Managers of local Tescos stores have promised that stocks and shelves are being replenished every day while suppliers prioritise certain products.

In statements posted on Aylsham’s and Caister’s community Facebook pages on Thursday (March 19), the managers attempted to alleviate some of the concern over empty shelves.

Carl Roshier, manager of the Tesco in Aylsham, said the store is still receiving scheduled deliveries everyday, adding: “Suppliers are delivering as much stock as they can and prioritising where needed by removing certain products to focus on key lines.”

He asked customers to purchase only what they need and to “have a thought for others”.

MORE: Full shelves and no queues – farm shops say now is the time to buy Norfolk foodThe store has introduced special shopping periods for the elderly and vulnerable, and their carers, from 9am to 10am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

From Sunday (March 22) it is also implementing an opportunity for NHS workers to access the store an hour before opening, allowing frontline staff to have the time to browse and select shopping in the absence of other customers before completing checkout once the store opens at 10am.

The supermarket has introduced social distancing measures at its checkouts and service desk, with marked-out areas customers are to remain outside of.

“This is to protect our colleagues as well of the thousands of customers that they are serving daily,” the manager said.

“Every change we make on a daily and hourly basis is geared towards making our stores as safe as possible and providing as much stock to our customers as we can.”

MORE: QD stores to open earlier for older customers during coronavirus outbreakHe also asked customers to show respect to staff, describing the store’s employees as an “incredibly hardworking team that continue to put themselves at risk in order to serve you the best way we can in these unprecedented times”.

“We are now classed as ‘key workers’ along with NHS staff and police,” he said.

“Believe me when I say that there is categorically no stock out the back so if a colleague says this to you they are not being lazy - they’ve probably been asked the same thing fifty times already.

“It is not their fault if you cannot purchase a loaf of bread or a tin of beans.

“It is, however, your fault if you are not following government hygiene and social distancing guidelines and putting us and our families at even greater risk,” the manager said.

His comments were echoed by the manager of the store in Caister.