London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Supermarket staff 'face abuse during outbreak'

Shop workers say they have faced abuse and racism as customers clamber for goods during the coronavirus outbreak.

One supermarket worker in Cardiff said work had been "crazy" and it had "affected my mental health".

Shop workers' union Usdaw said retail staff "play an essential role in getting the country through this crisis" and needed support.

It also called for precautions to protect them from catching the virus at work.

A worker at a Co-op store in Cardiff, who did not want to be named, described receiving racist abuse from a customer.

"He was shouting that it was a virus caused by the Chinese and that he had the right to freedom of speech," they said.

A Tesco employee from Cardiff, who also did not want to be identified, said: "Working here this week has really affected my mental health.

"People have been so selfish. It's just been crazy here with all the panic-buying.

"We've seen the worst behaviour this week, it's just been insane."

Usdaw said its members were dealing with extremely high demand and coming into contact with hundreds of people every day.

Usdaw's general secretary, Paddy Lillis, said: "We understand this is a stressful time and remind customers that shop workers deserve respect and that no level of abuse is ever acceptable.

"It should never be a part of the job."

A Co-op spokesman said: "We have taken immediate steps to help our front-line colleagues follow all the precautions advised by NHS and Public Health and we've built in additional working hours for store colleagues to undertake more frequent hand washing throughout the day.

"Additional hand sanitiser, antibacterial wipes and soap have been provided to all stores and they are all following upweighted, rigorous cleaning protocols of the store and all fixtures."

What are other supermarkets doing to protect people?
Aldi

Aldi said it was taking steps to improve product availability to protect people against infection.

Store hours will shorten to close at 20:00 from this Friday, 20 March, until further notice. Sunday hours are unchanged.

Clear screens will be installed at checkouts to protect colleagues and customers from Monday, 23 March.

Waitrose

The upmarket store said it planned to increase security so there would be a guard at all branches.

The first hour of business is now dedicated to elderly and vulnerable shoppers.

It said it had a £1m fund to help those in need in local communities.

Tesco

Tesco is limiting customers to three of any product, and only two of toilet rolls and paracetamol.

It said it will introduce distancing measures at checkouts to reduce infection risk.

It's also introducing a shopping hour on Sunday morning in large stores for its staff and NHS workers.

Sainsbury's

It said people can buy three of any grocery product and two of more popular items like toilet paper, soap and long-life milk.

It has given over its first hour of opening in stores, apart from its Local shops, to elderly and vulnerable customers.

Iceland

Deeside based Iceland has been opening an hour early for elderly and vulnerable people.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×