Coronavirus: Queues as Grangemouth Iceland opens exclusively for elderly and vulnerable

There were lengthy queues outside Grangemouth’s Iceland store this morning as it opened its doors to elderly and vulnerable customers.
By Fiona Dobie
Published 18th Mar 2020, 13:43 BST
Updated 18th Mar 2020, 13:44 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The La Porte Precinct shop is allowing elderly shoppers and those with underlying health conditions the chance to do their shopping in a clean and replenished store from its opening time of 10am until noon every Wednesday during the coronavirus pandemic.

Today was the first day of the initiative, which was well supported by the community with a queue having formed ahead of the shop opening.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And a generous offer by local taxi firm, Kerse Cabs, to provide elderly customers with free transport to the store on a Wednesday so they can buy their groceries was also being utilised.

Queues were found outside Iceland ahead of its 10am opening.Queues were found outside Iceland ahead of its 10am opening.
Queues were found outside Iceland ahead of its 10am opening.

Tam Flynn, senior supervisor at Iceland, said “The store is stocked and clean each morning and we want to give the elderly and those with underlying health conditions a more accessible experience.

“I’m hoping our customers will give them some respect and allow them to come in and do their shopping.

“It’s a difficult period just now and Iceland are trying to do their bit by making the right choices for their customers and staff at this challenging time.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tam said the plan was for the store to be open to the elderly and vulnerable for its first two hours of opening every Wednesday “for the foreseeable future”.

Kerse Cabs are offering OAPs a free service to take them to and from Iceland for their shopping on a Wednesday morning. Linda Sutherland with taxi driver Jim Jenkins.Kerse Cabs are offering OAPs a free service to take them to and from Iceland for their shopping on a Wednesday morning. Linda Sutherland with taxi driver Jim Jenkins.
Kerse Cabs are offering OAPs a free service to take them to and from Iceland for their shopping on a Wednesday morning. Linda Sutherland with taxi driver Jim Jenkins.

Gordon Waddell, owner of Kerse Cabs, said the firm decided to offer the free service to OAPs as “our way of doing our wee bit for the community”.

He said: “We’re only a small company, but we want to help the community where we can.

“Everyone should be trying to do their bit to come together.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’re going to be offering OAPs the free service to Iceland on a Wednesday until this is all over.

The store is only open to the elderly, carers and the vulnerable between 10am and noon to help them during the coronavirus pandemic.The store is only open to the elderly, carers and the vulnerable between 10am and noon to help them during the coronavirus pandemic.
The store is only open to the elderly, carers and the vulnerable between 10am and noon to help them during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Customers should give us a call to book a time for us to take them to Iceland.

“We’ll drop them off to do their shopping and then they can phone us once we’re done to come and pick them up and we’ll have a car there as soon as possible so they are not waiting around for too long.”