Sainsbury's announces new rules on who can enter shops after Christmas lockdown changes

The firm has said that while stores will remain open up to and across the Christmas period, new measures will be put in place to ensure that stores don’t get overcrowded.

CEO Simon Roberts said: “We want to help everyone get in and out of our shops quickly and safely.

"We are doing everything we can to keep queues as short as possible – and we really appreciate your help us with this. We are limiting the number of people in our shops at any one time, so please help us to help you by shopping alone where at all possible. By shopping on your own, we can help more people to get in and out of our stores much more quickly – which means less time queuing for everyone. Of course we understand that some people need support with their shopping and that single parents will need to bring their children.

“To help with this, we have greeters on hand outside busy stores who count people going in and out so we have a safe number of people inside at any one time. They will also be asking customers to shop alone where possible. Our colleagues have done a phenomenal job this year, working extremely hard in challenging conditions to serve all our customers and help us to feed the nation. Please continue to show your support to them over the festive period – they and I would really appreciate it.

He added: “We and other retailers have been asking you to shop early to help us serve everyone in the key Christmas weeks.

"Lots of you have been following this advice and buying Christmas cupboard essentials much earlier than usual.

"Buying these products earlier means you’ll find everything you need and we hope you can then focus on your fresh food shop closer to the day itself. Plus, it should help us manage queues better as we get closer to Christmas.

He also said that 90% of supermarkets will be open from 6am until midnight from Monday 21 until Wednesday 23 December and many others will be open for longer than usual.

On Boxing Day, all Sainsbury’s supermarkets will be open from 10am to 5pm with convenience stores open as usual.

He added: “I know we are asking you to do things a little differently this year and I’m really grateful to you all for working with us as we do our best to keep you and our colleagues safe at this important time of year. Shopping alone and shopping early will help you find everything you need and get in and out of our stores quickly and safely – so you can spend less time shopping and more time celebrating.”

Other changes include:

Increasing the number of home delivery and Click and Collect slots available to 750,000 weekly slots. Elderly and vulnerable customers will still have priority access to online orders. All online orders will continue to be delivered without bags Elderly and vulnerable customers and NHS and care workers with an NHS ID will still have priority access