Message from Asda’s CEO Roger Burnley

Dear Customer,

The latest advice from Government has made a very clear ask of us all. That we stay at home as much as we can in order to slow the spread of Coronavirus. Whilst visits to supermarkets are still allowed to ensure your families have the essentials they need, it’s really important that you do all you can to maintain social distancing.

I wanted to share with you some information about what we’re doing to protect you and our colleagues when you do come into our stores. Please read the following information and follow the guidance when you visit us, or any supermarket. It has never been more important for us to work together to keep our distance.

Updates

Social distancing

• Extra colleagues at the front of our stores, to ensure safe numbers in store at all times
• Our new barriers and signage will help guide you in and throughout our shops
• Signs and distance floor-markers are there to remind you to keep 2 metres from others
• Perspex screens will soon be fitted at checkouts, until then please keep your distance from our colleagues
• Some Scan and Go tills are closed to help maintain distances
• Please only touch items you intend to purchase
• Use cashless payments wherever possible – contactless limit will be increased to £45 from 1st April to make this easier

With the rapidly changing landscape of the UK, it is important we look after each other with the means we have available to us. This is especially true of our key workers at Asda.

How we are looking after our colleagues

• We’re encouraging colleagues to step away from the shop floor to wash their hands regularly
• We’ve committed to supporting our colleagues that have been identified by the government as needing to self-isolate for 12 weeks, ensuring these colleagues receive full pay for their isolation period
• There will be an extra week’s pay in June to our colleagues in recognition of their extra efforts to protect the health of their colleagues who needed to step away during this time

In line with Government advice around protecting clinical workers, we are providing our pharmacists and optometrists with facemasks, however, this is not something that is being advised for all colleagues. We simply ask that everyone maintain social distancing and personal hygiene.

How we’re keeping our stores clean, tidy and safe

• We’re using extra cleaning materials in our stores more often, especially in our busier walkways
• Our cleaning stations at the front of stores are replenished to make it easier to sanitise trolleys and baskets before and after use

Due to the social distancing guidance, we’ve had to change online deliveries to keep both colleagues and customers safe.

How we’re working to deliver online shopping

• We’ve provided our drivers with hand sanitiser and gloves
• Making as many online shopping slots available as we can
• We’re encouraging those that are able to safely shop in person do so—this allows us to deliver to the highly vulnerable
• If you are self-isolating or have additional needs, please advise us in the ‘other information’ section when placing your order – you can tell us where you would like your order to be left

It has never been more important for us to work together to keep our distance. I want you to know that everyone at Asda is working tirelessly to make sure you have the essentials your family needs and that you can shop in our stores safely if you need to visit us.

We’re working hard to protect you and our colleagues – please help us to do so by following the guidelines in place. My colleagues in our stores are working under incredible pressure to serve you, and I am hugely grateful to them for their efforts. Please be kind to them when you visit us – we’re all in this together.