Tesco Ireland has announced that it is to introduce dedicated shopping hours for the elderly and family carers across 151 stores in the country.
People over the age of 65 and daily carers will have dedicated access to all Tesco stores prior to 9:00am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, commencing 18 March.
'The Right Thing To Do'
Commenting on the move, chief executive of Tesco Ireland, Kari Daniels, said, “We recognise that people over 65 and family carers who are looking after vulnerable family members at home, have specific needs during this time.
“In liaison with the HSE 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.”
Family Carers Ireland and Age Action Ireland welcomed the initiative by Tesco Ireland.
'Peace Of Mind'
Paddy Connolly, CEO of Age Action, commented, “People in high-risk groups and their family carers are naturally anxious about going into a public space such as a supermarket and are trying to limit their social contacts and practice social distancing.
“A dedicated shopping time for high-risk groups and their family carers means that they can get essential groceries with some peace of mind and maintain some level of normality in their lives during the COVID-19 outbreak.”
Elsewhere, Lidl Ireland announced on Twitter that it plans to introduce priority shopping hours for the elderly between 9:00 to 11:00 every day across all 163 outlets in the country.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
