Asda has moved to clarify its policy on children in stores after social media posts suggested families with children would be banned. In a Facebook statement, the supermarket confirmed that children are still permitted, but urged customers to bring fewer family members where possible to help maintain social distancing.
The clarification follows complaints from parents who claimed they were turned away from stores with their children. Asda stated it is limiting the total number of shoppers allowed in at any one time, but has not imposed a ban on children. The supermarket is asking customers to send only one adult per household where possible to avoid overcrowding.
Other major supermarkets have also addressed the issue. Aldi confirmed it is not restricting shopping with family members but requests only one person per household attends. Waitrose similarly asks for one shopper per household where possible, while Tesco and Lidl have not placed bans on children accompanying parents.
Lidl stated it has no restrictions preventing parents from shopping with children and said store employees should use common sense when dealing with parents with babies or young children. The measures are part of broader efforts to enforce social distancing and limit overcrowding during the coronavirus pandemic.
