Sheffield supermarket's apology after customer blasts 'rammed' store full of 'covidiots'

The customer hit out after a shopping trip to the firm’s branch in Chesterfield Road, Meersbrook at the weekend.

In a tweet to Lidl, he described the store as a ‘Covid breeding ground’ and wrote: “Dear @LidlGB Your #Meersbrook #ChesterfieldRoad branch is rammed this afternoon.

“Over 100 ppl in there, you're allowed 40 BY LAW. Three times I had to get out of the way of your staff, who came with 30cm of me. #COVIDIOTS #covidbreedingground.”

Replying, a Lidl spokesman said: “We're truly concerned to learn that the safety measures we've implemented are not being followed in our Sheffield store. Our apologies for any upset caused.”

In a full response, Lidl said: “We are committed to ensuring our colleagues and customers feel safe in our stores, and this continues to be a top priority for us.

“For this reason we have introduced a range of social distancing measures, which includes positioning designated team members at store entrances to manage the volume of people entering at one time.

“This is particularly focused on peak hours. A raft of clear communication reminding customers of the importance of maintaining a two-metre distance from each other when shopping, including markings on the floor, is also in place.

“We also have dedicated cleaning stations at store entrances for customers with hand sanitiser, disinfectant and wipes, for them to use on their trolleys and baskets.

“Additionally, we have installed protective screens at our checkouts along with the introduction of protective visors and masks for colleagues to wear if they wish.

“Furthermore we are continuing to encourage customers to pay by contactless payment methods where possible.

“We continue to review all of the measures that we have in place so that we can continue to provide a safe shopping environment.”

Under government guidelines in lockdown, supermarkets have been allowed to remain open for essential shopping, employing rules on social distancing.