Here are the new restricted opening hours for supermarkets amid coronavirus pandemic

As customers continue to stockpile amid the coronavirus pandemic, some supermarket chains are changing their opening hours to restock shelves and allow elderly people to access certain items.

Across the UK, supermarkets have seen huge queues, with shelves stripped bare of essentials and an increased demand for items such as toilet roll, flour, handwash, milk and bread.

Here are the altered opening times for the UK’s most popular supermarket chains.

Tesco

A number of stores are now operating at reduced hours. Some Tesco Extra stores and larger Metro stores have reduced their hours to between 6am and 10pm, in order to be able to properly restock overnight.

Tesco is also introducing a special shopping hour for its workers and NHS staff from Sunday (22 March) onwards. Those eligible will be able to browse an hour before traditional shop opening hours.

In a statement, Tesco said: “They can come to our large stores one hour before the usual store opening time every Sunday, and will be able to browse the store and select their shopping before the checkouts open.

"All we ask is that they bring a form of ID with them to store, such as an NHS staff card.”

To check your local Tesco store, visit: tesco.com/store-locator/uk/

Asda

Asda has revealed it is closing its 24 hour stores between 12am and 6am on a temporary basis. The supermarket will also be prioritising NHS workers in larger stores every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am to 9am.

To check your local store’s opening hours, visit: storelocator.asda.com

Sainsbury’s

In a recent letter to customers, the supermarket’s CEO said: “You will have seen that we put restrictions in place this week to ensure that more products are on shelf for longer. From Monday 23rd March, we are consolidating our opening hours and all our supermarkets will be open from 8am to 8pm, Monday-Saturday, including those with an Argos store. Sunday opening, Sainsbury’s Local and petrol station opening times will stay the same.”

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, all of the chain’s supermarkets will dedicate the hour of 8am - 9am to serving elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers, as well as NHS and Social Care workers.

To find the opening hours for your local store, visit stores.sainsburys.co.uk

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Aldi

From Monday to Saturday, the German supermarket chain will be open between 8am and 8pm. Sunday opening hours remain the same - 10am to 4pm (or 6pm in Scotland).

To check your local store, visit: aldi.co.uk

Lidl

The supermarket is opening an hour earlier than usual in order to let elderly customers do their shopping.

To check the opening times of your local Lidl, visit: lidl.co.uk/about-us/store-finder-opening-hours

Iceland

Iceland will open its supermarkets early for elderly customers to visit before stores open to the public.

Each day, elderly shoppers can now visit between 8am - 9am to get their shopping first. The final hour of trading Monday to Saturday will also be for NHS staff only.

To check local store’s opening times, visit iceland.co.uk.

Morrisons

The supermarket has introduced an NHS hour at all of their stores every day, Monday to Saturday from 7am to 8am.

To check opening hours for your local store, visit groceries.morrisons.com

M&S

M&S has announced that it will give the first hour of every Tuesday and Friday morning to NHS and emergency service workers.

To check opening hours for your local store, visit: marksandspencer.com/

Waitrose

Although opening times have not yet changed, Waitrose do currently have a measures in place for the elderly, the vulnerable and those who look after them in, with a prioritised and dedicated shopping hour every day. This is the first opening hour of the shop.

To check opening hours for your local store, visit: waitrose.com/

Co-op

Co-op haven’t made changes to their opening times, but are restricting purchases to two per customer on some products, including hand sanitiser, soap, tinned goods, pasta, rice, long-life milk, sugar, baby food and nappies.

To check opening hours for your local store, visit: finder.coop.co.uk/food

Nisa

Although opening times haven’t changed, different Nisa stores are offering help to the elderly and vulnerable, by offering extended services to customers, including free deliveries.

To check opening hours for your local store, visit: