Panic buying

[melmerby]

19 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Quite - common sense seems to have been a fatal casualty of COVID-19 !!

 

John Isherwood.

Got my updated shopping list from Asda to be delivered about now:

 

Some of the items can't be subbed as there is no alternative

e.g. Salmon Fillets (for SWMBO) they don't have much else in the way of Salmon products other than smoked Salmon.

What would you sub a red pepper with? (they don't sell other loose ones)

The wine seems to be particularly problematical as we have managed 4 out of 12 over the last three orders

The Onken Mango yog has been substituted the last three times

The Marmalade has been struck off 3 successive shops.

At least the Parmesan wedge has been re-substituted to the Grana Padano

All these products were showing as available at 21:55 last night when I finalised the order, the store closes at 22:00 as does the ordering!

 

 

[57xx]

12 weeks on from starting the thread and look whats in the top seller list on Amazon still...

 

[cctransuk]

4 minutes ago, melmerby said:

All these products were showing as available at 21:55 last night when I finalised the order, the store closes at 22:00 as does the ordering!

 

As previously stated - the store may close to customers, but that's when picking starts. Who knows how many orders were picked before yours, that may well have depleted the stocks that existed at 21.55?

 

Below is our last order order and substitution notification.

 

Again, as previously stated, the more restricted your choice of products due to dietary regime, the more likely you are to have substitutions and / or deletions. No shop that I am aware of has ever guaranteed to have all products stocked exactly when you want them.

 

John Isherwood.

 

Order Details
 

Substitutes

ASDA Creamy Coleslaw 300g
Substitute for 1 X ASDA 40% Less Fat Creamy Coleslaw 300g1£0.79

ASDA Grower's Selection 7 Bananas 7pk
Substitute for 1.26kg X ASDA Grower's Selection Loose Banana (order by number of bananas or select kg) per kg1£0.98

Hovis Seed Sensations Wholemeal Bread 800g
Substitute for 1 X ASDA Extra Special Farmhouse Wholemeal & Rye Bread 800g1£1.00

Southern Point Cabernet Sauvignon 75cl
Substitute for 3 X Southern Point Shiraz-Merlot 75cl3£16.50

 

Ordered

Chilled

ASDA Watercress 85g
1£1.00

ASDA Grower's Selection Broccoli 360g
1£0.58

ASDA Grower's Selection Cauliflower each
1£0.95

ASDA 6 Low Fat Red Fruit Yogurts 6x125g
1£0.90

ASDA Greek Style Yogurt 1kg
1£1.42

Country Life British Salted Butter 250g
1£1.65

Others

ASDA Grower's Selection Loose Onion (order by number of onions or select kg) per kg
0.87kg£0.61

Other

ASDA 6 Hot Cross Buns 6pk
1£0.89

ASDA Grower's Selection Loose Conference Pear (order by number of pears or select kg) per kg
0.83kg£1.24

Groceries, Health & Beauty and Household Items

Le Grand Clauzy Chardonnay 75cl
3£15.00

El Riquelme Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 75cl
3£13.50

ASDA Grower's Selection Cherry Tomatoes 325g
1£0.90

Sheba Select Slices Poultry Collection in Gravy Adult Cat Food Trays 12x85g
1£4.00

ASDA Ready Salted Potato Sticks 150g
3£2.55

ASDA Cleaning Cream Lemon 500ml
1£0.78

ASDA Lasagne 375g
2£1.06

ASDA Wheat Bisks Cereal 48pk
1£2.49

Robertson's Silver Shred Fine Cut Lemon Jelly Marmalade 454g
1£1.43

[boxbrownie]

11 minutes ago, 57xx said:

12 weeks on from starting the thread and look whats in the top seller list on Amazon still...

 

We have actually been buying our kitchen, toilet, bum wipes from Amazon, much easier and in stock, and quite often just as cheap if not cheaper than the supermarkets.

[boxbrownie]

What’s the matter with you all.....make your own meals......

 

The worst bit about Melmeby’s list was the lack of wine......that really is serious......cheers folks, it can only get better 

[boxbrownie]

55 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Quite - common sense seems to have been a fatal casualty of COVID-19 !!

 

John Isherwood.

My Son said the saying in the Hospital rest room (is the such a thing atm?) is “the spread of covid-19 depends upon the density of the population, unfortunately it’s the other density of the population which is the problem”

[melmerby]

4 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

What’s the matter with you all.....make your own meals......

 

Must get some ingredients.

Oh! Wait they are OOS.

 

 

 

 

[boxbrownie]

1 minute ago, melmerby said:

Must get some ingredients.

Oh! Wait they are OOS.

 

 

 

 

Grow your own...get out there....dig man, dig 

[rockershovel]

No 1 Son has a neighbour who is working as a temporary picker at Tesco, he tells me that there is a sizeable “revolving door” of East European pickers, who are either waiting for the “right” shift at Amazon, laid off from Perkins Engines or filling in, in between agricultural jobs. From what I understand, the picking system works by handsets which guide them round by barcodes and stock numbers, and can be set for several languages. 

 

None of this particularly surprises me, Peterborough is a main hub for this sort of work. 

 

I’m only surprised that there aren’t many more subs and OOS. 

 

 

I have a stroll up to the local Co-op about twice a week, and buy beer, crusty bread and anything that is on offer or looks promising. Filled fishcakes, 2 x packs of 2 for a fiver have been a good buy lately. 

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by rockershovel

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

Grow your own...get out there....dig man, dig 

Tomatoes (2 varieties) French Beans (two varieties) Broad Beans, Beetroot, Rocket, Coriander, Sage, Oregano & Basil all on the go

As usual the tomatoes are going like mad (I seem to be good at growing toms) with plenty of flowers on the garden variety already, the good weather has helped.

Peppers, most unusually however, haven't produced a single seedling this year.

I'm still using up a hoard of Chillis previously produced, so didn't sow any this year.

[melmerby]

Any other Asda customers find there are mistakes in the delivery, beside any subs?

 

With our first order we didn't get tea bags which were shown as coming (as a substitute for those originally selected) but never arrived.

Last time amongst other things I ordered one broccoli head and one pack of frozen broad beans. Got three of each.

This week there were two packs of toilet roll which were not ordered!

Must have too many and are now giving them away!

Edited May 27, 2020 by melmerby

[monkeysarefun]

The last of our restrictions on number of items you can buy in supermarkets  got lifted yesterday so its off to Coles to buy 180 rolls of toilet paper and 60 bottles of hand sanitiser!

[Nick C]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

Tomatoes (2 varieties) French Beans (two varieties) Broad Beans, Beetroot, Rocket, Coriander, Sage, Oregano & Basil all on the go

As usual the tomatoes are going like mad (I seem to be good at growing toms) with plenty of flowers on the garden variety already, the good weather has helped.

Peppers, most unusually however, haven't produced a single seedling this year.

I'm still using up a hoard of Chillis previously produced, so didn't sow any this year.

We seem to have gone over the top with tomatoes too, around 30 plants - the first lot didn't germinate, so we planted more, at which point both lots grew!

 

Vast quantities of rocket and lettuce too, and we didn't even plant any, it's all self-seeded from last year...

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Nick C said:

We seem to have gone over the top with tomatoes too, around 30 plants - the first lot didn't germinate, so we planted more, at which point both lots grew!

 

Vast quantities of rocket and lettuce too, and we didn't even plant any, it's all self-seeded from last year...

I'm constantly picking out self set tomatoes from the raised bed the Beetroot is in, which had a couple of toms last year.

Took about a dozen out today.

Had to re-seed the beetroot as a local fox decided to do so digging one night and uprooted parts of two rows.

All covered in netting now

 

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

The last of our restrictions on number of items you can buy in supermarkets  got lifted yesterday so its off to Coles to buy 180 rolls of toilet paper and 60 bottles of hand sanitiser!

Asda took the restrictions off fruit & veg a few weeks ago but some tins etc were still limited to 3.

[Platform 1]

Great piles of large flour sacks this afternoon in Aldi.  Reminiscent of plaster bags at the builders merchant!

Also (smaller!) bags of pasta - but different types/shapes located in different places around the shop.  Very quiet in there too.

 

[Gwiwer]

Curious twist to panic buying .....

 

We have been using a hospitality-industry supplier for fruit, veg, fresh meat and a few other bits (they also supply bread, eggs and a number of very restaurant-style sauces and condiments) after they refocussed the business to retail deliveries.  

 

I arrived home today to find an unexpected selection of meats newly installed in the fridge - SWMBO is working from home so was here to accept the delivery - and upon checking my account find no reference to having ordered them.  Having checked the bank I have also not been charged for them.  

 

A swift exchange of emails with the supplier has established that they have become slightly over-stocked as a response to the brief panic-buying surge and have found that surge is now less than a trickle.  Based upon our previous orders they have therefore gifted us, and some other new customers, a modest amount of goodies rather than waste them.  

 

It's not every day you get sent free eggs, bacon, sausages, black pudding, duck breasts and a whole chicken  

 

Nice.  

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Curious twist to panic buying .....

 

We have been using a hospitality-industry supplier for fruit, veg, fresh meat and a few other bits (they also supply bread, eggs and a number of very restaurant-style sauces and condiments) after they refocussed the business to retail deliveries.  

 

I arrived home today to find an unexpected selection of meats newly installed in the fridge - SWMBO is working from home so was here to accept the delivery - and upon checking my account find no reference to having ordered them.  Having checked the bank I have also not been charged for them.  

 

A swift exchange of emails with the supplier has established that they have become slightly over-stocked as a response to the brief panic-buying surge and have found that surge is now less than a trickle.  Based upon our previous orders they have therefore gifted us, and some other new customers, a modest amount of goodies rather than waste them.  

 

It's not every day you get sent free eggs, bacon, sausages, black pudding, duck breasts and a whole chicken  

 

Nice.  

 

Now there's a company who appreciate their customers and the income derived from them.

 

Mike.

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Now there's a company who appreciate their customers and the income derived from them.

 

Mike.

No...there’s a company left with (quite literally) lemons who knew how to make Lemonade.......

[rocor]

5 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

 

 Eggs, bacon, sausages, black pudding, duck breasts and a whole chicken  

 

Now that is a diet that I could get on board with.

 

 

[polybear]

15 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Now there's a company who appreciate their customers and the income derived from them.

 

Mike.

 

I'd also suggest that the company realises that'll be a while before the wholesale side of their business recovers, and now that shops have been given the nod to start reopening it is quite likely that many of their new customers may well go back to "their old ways" of shopping.  So they are doing their best to retain newly won business, while at the same time avoiding dumping perfectly good food.

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

I'd also suggest that the company realises that'll be a while before the wholesale side of their business recovers, and now that shops have been given the nod to start reopening it is quite likely that many of their new customers may well go back to "their old ways" of shopping.  So they are doing their best to retain newly won business, while at the same time avoiding dumping perfectly good food.

My point exactly........both the company and the customers win.

[rockershovel]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

I'd also suggest that the company realises that'll be a while before the wholesale side of their business recovers, and now that shops have been given the nod to start reopening it is quite likely that many of their new customers may well go back to "their old ways" of shopping.  So they are doing their best to retain newly won business, while at the same time avoiding dumping perfectly good food.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens. A lot of people seem to have concluded that shopping delivery is worthwhile, and queueing outside isn’t. After all, it doesn’t take long for that to make substantial inroads into available time, and shopping around for best prices is a thing of the past for as long as “social distancing” is with us. 

 

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

yay us! 

 

 And yay for university researchers, what can they not research!

 

(From Sydney Morning Herald):

 

'Panic index' shows Australians were the world's best panic buyers

 

Australia outperformed most of the world dealing with the coronavirus pandemic - and the nation's consumers out-shopped their international counterparts when it came to panic buying.

New research by two University of New South Wales academics into coronavirus-related panic shopping shows that Australian consumers were the quickest in the world to raid supermarket aisles in search of toilet paper and canned soup.

 

Mike Keane and Tim Neal from the university's school of business used Google search data from 54 countries, covering January to late April, to pinpoint the scope and intensity of panic buying in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Consumers in almost every nation stockpiled goods as governments shut down key parts of their economies. These included internal and external travel bans such as Australia's decision to close the borders to non-nationals travelling from China on February 1.

 

Panic buying escalated through March in Australia. Sales of canned and dry soup surged by 180 per cent, purchases of toilet and tissue paper doubled while there were also short-term shortages of flour, rice and pasta.

While panic buying was common, Australian shoppers took it to an extreme level. In a "panic index" created by Professor Keane and Mr Neal, Australia eclipsed shoppers from around the world.

 

"The experience of Australia is notable for the incredible speed and scale with which panic took hold in early March," they found.

"Unlike in other countries, the escalation in panic does not appear to correspond with any significant increase in domestic COVID-19 cases."

So extreme was domestic panic buying, the researchers had to modify the graphs in their paper to show the extent of Australians' efforts to find sought-after goods.

 

Neal and Prof Mike Keane from the UNSW business school developed an index to measure panic buying across 54 countries during the pandemic. The researchers analysed Google search data for words like “toilet paper”, “panic buying”, “hoarding”, “supermarket”, “recession” and “unemployment” in various languages.

 

Their report found that Australia was “notable for the incredible speed and scale with which panic took hold in early March,” backed up by sales data that shows supermarket spending rose 24.1% that month.

Australia peaked at a panic level of 0.79 on the research’s index, while the UK peaked at approximately 0.175, Italy at 0.15, and France at 0.09.

“When you look at March and April, Australia was far and away the most panicked country,” Neal said. “We haven’t calculated who came second, who came third – it wasn’t a close contest. Japan had a big spike but it very quickly disappeared.

 

Professor Keane and Mr Neal said it was likely panic buying was associated with border bans, but Australia was an international outlier. They found Australians may have reacted to restrictions in other countries.

Both warned there were economic and medical repercussions from panic buying.

"Shortages created by panic buying also force consumers to devote extra time and effort to shopping, diverting time away from welfare-improving activities like work, leisure, and sleep, as well as generating psychological costs by inducing anxiety and stress," they found.

Australian National University marketing lecturer Andrew Hughes said it appeared Australians had been overwhelmed with FOMO, the fear-of-missing-out.

"Once one person misses out on something, the FOMO principle kicks in. In this day and age, once people think they are going to miss out on something, it triggers a fear that they'll miss out on it," he said.

"It could be an iPhone or it could be toilet paper."

While panic buying has subsided, some spending habits have changed since the coronavirus outbreak.

NAB's measure of online shopping, released on Tuesday, showed cyber-sales grew 16.2 per cent in April, the single largest monthly increase on record. Annually, online sales were up a record 58.5 per cent.

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by monkeysarefun

[boxbrownie]

Congratulations.......I think?