Coronavirus virus fears causing panic buying

[John Griffiths]

Sainsburys had plenty of refills for the anti- bac hand wash dispensers. Didnd' r see any gel.

 

[507021]

Once again, there was no toilet roll, baked beans or pasta in my local supermarket. There was plenty of pasta sauce though.

 

[tsr]

Another visit to Big Tesco. Like everyone else at work, no new stock of loo roll seen there or anywhere else at any local supermarket for at least a week now. Hand gel is a distant memory, and my consignment of alcohol computer cleaner is now "unexpectedly" delayed (due for delivery today after ordering on Saturday).

Everything else seems to be slowly coming back into stock, but emptying as soon as it arrives.

Lots of elderly people out shopping but also plenty with visibly nasty coughs, which I wasn't best pleased about.

 

[trainophile]

I am beginning to think the reassurances about plenty of toilet roll stock being distributed were just to pre-empt the even greater madness when it comes out that there actually aren't any being made currently.

 

[AnthonyRail]

Imagine the overtime available if you work in a toilet roll factory

 

[Mogster]

Imagine the overtime available if you work in a toilet roll factory

And Amazon warehouses apparently.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Just a little St Albans update - there will not be any more. Bank ,library visit and delighted to see about the same numbers enjoying one of our cosy , log fired pubs on the High Street.
So i nipped into the Tesco Metro (very near where the very first self served store was opened about 1960) , looking for a bag of self raising flour (one cannot live without home made Yorkshire pudding on a Sunday) - none -nor was there or a scrap of packaged bread (but it was 3.30pm) - fresh fruit and veg fine , most other things - including plenty of toilet paper , so with 4 adults at home I bought a 9 roll pack , plus a few other things. Sensible rationing again in hand.

Staff say the takings have already exceeded the normal Xmas level , and remaining very busy. Not chaotic , and apart from M+S , is really the only city centre general purpose food store , much used by the local OAP population.

Delighted to find a 4 bar pack of Wrights Carbolic soap - so scooped that for use (always buy it anyway as it reminds me of BR issued soap)

One gets the impression of needing to be akin to a citizen of the DDR ("the workers and peasants state") , where a spare bag was often carried in case one stumbled upon some goods rarely available in the State shop.

 

[bramling]

Just a little St Albans update - there will not be any more. Bank ,library visit and delighted to see about the same numbers enjoying one of our cosy , log fired pubs on the High Street.
So i nipped into the Tesco Metro (very near where the very first self served store was opened about 1960) , looking for a bag of self raising flour (one cannot live without home made Yorkshire pudding on a Sunday) - none -nor was there or a scrap of packaged bread (but it was 3.30pm) - fresh fruit and veg fine , most other things - including plenty of toilet paper , so with 4 adults at home I bought a 9 roll pack , plus a few other things. Sensible rationing again in hand.

Staff say the takings have already exceeded the normal Xmas level , and remaining very busy. Not chaotic , and apart from M+S , is really the only city centre general purpose food store , much used by the local OAP population.

Delighted to find a 4 bar pack of Wrights Carbolic soap - so scooped that for use (always buy it anyway as it reminds me of BR issued soap)

One gets the impression of needing to be akin to a citizen of the DDR ("the workers and peasants state") , where a spare bag was often carried in case one stumbled upon some goods rarely available in the State shop.

Went for a little walk round town, all supermarket shelves visibly bare in many areas, although some elements looked normal. Didn’t buy a massive amount but irritatingly had to go round three different stores to get what we wanted. Being off this week this wasn’t a major problem, but during a working week this would be a pain in the proverbial having to spend extra time. Hence I’m afraid to say when we did track down Weetabix we bought more than we normally would.

I did get the distinct impression people are now just throwing anything into the trolley without really thinking about that they actually want or need. Unfortunately this is now a consequence of the panic buying rather than a cause of it. I suspect things will die down as people start running out of money as this isn’t really sustainable.

Also evidence of people stocking up on kitchen roll which I have a suspicion is now being bought as a substitute for toilet roll. That’s really going to cause problems a little while down the line when drains start getting blocked.

Also had a curious experience in Superdrug, as I went in to buy a particular brand of facial moisturiser. A woman almost snatched a load off the shelf in front of me without even appearing to look what she was buying (as it happened it wasn’t even the one I was getting). With this not being something on the list of essentials which are being panic-bought I did wonder if this was an element of sheep mentality. Did she think it was some kind of sanitizer?

 

[trainophile]

I think the "throwing anything into the trolley" development has arisen from the news of the last couple of days, about possibly all being confined to our homes for up to several months. Combined with the visible shortages of course, and the apparent shut-down of home delivery services. At this stage we're not really meal planning, just ensuring we have the components of a couple of weeks' worth of meals so we don't die of starvation!

 

[R G NOW.]

I've been telling people all week that instead of stockpiling toilet roll and pasta they should be getting as much chocolate as possible but it doesn't seem to have caught on for some reason...

Now it seems that in my Sainsburys people are now buying up the Easter eggs all a sudden, probably due chocolate bars are running low. Some of the eggs are expensive and it seems that people have a bottomless pit of money.

 

[trainophile]

Now it seems that in my Sainsburys people are now buying up the Easter eggs all a sudden, probably due chocolate bars are running low.

Or it could be because Easter isn't all that far away?

 

[bramling]

I think the "throwing anything into the trolley" development has arisen from the news of the last couple of days, about possibly all being confined to our homes for up to several months. Combined with the visible shortages of course, and the apparent shut-down of home delivery services. At this stage we're not really meal planning, just ensuring we have the components of a couple of weeks' worth of meals so we don't die of starvation!

At the end of the day people are going to *have* to go shopping for foods and the like, so it’s all got a bit silly. Having said that, it’s surprising the government hasn’t given any real guidance on what over 70s should do.

A strange atmosphere for sure, I actually traded a couple of sentences with my neighbour this morning, for the first time in about a decade! (We’ve never really spoken with the one on that side after a planning argument many years ago).

 

[R G NOW.]

At the end of the day people are going to *have* to go shopping for foods and the like, so it’s all got a bit silly. Having said that, it’s surprising the government hasn’t given any real guidance on what over 70s should do.

.

I am just shopping like i normally do, it is silly doing large shops because it is affecting other people who everyday pop in just to top up their cupboards. My mother is 81 and relies on me to get her food. I was able to get her large brown Hovis loaf from Asda, Sainsburys have not had any for three weeks now.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think the "throwing anything into the trolley" development has arisen from the news of the last couple of days, about possibly all being confined to our homes for up to several months.

Which is bizarre, because not one single country that has done "full lockdown" has banned going to the shops for food.

Delivery services haven't shut down, it's more that they're oversubscribed and understaffed.

 

[DerekC]

As we are in the "stay indoors for the next three months" category we tried to book a home delivery slot (maybe a bit late!). Tesco and Sainsbury are fully booked for the whole 3- week time window and Waitrose's website is down. Hmm - need to do some thinking! There is a good farm shop not too far away - maybe a trip to the local outdoor market as well.

Latest in our over-70s food-finding project! Managed to get a Morrisons delivery slot for next Tuesday, but they are "out of stock" of virtually all fresh veg, fruit and meat - not much bread, either. And of course no toilet rolls! Presumably that means that the stock allocated to online shopping has run out.

Plenty of steak and red wine, though! Off to the farm shop tomorrow.

 

[bramling]

Which is bizarre, because not one single country that has done "full lockdown" has banned going to the shops for food.

Delivery services haven't shut down, it's more that they're oversubscribed and understaffed.

I think what we’re seeing now is people becoming irritated at having to go round several places to get what they’re looking for. Unfortunately it’s pretty rational for people to buy more of something when they finally find it, out of irritation I have to admit to doing exactly that - albeit only with one item.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Just a little St Albans update - there will not be any more. Bank ,library visit and delighted to see about the same numbers enjoying one of our cosy , log fired pubs on the High Street.
So i nipped into the Tesco Metro (very near where the very first self served store was opened about 1960) , looking for a bag of self raising flour (one cannot live without home made Yorkshire pudding on a Sunday) - none -nor was there or a scrap of packaged bread (but it was 3.30pm) - fresh fruit and veg fine , most other things - including plenty of toilet paper , so with 4 adults at home I bought a 9 roll pack , plus a few other things. Sensible rationing again in hand.

Staff say the takings have already exceeded the normal Xmas level , and remaining very busy. Not chaotic , and apart from M+S , is really the only city centre general purpose food store , much used by the local OAP population.

Delighted to find a 4 bar pack of Wrights Carbolic soap - so scooped that for use (always buy it anyway as it reminds me of BR issued soap)

One gets the impression of needing to be akin to a citizen of the DDR ("the workers and peasants state") , where a spare bag was often carried in case one stumbled upon some goods rarely available in the State shop.

I had the thought whilst out and about that our supermarkets were beginning to look like those of eastern Europe - lots of shelves but nothing on them.

In the interests of avoiding unnecessary travel, but conflicting with the need to buy food, I took a walk via several supermarkets. My local Tesco supermarket - stripped bare of the oft mentioned items by 0800. Next to the close by Tesco Extra - stripped bare again, several deep at the tills - just like christmas eve used to be when there weren't many big supermarkets - say 30 years ago. Next up to the Sainsbury's in the city centre - stripped bare, a couple of dented cans of peas, but not all that busy. Finally to the Tesco Extra in the city centre - basically stripped bare of the usuals, reasonably busy with office types buying snack lunches.

It's the long life stuff that people are buying. There is no shortage of chilled meals (which can generally be frozen), fresh fruit and veg or dairy items - cheese and milk can be frozen also.

 

[R G NOW.]

I had the thought whilst out and about that our supermarkets were beginning to look like those of eastern Europe - lots of shelves but nothing on them.

In the interests of avoiding unnecessary travel, but conflicting with the need to buy food, I took a walk via several supermarkets. My local Tesco supermarket - stripped bare of the oft mentioned items by 0800. Next to the close by Tesco Extra - stripped bare again, several deep at the tills - just like christmas eve used to be when there weren't many big supermarkets - say 30 years ago. Next up to the Sainsbury's in the city centre - stripped bare, a couple of dented cans of peas, but not all that busy. Finally to the Tesco Extra in the city centre - basically stripped bare of the usuals, reasonably busy with office types buying snack lunches.

It's the long life stuff that people are buying. There is no shortage of chilled meals (which can generally be frozen), fresh fruit and veg or dairy items - cheese and milk can be frozen also.

I expect those are gone now, people wont care about a dented can, especially now, they go in the recycling after the contents are emptied anyway.

 

[trainophile]

Which is bizarre, because not one single country that has done "full lockdown" has banned going to the shops for food.

Delivery services haven't shut down, it's more that they're oversubscribed and understaffed.

Can only speak for myself but I don't want to have to be popping out for essentials, given the whole reason we will be under house arrest is to avoid infection.

Several people have reported being unable to get a delivery slot, or the websites being closed down. Or more commonly half the order not being received.

 

[trainophile]

Sainsburys had plenty of refills for the anti- bac hand wash dispensers. Didnd' r see any gel.

Can it be decanted from the refill bottles?

 

[GB]

Delivery services haven't shut down, it's more that they're oversubscribed and understaffed.

They might not have technically shut down, but for those that are unable to book any deliveries for a month it effectively amounts to the same thing.

 

[trainophile]

They might not have technically shut down, but for those that are unable to book any deliveries for a month it effectively amounts to the same thing.

And I have heard that some of them aren't accepting any new accounts at present, so if you haven't used them before you can't start now.

 

[nidave]

There is talk of a manufacturing shortage on top of everything else.
There are calls to draft (basically) people who have been displaced from other jobs into production lines.

Their fear is not so much about stockpiling, industry representatives said, but about millions more Britons now eating three meals a day at home, and supermarket demand soaring as a result.

One industry source said that they had seen a 100% increase in demand on some foods in the last few days.

Denis Lynn, chairman of the leading food manufacturer Finnebrogue Artisan, told BuzzFeed News: “It is vital the government steps in immediately to help the food manufacturing industry feed the people of Britain during this crisis.”

“We are currently meeting the increased supermarket demand brought about by millions of people now eating all three meals a day in the home, but we are facing an imminent labour shortage that will grind production lines to a halt unless radical action is taken quickly,” Lynn said.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/food-industry-hospitality-workers-coronavirus?ref=hpsplash

 

[HOOVER29]

I drove to Asda at Tamworth last night
Shut, normally 24hrs.
Drove to our crappy Tesco. No fruit or veg or pasta or washing up liquid or cheese baked beans soups. In fact they didn’t have a lot.
They did however have toilet roll
Just two cages which didn’t last 5 seconds.

 

[High Dyke]

Good job I've got a spare toilet roll in my car....Don't want be caught short whilst shopping. On a more serious point though; my brother is carer for our 'elderly' mother. With certain stores offering shopping opportunities for the over-50s it begged the question whether or not he could do the shopping on her behalf; she's just recovering from heart surgery and is now also advised not to go out.

 

[Dave1987]

At what point do people stop panic buying? When their houses are stacked floor to ceiling with enough toilet roll to last a year? Enough food to last a year? I honestly believed that after a few days the normal supply chains would restock the shelves. That once the initial idiots had loads of toilet rolls etc that everyone else could shop normally but it is just not stopping. People are continuing to panic buy. It is going to take several weeks now for the supply chains to catch up now but thankfully China seems to be over its Covid-19 pandemic so the factories should start to produce the goods and restock the rest of the world.

 

[Meerkat]

After the first wave of panic buying they said 10% of the population had been involved. Not everyone has been able to prep their stash yet.
70m people times several weeks supplies is a hell of a lot of demand to get through.

 

[trainophile]

We are all now scared that supplies will not be available again as we are used to for a very long time, maybe years.

 

[Ianno87]

Lady in Tesco this evening.

Trolley stacked full of 2 little bottles of spring water.

Can anybodygive me a rational reason (even medical related) for stockpiling *water*?

 

[Bostwick]

I better get down to WH Smith and stockpile some copies of Private Eye before the shelves are stripped bare.