Panic buying

[Gwiwer]

2 minutes ago, ejstubbs said:

 

Same in the UK AFAIK.

Generally yes.  Most restrictions on food delivery vehicles have been eased including driver's hours within a small leeway.  A few sensitive locations can still not receive deliveries overnight.  

[rockershovel]

I do hear that B&Q are scratching their heads over re-opening. No 1 Son went along there, queued 40 mins in the car park, returned without half his list (including some items listed as “in stock”) and doesn’t intend to return, preferring to “click and collect” or order on line in future. I’ve heard several accounts of this sort (my neighbour had a fairly unsatisfactory visit there on the same day). 

 

I’m not holding out much optimism for Boris’ announcement today. 

[Gwiwer]

2 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

I do hear that B&Q are scratching their heads over re-opening. No 1 Son went along there, queued 40 mins in the car park, returned without half his list (including some items listed as “in stock”) and doesn’t intend to return, preferring to “click and collect” or order on line in future. I’ve heard several accounts of this sort (my neighbour had a fairly unsatisfactory visit there on the same day). 

 

I’m not holding out much optimism for Boris’ announcement today. 

One issue - how ever and when ever things are "unlocked" - will be the seemingly inevitable initial rush.  That may not last for long.  But it is of concern for those who are wary of meeting other people.

 

However we cannot continue as we are for ever and a means to return to something like where we were must be found.  Even a relatively strong economy such as the UK cannot support furlough indefinitely and we can already expect a massive hit to our economy and - potentially - our tax bills and pension funds.  The longer this goes on the worse that aspect gets.  

[melmerby]

48 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

I do hear that B&Q are scratching their heads over re-opening. No 1 Son went along there, queued 40 mins in the car park, returned without half his list (including some items listed as “in stock”) and doesn’t intend to return, preferring to “click and collect” or order on line in future. I’ve heard several accounts of this sort (my neighbour had a fairly unsatisfactory visit there on the same day). 

 

I’m not holding out much optimism for Boris’ announcement today. 

I wanted to order some big bags of compost for delivery from B&Q and found that it is only available in store as it is classed as "non-essential"

Unfortunately they are too heavy to manhandle individually but assistance is likely unavailable due to Covid-19 restrictions.

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by melmerby

[jjb1970]

I visited B&Q yesterday to buy a pressure washer as the old one threw it's hand in and I thought it a good time to do the annual patio and driveway clean, waited a couple of minutes to get in, them it was pretty much as normal once in. 

[TheQ]

13 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I wanted to order some big bags of compost for delivery from B&Q and found that it is only available in store as it is classed as "non-essential"

Unfortunately they are too heavy to manhandle individually but assistance is likely unavailable due to Covid-19 restrictions.

 

The garden centres are rumored to be opening next week, which should mean that BQ make gardening items available to all types of order. 

[Gwiwer]

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

The garden centres are rumored to be opening next week, which should mean that BQ make gardening items available to all types of order. 

Garden centres are permitted to open as of Wednesday if distancing can be arranged.  Whether there will be any help available with larger / heavier items is not known.  

[Rivercider]

4 hours ago, melmerby said:

I wanted to order some big bags of compost for delivery from B&Q and found that it is only available in store as it is classed as "non-essential"

Unfortunately they are too heavy to manhandle individually but assistance is likely unavailable due to Covid-19 restrictions.

 

There are a couple of fairly large garden centres either side of our town, both in the Blue Diamond group. As Mrs Rivercider  is keeping busy in the greenhouse and garden she ordered compost and growbags on-line. It was £50 minimum, but as we included compost for a neighbour, and her sister, that was no problem. It seemed their 'system' was struggling under pressure, but then that is understandable in the circumstances. We got our delivery after a few days, no problem,

 

cheers 

[monkeysarefun]

12 hours ago, kevinlms said:

I have noticed that generally speaking, the vast majority of supermarkets in Australia, now have stuff on most shelves. It might not be the full range of brands/varieties, but almost all general categories have some stock.

 

Its all back to normal here too. Still hard to get over impulsively grabbing flour, toilet paper etc whenever I go shopping! 

Now thanks to that reflex over the last few months I have 80 rolls of toilet paper, 30 rolls of paper towel, 9kg of normal flour, 20 odd packs of various pastas plus wierd sh!t that I grabbed in desperation when things were disappearing fast, such as lentil pasta, arrowroot, rice flour and heaps of crappy powdered and longlife milk to use up...

Edited May 10, 2020 by monkeysarefun

[duncan]

On 10/05/2020 at 12:23, rockershovel said:

 

Certainly our local Co-op seems to restock at no particular time.. I would imagine that since they are undoubtedly running on significantly reduced availability, it’s a case of “send anything, we’ll find space and it won’t last long” 

 

 

or in the real world of misinterpreted communications

 

sent nothing, lots of space, we won't last long  

[rockershovel]

5 minutes ago, duncan said:

 

or in the real world of misinterpreted communications

 

sent nothing, lots of space, we won't last long  

 

No, I think the smaller “local” chain outlets are marching to a different drummer. Nobody does a main weekly shop there, but they are distributed about a half a mile apart, so they have a big catchment area, know what sells and know what’s in short supply at the big supermarkets out of town. 

 

I never saw any of the three within walking distance from us, showing the “locust plague” appearance of the big outlets - they always had stock, and were obviously turning it over, although WHAT was on the shelves varied a bit. 

 

We didnt really have any major problems. We aren’t vegetarians or anything else of the sort, and tend to keep a fairly full stock because ... well, we do. The local chain outlets kept us topped up, and my daughter-in-law spotted a couple of slots (one from Tesco, I forget the other one) until the delivery slot appeared from Ocado. 

[AndrewC]

I see after the rather confusing waffle yesterday that everyone has been panic buying lerts. I’ve tried everywhere but I simply cannot find a lert. 

 

[Butler Henderson]

4.20 this afternoon bit of a queue at Aldi, no queue at B&Q, 4.30 receipt, now no queue at Aldi, 4.42 receipt. Everything I wanted in stock (although admittedly if it had been Sainsburys I expect there would still be a queue at that time of day for shelves significantly empty)

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, AndrewC said:

I see after the rather confusing waffle yesterday that everyone has been panic buying lerts. I’ve tried everywhere but I simply cannot find a lert. 

 

 

Be Alert !!!!

 

Your Country needs lerts !!!!

 

Hat, coat, ............

 

John Isherwood.

[Gwiwer]

24 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

4.20 this afternoon bit of a queue at Aldi, no queue at B&Q, 4.30 receipt, now no queue at Aldi, 4.42 receipt. Everything I wanted in stock (although admittedly if it had been Sainsburys I expect there would still be a queue at that time of day for shelves significantly empty)

Passing by train at 11.15 this morning I noticed the queue at Waitrose Wimbledon was the length of the car park and some.  But as with other queues I have come across "two metres" seems to be more like five metres meaning the queue possibly moved fairly quickly.  Still no sign of a queue at our village shop which is self-regulated by having a single very narrow aisle only accommodating 2-3 people at a time anyway.  Of note however the local off-licence which has been closed for the duration re-opened hopefully on Saturday; I wonder how much trade they will get as much of their business came from the now-departed student population.  But hey - a step in the right direction.  

[rockershovel]

Speaking of off-licences, I heard yesterday from a contact who deals with such things that the supermarket chains are showing substantially increased transaction totals, ie individual customers spending more, on the order of 20% in lower transaction ranges. It hasn’t occurred to me that they would be taking up the off-licence and licence trade sales, but people certainly haven’t stopped buying beer and alcohol. 

 

One thing I’ve never tried - do they deliver it? 

[roundhouse]

11 hours ago, AndrewC said:

I see after the rather confusing waffle yesterday that everyone has been panic buying lerts. I’ve tried everywhere but I simply cannot find a lert. 

 

Did you try the fancy dress shops

[melmerby]

I wish the Panic buyers would stop using Asda

I am still having trouble getting Pasta and Basmati Rice there is very little selection and even when you pick the alternative, it doesn't guarantee that is in stock!

 

e.g. Select a Pasta - sorry out of stock - select the alternative - checkout - sorry the pasta (alternative) is OOS.

 

Also seem to be very low on tinned soup after having loads last time.

[TheQ]

Just back from our local Tescos,  no problem doing the actual shop,  but the meat isle has been shrunk again.  When the deli went,  the fish counter went as well,  this has taken one of the meat cabinets, on the other side it's been replaced by more ready meals.. 

I think next time we need meat I'm going to have to do a 40+ Mile round  trip to the big Tescos. 

[boxbrownie]

37 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I wish the Panic buyers would stop using Asda

I am still having trouble getting Pasta and Basmati Rice there is very little selection and even when you pick the alternative, it doesn't guarantee that is in stock!

 

e.g. Select a Pasta - sorry out of stock - select the alternative - checkout - sorry the pasta (alternative) is OOS.

 

Also seem to be very low on tinned soup after having loads last time.

Our first “priority” order is going the same way, it’s due next week and we did the list last week, wanted to add a few bits and logged on yesterday to find about 15 items out of stock, odd things really like cranberry squash, tomato purée, crunchy peanut butter........and of course the cheap bum wipes! 

[cctransuk]

1 minute ago, TheQ said:

I think next time we need meat I'm going to have to do a 40+ Mile round  trip to the big Tescos. 

 

Surely, in a rural area such as Norfolk, you have a local butcher?

 

Here in Cornwall we patronise a local farm butcher - his main business in normal times is wholesale to the hospitality trade, but he has a small retail shop on the farm.

 

The meat is superb - the provenance is posted on a chalk-board and, being wholesale, his prices are way lower than the supermarkets.

 

We never buy meat from supermarkets - it's too expensive and the quality is too variable.

 

John Isherwood.

[boxbrownie]

1 minute ago, cctransuk said:

 

Surely, in a rural area such as Norfolk, you have a local butcher?

 

Here in Cornwall we patronise a local farm butcher - his main business in normal times is wholesale to the hospitality trade, but he has a small retail shop on the farm.

 

The meat is superb - the provenance is posted on a chalk-board and, being wholesale, his prices are way lower than the supermarkets.

 

We never buy meat from supermarkets - it's too expensive and the quality is too variable.

 

John Isherwood.

Exactly the same here, we normally always get our meat from a local butcher which has a section of an independent shop, his main business is hotels and restaurants normally but of course that has dried up, but during the Covid episode he has been delivering to customers, lovely meat.

[cctransuk]

8 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Our first “priority” order is going the same way, it’s due next week and we did the list last week, wanted to add a few bits and logged on yesterday to find about 15 items out of stock, odd things really like cranberry squash, tomato purée, crunchy peanut butter........and of course the cheap bum wipes! 

 

The secret is to leave ordering until the last day before delivery.

 

I quickly learned that items go in and out of stock so frequently that you end up having few of the items you want if you start too early.

 

Keep a paper wishlist, but place the actual order at the last possible minute - that way you get to see the actual stock availability and receive far more of the items that you ordered.

 

Our last Asda order had one Substitution and two 'Not Availables'.

 

John Isherwood.

Edited May 12, 2020 by cctransuk

[Nick C]

4 hours ago, rockershovel said:

Speaking of off-licences, I heard yesterday from a contact who deals with such things that the supermarket chains are showing substantially increased transaction totals, ie individual customers spending more, on the order of 20% in lower transaction ranges. It hasn’t occurred to me that they would be taking up the off-licence and licence trade sales, but people certainly haven’t stopped buying beer and alcohol. 

 

One thing I’ve never tried - do they deliver it? 

Off-licences? Don't know about the independants, but Majestics certainly deliver.

[Reorte]

4 hours ago, rockershovel said:

Speaking of off-licences, I heard yesterday from a contact who deals with such things that the supermarket chains are showing substantially increased transaction totals, ie individual customers spending more, on the order of 20% in lower transaction ranges. It hasn’t occurred to me that they would be taking up the off-licence and licence trade sales, but people certainly haven’t stopped buying beer and alcohol.

People doing fewer overall shopping trips so filling up whilst they're in the supermarket. With the "go out shopping as infrequently as possible" message people will do that instead of popping down to the off-licence separately.