, a notice reads: “Delivery slots are selling out faster than usual.
'If you can't find a slot now, please use the 'Next 3 days' button to see available slots further in advance.”
Meanwhile in Manchester Asda did have some availability, but slots were priced at £6.50.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is spending the weekend in Downing Street examining potential new measures across England as the latest figures show new infections are doubling every week.
Ministers are thought to be looking at a temporary two-week “circuit break” in an attempt to break the chain of transmission - coinciding with the October half-term school break, according to reports.
The move could see pubs and restaurants ordered to close or face a 10pm curfew, while socialising between households could be banned.
Another 4,422 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the UK in the past 24 hours.
Customers who want to have their Tesco shopping delivered during their free time over the weekend will now need to pay even more as the supermarket giant raises delivery slot prices.
The most noteworthy rise is from £6 to £7 for some morning slots which could add £364 to a shopper's annual home delivery cost by an almost 20% increase from previous delivery payments.
Tesco said its new prices came into effect for slots booked from March 7; however regular Tesco shoppers say they haven't seen any advance warning of the price increase.
The delivery slots that now come with a £7 price tag are Fridays and Saturdays from 8am to 9am, and Sundays from 8am through to 10am.
Tesco said it had raised prices to “ensure its online shopping service remains sustainable for the future” and claimed it was important to “encourage shopping across the week; as midweek is not as popular as the weekend”.
Tesco was also quick to point out that it has increased the number of £1 slots available each week, from 10% of all slots to 12%. These tend to be offered on midweek or late night slots.
But after a quick tot up, we found Tesco offers just fourteen slots for £1 over the course of a week; significantly less than competitors like Asda or Sainsbury’s.
Tesco’s increased delivery charge comes less than a year after it announced a £4 surcharge on online orders under £40. Previously this only applied on orders under £25.
So how do the other supermarkets stack up with their delivery rates?
Home delivery is available in two hour slots from 7am through to 11pm from Monday to Saturday and then between 8am and 10pm on Sundays at Asda.
Like Tesco it also offers £1 delivery slots, there are more to choose from with a total of seventeen each week. However, as with Tesco these cheap slots will not suit everyone, as they’re typically midweek and mid-afternoon.
Weekend delivery costs up to £6 a time, although regular shoppers can cut costs using a Delivery Pass. The ‘Anytime’ version costs £60 for a year , £36 for six months or £8 for a one-month option.
Alternatively there is a midweek Delivery Pass which costs just £24 a year. However, it only covers deliveries between Tuesday and Thursday.
All orders are subject to a £40 minimum spend, otherwise you’ll pay the standard delivery charge that applies to the slot you book.
Morrisons offers one-hour delivery slots from £1 up to a maximum of £5, depending on the day and time chosen.
And it offers nearly eighteen hours a day of deliveries from 6am through to 11.30pm.
Delivery pass options cost from £5 to £7 a month for the ‘Anytime’ option, or from £2.50 to £5 for midweek, which applies from Tuesday to Thursday.
Like most of the other supermarkets, there’s a £40 minimum on all orders.
Ocado offers one hour slots from 6.30am to 11pm every day of the week, but you must place an order of at least £40.
Delivery charges vary according to both order value and time of day, with orders under £75 charged anything from £2.99 up to a maximum of £6.99.
However for orders of £75 or more you can get free delivery.
Ocado shoppers can cut costs with its ‘Smart Pass’. This costs £10.99 a month for anytime delivery (subject to £40 minimum order) or £6.99 a month for midweek delivery which applies to Tuesday through to Thursday.
Sainsbury's offers free delivery on orders over £100 after 2pm between Monday and Thursday.
Otherwise standard delivery charges apply, which range from £1 to £6 with one hour timeslots available from 8am to 11pm.
All deliveries are subject to a minimum £25 order, with orders under £40 incurring a £6.95 delivery charge.
Sainsbury’s ‘Anytime’ delivery pass means one free delivery any day of the week. It costs £60 for a year, £35 for six months or £20 for three months.
Cheaper still is the midweek delivery pass, which gets you a free delivery on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. It costs £30 for a year, £18 for six months or £10 for three months. All delivery pass orders are subject to a £40 minimum spend.
Free home delivery on orders over £60 sounds like a great deal, especially when you consider the fact that Waitrose promises to price match Tesco on branded groceries.
However on the down side, there’s no delivery option available for smaller orders under £60, even if you’re prepared to pay for it.
Hourly slots are available from 9am through to 10pm seven days a week, except days like Easter Sunday.