John should pay cash and spread the purchases out across multiple trips / stores. John may also want to wear a covid-mask as that's still a thing that people do. Funny old world.
John would also be sensible if he put any excess materials in the hole before covering it, leaving just the shovel which would hopefully have a wooden handle and so be handy for a log fire to keep John warm that evening.
John should also have been very careful about his personal/work browsing history and have made good use of public wifi internet access via an unregistered device for any pertinent enquiries.
