Lockdown 3.0: Which supermarkets have delivery slots available?
As England’s third national lockdown continues, read our guide to plan your next online food shop
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Your support makes all the difference.On Monday 4 January, prime minister Boris Johnson announced in a televised address to the nation that everyone must stay at home and schools would remain closed.
As reported by The Independent, the third lockdown will continue until March, with the possibility of some restrictions being in place even longer.
Mr Johnson’s decision came after Nicola Sturgeon imposed a lockdown on Scotland for the rest of January, with Northern Ireland and Wales both already in lockdown.
During the first and second lockdowns, online shopping became for many – particularly those classed as vulnerable – the safest way to do a food shop and as a result, many supermarkets prioritised delivery slots for those people and placed rationing measures on food and household items.
To keep you up to date with the latest changes from the supermarkets, we’ve compiled all the information you need to know to organise your next food shop.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
While you are unable to order groceries for home delivery from Aldi, the supermarket has ramped up its click and collect pilot scheme and is now offering it in around 200 stores nationwide, from Bristol to Norwich.
Initially, it began as a pilot in September, available in one store in the Midlands but its success has seen it be offered to Aldi shops across England.
It means customers can now order a food shop online and pick it up at your nearest store, without having to enter and thus, reducing your need for trips outside your home amid the pandemic.
The full range of its groceries will be available to shop and the prices will be the same as in-store.
Aldi has also partnered with Deliveroo to offer 150 items for home delivery, including British meats, bread, eggs, milk and fresh fruit and veg. Check the availability in your area on deliveroo.co.uk.
Aldi currently has delivery slots available from Thursday 28 January to book until Tuesday 2 January.
Only available to existing customers? No, anyone can use the service, but you will be required to create a new account.
Delivery locations: Check your postcode on the website here, to see if the click and collect service is available near you.
Minimum spend: £25
Delivery waiting time: Iceland has removed its restrictions on home delivery, which is now available to all customers.
According to its website, the supermarket says: "We typically deliver Monday to Sunday, with two-hour delivery slots available between 8am and 9pm.”
It is currently showing slots up until Monday 1 February, with limited availability for some postcodes from Saturday 30 January.
The supermarket has also announced its offering students £5 off a £40 online shop along with priority delivery slots if you sign up with a university email address, in order to support those affected by the new lockdown measures. You can shop its student food essentials here.
Only available to existing customers? No, anyone can place an order.
Delivery locations: You can check your postcode on the website.
Minimum spend: £40
Delivery waiting time: Morrisons offers one-hour delivery slots, seven days a week, with its calendar currently allowing advance booking of slots from 1 to 4 February for certain postcodes though showing severely limitability for others.
There are currently slots available to click and collect groceries from in store from Thursday 28 January for some locations.
Since September Morrisons rationed of toilet roll, hand sanitiser and disinfectant to a limit of three per customer, in order to avoid a repeat of the stockpiling seen in March.
It is also offering customers food boxes, which are accessible to all and if ordered before 3pm, will qualify for next day delivery. Starting from £16 they consist of essential food and household items for vegetarians, meat-eaters, gluten-free diets and families.
Alongside this, Morrisons also launched a British farmers food box for £45, filled with fresh produce including meats, vegetables, milk and cheeses. As many farmers have been unable to sell produce to the restaurant trade as a result of the lockdown, £1 from every British Farmers Food Box will be donated to British farming charities via The Prince's Countryside Fund.
Morrisons has also rolled out a "Doorstep Delivery" service, which if you call 0345 611 6111 and select option 5, you can place a grocery order and it will be delivered the next day. It’s available for anyone self-isolating and is free for the elderly and vulnerable, £2 for students and standard delivery will cost £4.50.
Is it only available to existing customers? No, but you will need to register an account in order to shop online.
Delivery locations: It delivers across the UK, and you can check your postcode on the website.
Minimum spend: £40
Delivery waiting time: Slots for many postcodes are sold out until 4 February when you can book a time between 6am and 11pm. There’s wide availability thereafter, bookable up to 10 February.
Only available to existing customers? No, but you will need to register for an account to order groceries online, and new customers can still register.
Delivery locations: Asda delivers across the UK and you can check your postcode on the website.
Asda has also announced that they will add extra security staff at the front stores, and the Qudini virtual queuing app is now available across its shops to encourage customers to practice safe social distancing while waiting their turn.
Minimum spend: £40
Delivery waiting time: On Waitrose's website, you can book slots from Thursdsday 28 January to Saturday 6 February, however there is very limited availability.
There are click and collect service slots available at certain stores from 1 February available to book up until 21 February, with good availability for some postcodes from Monday 15 February.
It is prioritising the vulnerable and elderly for both its home delivery and click and collect slots, with 25 per cent of orders being committed to elderly and vulnerable customers.
Waitrose has brought back purchasing restrictions, only allowing two per customer on toilet roll, eggs and hand sanitiser and three items per person for flour, pasta and household cleaning products when shopping online and in-store.
Only available to existing customers? You will need to register for an account to order groceries online and new customers can sign up.
Delivery locations: Waitrose delivers across the UK and you can check your postcode on its website.
Minimum spend: £40
Delivery waiting time: Slots for 27 January – 5 February are fully booked for some postcodes, however, there are many slots available from 5 right up to 18 February.
In-store, shoppers will be limited to three per person on flour, dried pasta, toilet roll, baby wipes and antibacterial wipes, while online customers will be also be subject to the same restrictions on eggs, flour and anti-bacterial products.
Only available to existing customers? You can register as a new customer on the website, and book a delivery slot when they are available.
Delivery locations: You can check your postcode on the site.
Minimum spend: £25
Delivery waiting time: Sainsbury’s is still giving customers who are vulnerable priority access to its online home delivery service, with slots bookable from 28 January to 3 February, with availability on 1 February for some postcodes.
It has also introduced new saver slots for £1 which will be texted to you by the supermarket on the delivery day chosen. These slots are also open to booking from from 28 January to 3 February, with some postcodes having availability on 1 February.
Due to the rise in coronavirus cases across the UK, Sainsbury’s have asked customers to only send one adult per household into store to enable them ensure everyone can safely socially distance and reduce queues.
Only available to existing customers? No, new customers can now register online for home delivery and click and collect slots.
Delivery locations: You can check your postcode on the website to see if Sainsbury's can deliver to your area.
Minimum spend: £0
Delivery waiting time: The supermarket has currently limited its food delivery service to party food and pre-prepared meals such as meats, fish and bite-size treats.
Its groceries are now available to order through Ocado.
Only available to existing customers? M&S is taking orders, but you will need to register an account to order groceries online.
Delivery locations: The supermarket currently delivers across the UK, you can check if your postcode is eligible on its website.
Minimum spend: £15
Delivery waiting time: There are currently many delivery slots showing as available from Wednesday 27 through Monday 1 February for some postcodes.
Only available to existing customers? No, but you will need to sign up in order to arrange delivery of your shopping once slots are available.
Delivery locations: The service is currently available in some areas of London, Bristol, Brighton, Manchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Manchester, as well as Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Birmingham.
Minimum spend: £40
Delivery waiting time: Ocado offers home delivery seven days a week between 5:30am and 11:30pm, with slots showing from 27 to 30 January, however, with severely limited availability.
It also now offers M&S food, so you can do you weekly shop directly with Ocado.
Only available to existing customers? No, but you will need to register an account before shopping online.
Delivery locations: Ocado delivers across the UK and you can check your postcode on its website.
For more home deliveries, read our guide to the best healthy food subscription boxes