Panic buying

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, jonny777 said:

I fail to understand the milk shortage. After all, it is not as if the cows are likely to stop producing the stuff. 

 

As with many other things there is no actual shortage.  The shelves are empty because of continued panic-buying and the short-term lag in the supply chain to catch up.  

 

No shortage of fresh milk yesterday in Waitrose - in fact better stock that I have usually seen at any time.  The local "village" shop has stock of most essentials including paracetamol, toilet rolls and flushable industrial-sized blue paper rolls.  And dried pasta, rice and a modest stock of tinned goods of all kinds.  I had the last litre of Almond Milk for the time being though   

 

I'll be out and about later not because of urgent need but just a precautionary hunt from bread and a couple of other essentials.  It's out there - the trick is to find it.  Uncut bread seems to be in good supply - perhaps people have forgotten how to slice their own or are unaware that one slice of a good artisan loaf is worth two or three of the cheapest white sliced stuff.  

[Hal Nail]

7 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Just been in an M&S

Got a lettuce, tomatoes, packet rice and a loaf of bread.

Felling less despondent than I was.

 

Shouldn't really be about but

necessity calls

Bit of a flap in London with rumours about a lockdown causing more people to stock up. Tesco completely stripped with long queues for the last few bits. Co op the same (tho had crumpets!), then noticed a little Halal green grocer right next door and without any problem whatsoever wandered in and bought chicken, eggs ,onions and carrots which have been out everywhere else round here for days.

 

I fear this says something about the typical Brit's attitude!

Edited March 19, 2020 by Hal Nail

[Reorte]

4 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

 

I'll be out and about later not because of urgent need but just a precautionary hunt from bread and a couple of other essentials.  It's out there - the trick is to find it.  Uncut bread seems to be in good supply - perhaps people have forgotten how to slice their own or are unaware that one slice of a good artisan loaf is worth two or three of the cheapest white sliced stuff.  

 

It's certainly two or three times as thick when I cut it. In one corner.

[Matt C]

We are lucky, At the end of our lane on the main road is a cafe/ farm shop. Does b@#$%r all farm shop stuff really as the cafe has proved to be the main business. What they DO  have though is fresh farm eggs and daily baked fresh bread. So scrambled egg on toast, boiled eggs with toast  , eggy bread  (crack an egg over frying bread )   oh and a good population of escaped grouse live in the woodland on the lane.  we will survive 

 

Edit to Add, the Mrs is always complaining that she has to dodge the grouse on the lane heading out to work in the morning. . . Ive told her to stop dodging 

Edited March 19, 2020 by Mattc6911

[Gwiwer]

2 minutes ago, Hal Nail said:

Bit of flap in London with an expected lockdown coming. Tesco completely stripped with long queues for the last few bits. Co op the same (tho had crumpets!), then noticed a little Halal green grocer right next door and without any problem whatsover wandered in and bought, chicken, eggs ,onions and carrots which have been out everywhere else round here for days.

 

I fear this says something about the typical Brit's attitude.

One little corner shop in NW London was called this morning for selling toilet rolls at £10 each.  Named and shamed.  You can maybe make a little extra when demand exceeds supply but to blatantly inflate prices to that extent on a fundamental hygiene need shows nothing less than greed in the face of adversity.  Personally I am pleased they were exposed for it; there is no need for abuse of that sort.  

[Hal Nail]

9 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

One little corner shop in NW London was called this morning for selling toilet rolls at £10 each.  Named and shamed.  You can maybe make a little extra when demand exceeds supply but to blatantly inflate prices to that extent on a fundamental hygiene need shows nothing less than greed in the face of adversity.  Personally I am pleased they were exposed for it; there is no need for abuse of that sort.  

 

On a slightly different tale of exploitation in NW london, if the bloody parakeets don't stop emptying my bird feeders as fast as I can refill them, they might be finding themselves in an emergency type of green curry!

Edited March 19, 2020 by Hal Nail

[Matt C]

Maybe the supermarkets should adopt a different tactic for  selfish over buying. Instead of BOGOF , BOGOD buy two get the second one at double the price, buy  three at tripple the price for each etc,  and put the excess money to help those struggling, oh and no refund on any extras purchased 

Edited March 19, 2020 by Mattc6911
Edit to clarify buying more than one

[Joseph_Pestell]

11 minutes ago, Mattc6911 said:

Maybe the supermarkets should adopt a different tactic for  selfish over buying. Instead of BOGOF , BOGOD buy one get one at double the price, buy  three at tripple the price for each etc,  and put the excess money to help those struggling, oh and no refund on any extras purchased 

 

I think that we are rapidly reaching the point at which Govt will need to take over one supermarket in each town and open it only to the vulnerable sections of society and those who are shopping for them.

The delivery services seem to have fallen apart. There might be some scope also for taking over one or more of the courier companies to do food deliveries with parcels traffic being diverted to other companies or delayed altogether.

[jjb1970]

It's not just the vulnerable, those who need to keep working are having difficulties because by the time they can get to a shop daily deliveries have sold out for many staples.

[newbryford]

17 minutes ago, Mattc6911 said:

Maybe the supermarkets should adopt a different tactic for  selfish over buying. Instead of BOGOF , BOGOD buy one get one at double the price, buy  three at tripple the price for each etc,  and put the excess money to help those struggling, oh and no refund on any extras purchased 

 

Apparently one Danish supermarket is doing something similar but a bit more severe.

 

One bottle of hand sanitiser - EU 5

Two bottles - EU 134

 

 

[TheQ]

5 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

It's not just the vulnerable, those who need to keep working are having difficulties because by the time they can get to a shop daily deliveries have sold out for many staples.

yep I had to go in at 06:15 on the way to work..

[Hal Nail]

Right. I'm going to isolate from this thread for 14 days before I self implode.

Keep safe everyone and to quote Jim Lovell, "see you on the other side"! 

[Rivercider]

I am on holiday this week(!) But yesterday popped into the supermarket where I work (part time) to do a small shop for an elderly neighbour. What a surprise I had! Many aisles were almost empty.

One of my colleagues told me there are queues every morning before 06.00, and far worse than xmas.

We did manage to get most items for my neighbour. Interestingly the only baked beans available were low salt/sugar, and the only butter was unsalted, both healthier items I would have normally bought anyway, though I did not need either.

 

cheers

[57xx]

17 hours ago, Mark Saunders said:

 

It’s over twenty years since we had a Milkman as it was not worth them continuing!

 

30 years for me, since I left home. They came round last year touting for business, selling the "less plastic" ethos. Though I might as well give it a go.

 

Good bit is, I just noticed on the recent bill about the extras you can order. Bread and eggs now arriving tomorrow with no hassle of the empty supermarkets.

[Rivercider]

10 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

It's not just the vulnerable, those who need to keep working are having difficulties because by the time they can get to a shop daily deliveries have sold out for many staples.

Interesting point.

 

Yesterday when I called into the supermarket  where I work part time my colleague told me about that problem. He spent all morning putting out stock, then when he finished work, and started shopping, most items he wanted were sold out,

 

cheers

[Penlan]

Where are all the toilet rolls going to?
One local store had a pile in, gone within half an hour, and it's not one of their regular lines.
There must be some homes where you can't find a place to sit, or move, they must be stacked to the ceiling.
And... we are running out of our normal supply at home, with no stockpile to access, looks like kitchen rolls are going to be the next thing.
..... and why Marmite in short supply, I hate the stuff, but apparently, flying of the shelves before it's landed. 

[admiles]

1 minute ago, Penlan said:

Where are all the toilet rolls going to?
One local store had a pile in, gone within half an hour, and it's not one of their regular lines.
There must be some homes where you can't find a place to sit, or move, they must be stacked to the ceiling.
And... we are running out of our normal supply at home, with no stockpile to access, looks like kitchen rolls are going to be the next thing.
..... and why Marmite in short supply, I hate the stuff, but apparently, flying of the shelves before it's landed. 

 

You can't buy toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, tissues or similar for love nor money round here at the moment. Our big one is nappies and baby wipes. The wipes could be replaced by a sponge (last resort!) but nappies is a bit more tricky. Again not possible to buy either here at the moment.

 

(I guess we could stop feeding the little beast but there would be protests!)

[Matt C]

9 minutes ago, admiles said:

 

You can't buy toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, tissues or similar for love nor money round here at the moment. Our big one is nappies and baby wipes. The wipes could be replaced by a sponge (last resort!) but nappies is a bit more tricky. Again not possible to buy either here at the moment.

 

(I guess we could stop feeding the little beast but there would be protests!)

Or you could use cloth  nappies and wash them . . . Old school . . . We now live in a 'disposable' world 

[admiles]

10 minutes ago, Mattc6911 said:

Or you could use cloth  nappies and wash them . . . Old school . . . We now live in a 'disposable' world 

 

I knew someone would chirp up with that little gem.

 

Not quite so easy with two working parents and a child who has never had re-usable nappies. He is mid-way through potty training any only has a nappy now overnight. He's a very poor sleeper so anything new isn't going to help.

 

Edit: incidentally what do you do in the few days before ordering said cloth nappies and them being delivered? No Mothercare or similar any more. 

Edited March 19, 2020 by admiles

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Hal Nail said:

Bit of a flap in London with rumours about a lockdown causing more people to stock up. Tesco completely stripped with long queues for the last few bits. Co op the same (tho had crumpets!), then noticed a little Halal green grocer right next door and without any problem whatsoever wandered in and bought chicken, eggs ,onions and carrots which have been out everywhere else round here for days.

 

I fear this says something about the typical Brit's attitude!

Whilst I was out shopping I was able to contrast two different branches of the same company (Sainsbury's)

"Local" in the centre of Birmingham was quite well stocked with no actual items run out e.g. reasonable amout of frozen veg. fresh veg, some bread, plenty of ready meals etc.

An hour or so later I was in one of their "big" stores on the periphery.

Not a single item of frozen veg left and pretty well anything else storable was zero stock.

 

Seen something else "panic bought" whilst in Birmingham

There was a guy with 4 large (new) Foot Asylum bags each with several pairs of trainers in.

Is there something about panic buying I've missed?

 

[57xx]

5 minutes ago, melmerby said:

There was a guy with 4 large (new) Foot Asylum bags each with several pairs of trainers in.

Is there something about panic buying I've missed?

 

Maybe they are so he has an advantage running down the isles to grab stock off shelves?

[Steamport Southport]

23 minutes ago, melmerby said:

 

 

Seen something else "panic bought" whilst in Birmingham

There was a guy with 4 large (new) Foot Asylum bags each with several pairs of trainers in.

Is there something about panic buying I've missed?

 

 

They've got a sale on.

 

 

Jason

[Matt C]

55 minutes ago, admiles said:

 

I knew someone would chirp up with that little gem.

 

Not quite so easy with two working parents and a child who has never had re-usable nappies. He is mid-way through potty training any only has a nappy now overnight. He's a very poor sleeper so anything new isn't going to help.

 

Edit: incidentally what do you do in the few days before ordering said cloth nappies and them being delivered? No Mothercare or similar any more. 

 

https://www.thenappylady.co.uk/trainer-pants/bright-bots-trainer-pants.html

 

 

Or you could do nothing and in a few days you may STILL have nothing

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by Mattc6911

[Fat Controller]

32 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Whilst I was out shopping I was able to contrast two different branches of the same company (Sainsbury's)

"Local" in the centre of Birmingham was quite well stocked with no actual items run out e.g. reasonable amout of frozen veg. fresh veg, some bread, plenty of ready meals etc.

An hour or so later I was in one of their "big" stores on the periphery.

Not a single item of frozen veg left and pretty well anything else storable was zero stock.

 

Seen something else "panic bought" whilst in Birmingham

There was a guy with 4 large (new) Foot Asylum bags each with several pairs of trainers in.

Is there something about panic buying I've missed?

 

Just dropped in to 'big Sainsbury's' Folkestone; Virtually the only thing on the fruit and veg aisles were Brussel sprouts. On the meat shelves, it was mainly black pudding that was left. They seemed to be trying to restock, to little effect.

On the way home, I popped in to the M&S franchise at the BP garage in Cheriton; plenty of stock there.

Is 'Foot Asylum' a UK version of the unfortunately-named French chain 'Athlete's Foot?

 

 

[Steamport Southport]

Foot Asylum is just a high street store selling sports and casual wear. Owned by JD Sports but more aimed at the trendy types rather than the normal JD Sports stores.

 

 

 

Jason