Essential items being sold online during lockdown

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mattwnz

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#269695 2-Apr-2020 19:46

I noticed a lot of companies sending me advertising emails over the last day or so, that what they now sell are now considered essential items. This includes clothing, bed linen, etc. But there doesn't seem much logic. For example one store had clothing but not shoes. But another marketplace did include shoes. Is there a list?

The only one I have found is this one https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/open-government-and-official-information/coronavirus-covid-19/essential-business/ but it is not specific.

I thought part of the intention of the lockdown period was to reduce couriers and people moving around.

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#2453297 2-Apr-2020 20:16

I noticed on the JB HiFi site that iPhone 7 and 11 were considered essential and were offered for sale. IPhone 8 isn't essential though. Still taking orders, just won't deliver until after lockdown.

snnet

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#2453309 2-Apr-2020 20:34

RunningMan:

I noticed on the JB HiFi site that iPhone 7 and 11 were considered essential and were offered for sale. IPhone 8 isn't essential though. Still taking orders, just won't deliver until after lockdown.

Ah yes, the 7 and 11 are absolute essentials, do they have them in rose gold

Scott3

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#2453320 2-Apr-2020 20:51

Yeah, Part of the point is to avoid people moving round, but it has been decided that some appliances are winter goods are considered "essential".

In short, if my fridge broke tomorrow, and it couldn't be repaired, unless I could replace it, I would have to either survive on dry goods, or make daily supermarket trips. The latter would be far more counterproductive with regards to reducing interpersonal contact, compared to having a new fridge delivered.

Communications devices and things like computers for working / learning from home are also included. - this appears to be more to mitigate the impact of the lock down as opposed to reducing people moving.

Winter goods like heaters were also included. - This seems more about generally keeping people in good health.

mattwnz

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#2453323 2-Apr-2020 20:58

Scott3:

Yeah, Part of the point is to avoid people moving round, but it has been decided that some appliances are winter goods are considered "essential".

In short, if my fridge broke tomorrow, and it couldn't be repaired, unless I could replace it, I would have to either survive on dry goods, or make daily supermarket trips. The latter would be far more counterproductive with regards to reducing interpersonal contact, compared to having a new fridge delivered.

Communications devices and things like computers for working / learning from home are also included. - this appears to be more to mitigate the impact of the lock down as opposed to reducing people moving.

Winter goods like heaters were also included. - This seems more about generally keeping people in good health.

It does seem to have been relaxed since then, because we can now buy clothing which is listed as an 'essential item', as well as linen for beds etc. Home-ware stores are also now listing essential items like slow cookers. As it gets colder, I can see some people will need more clothing, and just wear and there will be tear on peoples household items they use that they may need to replace, such as toasters, kettles etc. But it could be a slippery slope, which is why I was wondering if there was a list of what they consider to be essential items.

RunningMan

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#2453324 2-Apr-2020 21:00

Sound concept, but the implementation is out. How can one model phone not be essential, but the ones below and above are?

Geektastic

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#2453346 2-Apr-2020 21:16

As I have said elsewhere, apparently a slow cooker is not essential if you want to buy it from Noel Leeming.

It IS essential if you want to buy it from Briscoes.

Only a bureaucrat could see any logic in that. Either a slow cooker is essential, in which case anywhere that is allowed to be open and which sells slow cookers should be allowed to sell one, or it isn't in which case nobody should sell one.

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dejadeadnz

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#2453354 2-Apr-2020 21:26

Geektastic:

As I have said elsewhere, apparently a slow cooker is not essential if you want to buy it from Noel Leeming.

It IS essential if you want to buy it from Briscoes.

Only a bureaucrat could see any logic in that. Either a slow cooker is essential, in which case anywhere that is allowed to be open and which sells slow cookers should be allowed to sell one, or it isn't in which case nobody should sell one.

If you think you are so brilliant, you can by all means try your hand at legal drafting during life and death emergencies. I am sure you will do great.

What you are tending to forget is that if they get too prescriptive, people will moan. So an element of this has to be left to community goodwill and discretion. And you may also be blaming the officials for things like:

(1) retailers classifying stuff that they can't readily get/provide in sufficient quantities as non-essential to save face; and/or

(2) retailers simply not knowing what they are doing.

But hey it's always easier to take potshots, especially at government and authorities, for which you seem to have a pathological hatred.

Geektastic

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#2453370 2-Apr-2020 21:39

dejadeadnz:

Geektastic:

As I have said elsewhere, apparently a slow cooker is not essential if you want to buy it from Noel Leeming.

It IS essential if you want to buy it from Briscoes.

Only a bureaucrat could see any logic in that. Either a slow cooker is essential, in which case anywhere that is allowed to be open and which sells slow cookers should be allowed to sell one, or it isn't in which case nobody should sell one.

If you think you are so brilliant, you can by all means try your hand at legal drafting during life and death emergencies. I am sure you will do great.

What you are tending to forget is that if they get too prescriptive, people will moan. So an element of this has to be left to community goodwill and discretion. And you may also be blaming the officials for things like:

(1) retailers classifying stuff that they can't readily get/provide in sufficient quantities as non-essential to save face; and/or

(2) retailers simply not knowing what they are doing.

But hey it's always easier to take potshots, especially at government and authorities, for which you seem to have a pathological hatred.

I think you're overcomplicating it. A list of allowable items solves the problem. If a retailer sells slowcookers, then there is no earthly reason why one should sell them when another is not allowed to. In this instance, Noel Leeming's CS people said quite specifically that slow cookers were not on the government mandated list for their class of shop and were equally surprised by the fact that another shop in their group - the Warehouse - was allowed to because it had a different classification.

I'd be happy to draft the regulations and would actually be extremely good at it, by the by, but since I won't be getting that job we need not worry about it.

Scott3

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#2453382 2-Apr-2020 22:09

The retailers have been left to interpret broad categories given by the government.

This puts the retailers in a tricky spot, they want to make money, and provide as much as possible to their customers, but not get told off for going to far. Clearly different brands have drawn the line in different places.

Within retailers, the inconsistency with say some phone being included by not others is likely due to staff being in a hurry, and systems not set up to automate classification.

dejadeadnz

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#2453411 2-Apr-2020 23:26

Geektastic:

If a retailer sells slowcookers, then there is no earthly reason why one should sell them when another is not allowed to. In this instance, Noel Leeming's CS people said quite specifically that slow cookers were not on the government mandated list for their class of shop and were equally surprised by the fact that another shop in their group - the Warehouse - was allowed to because it had a different classification.

This is just not that big a deal to anyone with any kind of perspective who isn't just setting out to find something to criticise. And the reasonably broad and open-ended approach preferred by the drafters is infinitely more preferable to a prescriptive and exhaustive list that doesn't account for particular exigencies that are based on geography, individual unavoidable requirements, and the like. For example, we have seen commentary in the media where tradies and customers are asked to hold each other to proper account in deciding whether services are truly essential, e.g. a roof repair that is required to keep your house warm and away from the elements is but stuff that is focused on helping it look good isn't.

For a person who frequently espouses highly individualistic and libertarian views, you sure seem to struggle to allow people to exercise a bit of, err, thinking, liberty and good faith here.

I'd be happy to draft the regulations and would actually be extremely good at it, by the by, but since I won't be getting that job we need not worry about it.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.

Azzura

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#2453472 3-Apr-2020 07:16

Is firewood considered essential?

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stocksp

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#2453474 3-Apr-2020 07:27

Azzura:

Is firewood considered essential?

yes

Boeingflyer

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#2453488 3-Apr-2020 08:14

Geektastic:
As I have said elsewhere, apparently a slow cooker is not essential if you want to buy it from Noel Leeming.

It IS essential if you want to buy it from Briscoes.

Only a bureaucrat could see any logic in that. Either a slow cooker is essential, in which case anywhere that is allowed to be open and which sells slow cookers should be allowed to sell one, or it isn't in which case nobody should sell one.

Do you need a slow cooker?

If 'No' then move on and stop complaining

If 'Yes' order from Briscoes.

Sick of people poking holes at all the small stuff, if you can't see the big picture then there's no hope in yourself.

amiga500

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#2453494 3-Apr-2020 08:25

The anomaly with some iPhones being available and others not available might be due to stock levels. Maybe they are sold out of iPhone 8s and have no idea when more stock is coming?

RunningMan

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#2453512 3-Apr-2020 09:01

@amiga500 you may well be right. I just noticed it and thought it strange because I assumed when a retailer was deciding on what was essential they would take a broad view, looking at product categories, so all phones would be in, all gaming consoles are out (or whatever logic they apply). Not a big deal in the overall scheme of things, just happened to notice when looking through their site.

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