Tesco announces Christmas rules and update on stock levels to all shoppers

CEO Jason Tarry has outlined a number of measures in place – including restrictions on some products, social distancing – and urging people not to panic buy.

He said: “As we approach the busy run-up to Christmas, I want to reassure you that, at Tesco, we’re doing all we can to make sure that everyone can get the food they need in a safe environment.

"We have strict social distancing measures in our stores to keep our colleagues and customers safe, and we have plenty of food available to suit your needs at Christmas.

“As we have good stock levels, please shop as you normally would so that everyone is able to get what they need.

“We continue to have good availability on the small number of fresh products, such as lettuce, cauliflower and citrus fruit, that we import from France at this time of year.

More than 300 of our larger stores are now open 24 hours a day until Christmas Eve, with many other stores extending their hours to be open from 5am.

NHS, emergency services and care workers have priority access with valid ID.

He added: “We have some temporary purchasing limits on certain essential products to help all customers have access to these products.

“To help us manage the number of people in-store, we’re strongly encouraging our customers to shop alone where possible. This is in line with government guidance and will help to reduce the time spent queueing and in-store, making it safer for all our customers and colleagues.

“In our larger stores, we have colleagues at the entrances to help everyone follow the safety measures. And we have a simple ‘traffic light’ system in many stores to help us manage the flow in and out.

“In case of rain, where we can, we’ve made sure there’s protected queueing outside. We’ll also be handing out umbrellas in some of our larger stores.

“Hand sanitiser and cleaning stations are available around our stores, and we continue to have social distancing guidelines and signage in place.”