Tesco is to open pop-up convenience stores at the new NHS Nightingale Hospital sites around the UK to provide frontline healthcare staff with 24-hour access to essential food and household products.
The government is building the temporary hospitals to provide extra patient capacity during the coronavirus outbreak.
Tesco has already started construction of its first dedicated Nightingale pop-up branch at the NEC in Birmingham. The retailer said it was in late-stage discussions to open stores at the hospitals in Manchester, Harrogate and London’s ExCel centre.
The news comes shortly after Tesco joined an alliance of businesses via SalutetheNHS.org to serve one million meals to NHS staff.
Tesco also recently launched a £30m coronavirus community support package for the next three months. Of the support package, £15m worth of food donations would be made to FareShare and the Trussell Trust, and £2m to the British Red Cross.
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s is supporting a new joint appeal to raise money for people in need as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The grocer has pledged to match all customer donations made to Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need in-store and online between 9 April and 1 May. Shoppers can round up their bill or donate in-store, donate online, or contribute their Nectar points to the two charities.
Mike Coupe, Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s, said: “We’re proud to be working with Comic Relief in an effort to help those in need – it is more important than ever to be supporting charities and the crucial work that they do to help the most vulnerable in society.”
