A MAJOR supermarket is urging couples not to shop together in the fight against the coronavirus.

Waitrose and Partners – which has supermarkets in Northwich, Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, plus a Little Waitrose in Knutsford – has introduced a 'one customer per household' policy as it looks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

While it means most couples are effectively banned from the supermarket, Waitrose accepts that some couples will have to shop together.

It is one of a number of measures the retailer has introduced in the past week to help tackle the virus, including a 'one in, one out' policy for when its stores are at capacity.

A spokesman for Waitrose and Partners said: "In line with the Government’s guidance on social distancing we’re asking customers to help us manage the number of people in our shops – by sending only one member of the household to do their shopping, if they possibly can. 

"While this won’t be possible for everybody, we are very grateful for our customers’ support in this difficult situation."

Northwich Guardian:

Meanwhile, Waitrose supermarkets have introduced dedicated corner shops (pictured above) to keep essential supplies available for NHS workers with a valid ID.

Bérangère Michel, partner and executive director for customer Service at John Lewis Partnership, said: “The health of our partners and customers has always been our number one priority and we fully support social distancing.

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"While these measures will dramatically change how people shop and interact with others in our stores for the moment – they are absolutely vital to ensure that our customers can shop safely and that our partners are protected as they go above and beyond to serve shoppers in this time of crisis."