Supermarkets struggling with delivery capacity as number of people isolating rises

Thursday, 24 February 2022

Countdown is urging people who are able to shop in-store to do so, to free up delivery slots for those who are isolating.

Some supermarket shoppers say they are getting groceries before going for a Covid-19 test because they are worried about access to deliveries if they have the virus.

Dunedin residents who live in the student quarter, where there have been significant numbers of confirmed Covid cases, had no available delivery slots at Countdown on Thursday.

But residents of North East Valley – which could be as little as a five-minute walk away – had 15.

Thirteen of those 15 on Thursday morning were “closing soon”.

Pick-up times were available on Saturday for 9016 residents, but people isolating cannot leave home.

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Many residents, including some now confirmed as having Covid, had just arrived for the school year and had not yet stocked their kitchens. Unable to get groceries, some had to use costly delivery services and takeaways, spending as much as $50 a day.

Twenty-year-old Molly Oldershaw is one of five of the nine flatmates that have tested positive for Covid. She said none of her flatmates had managed to get a delivery slot.

Two second year students, who asked to remain anonymous, said the lack of delivery options meant they had broken the rules and went shopping before getting their Covid-19 test results.

'We wore two masks… we know it was bad,' one said.

“We can't afford to use Ubereats every day.”

They said because the Ministry of Health was no longer including low-risk places on the locations of interest register – such as supermarkets, where people shopping at the same time would only be casual contacts – they believed they posed a low risk to others.

Their Covid-19 tests were negative.

Care packages for self-isolating Dunedin students.

Some parts of Auckland, such as Highland Park, Manakau and Papakura, were also faced with limited or no delivery times available.

Countdown has urged customers who can shop in-store to do so, to free up delivery slots for people who are isolating.

A Countdown spokeswoman said demand for online delivery had increased around the country as more people isolate.

“That includes Dunedin, where we have seen a sharp increase in orders for delivery being made. We’re doing as much as we can to manage this demand and we’ll be opening up more delivery slots for Dunedin soon.”

Countdown has about 4000 team members working across its online shopping services including 3500 people picking orders and 250 delivery drivers.

“We’d encourage people to follow all Ministry of Health guidelines, and for vulnerable Kiwis and those isolating at home, our Priority Assistance service is available to make sure people who need it most have access to food and essentials,” a Countdown spokeswoman said.

Delivereasy has seen an increase in work for its Taranaki drivers with more people working from home due to Covid-19's spread.

The priority assistance service provided dedicated delivery times for customers who most needed access to online delivery services.

It was available to anyone over the age of 70, or who had a chronic illness, was pregnant or had given birth in the last six weeks, people going through cancer treatment or recovery, people with disabilities or those self-isolating at home or an MIQ facility.

To get access to the service customers apply online and the Countdown team reviews and approves the application within a few days.

Foodstuffs NZ corporate affairs manager Emma Wooster said where available its online services had good capacity.

“If customers are unable to come into our stores because they’re vulnerable or isolated at home, we encourage them to ask a friend or neighbour to shop for them or use our online and click and collect services, where available.”

The Student Volunteer Army was also reinstating its grocery delivery service in partnership with New World, predominantly to support people with Covid-19, she said.

“Please do the right thing by not coming to the store if you don’t feel well, have been advised to isolate, or have Covid,” she said.

Food delivery service Delivereasy director Nick Foster said it had experienced an increase in demand of about 50 per cent htis week.

“Some of it will be down to students back in town but equally a lot of them, as is half of Dunedin by the sounds, are isolating.”