Ocado is taking measures to limit the impact of coronavirus panic buying advising customers to place orders further in advance due to increased strain on its operations.
The online grocer emailed its customers at the end of last week warning them that “exceptionally high demand” was causing delivery slots to sell out rapidly.
It advised shoppers to place orders around two or three days before their intended delivery date to ensure it arrived on time, encouraging them to book weekday delivery if possible rather than on busier weekends.
READ MORE: Grocers draw up plans to manage stockpiling as coronavirus spreads
This comes as the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson told BBC News in an interview on Monday that there could be a “very significant expansion” of the virus in the coming weeks.
The number of cases in the UK has now risen to 39 after four new cases were confirmed on Monday, while the EU has raised the coronavirus risk level in its member states from “moderate to high”.
Other UK supermarkets are also making preparations to deal with potential stockpiling, drawing up “feed the nation” which aim to ensure staple products will remain on shelves in the event of disrupted supply chains.
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