Panic buying

[The Stationmaster]

Apparently plenty of fresh meat in the local Tesco today reduced - nobody has been buying it for some reason.  Generally stuff is available but all recent shopping trips locally have not been able to secure any bread flour in either Waitrose or Tesco; daughter tried again in Tesco this morning and none to be had.

 

Seems to be a shortage of some prescription drugs as well - for whatever reason but presumably manufacturing difficulties?  In consequence I am going to revise my prescription ordering from 'order at 2 weeks supply on hand' to order at '3 weeks supply on hand' especially as 'somebody' seems to be limiting what are normally three months prescriptions to one month prescriptions.  Now - not stockpiling but making sure I actually get the stuff by the time I need it.  At least the system works as both our surgery and the Tesco pharmacy we use have banned the use of paper prescriptions or notes on a piece of paper and all ordering now has to be online.   Sensible idea - for those who are online, not much help for oldies who aren't but i think the surgery is accepting 'phoned orders from them.

[LBRJ]

Broke my rule of "late shopping only" today 'cos I had to go to the Post Office before half twelve.

Not too bad in Local Spar; except it was like playin chess with human sized pieces as we all tried to move around the store....

 

The shelves were stacked to levels one could only describe as "bountiful" - It was a bit like one of the Jehovah's Witness magazine pictures of the harvest! Truly there was a surplus!!

 

Went back this evening for the real essentials (dry white and a packet of fags please!) and it looked like the plague of large locusts had been there in the meantime !!

[Jonboy]

@The Stationmastera lot of drugs are produced in India and they have apparently made large restrictions on exports to ensure they can look after their population first. This is the main reason for the shortage and increased price of basics such as paracetamol as well as many more advanced drugs.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Jonboy

[adb968008]

On 10/04/2020 at 16:33, Mark Saunders said:

 

Not mine, they put it in your bin and deliver the card next door!

 

On 10/04/2020 at 16:39, melmerby said:

Meanwhile the bin men come and take it away.

True word said in jest, I had a £600 order from derails left in the neighbours bin on bin day once... fortunately they left it an hour after the bin man went.

[rockershovel]

I don’t suppose anyone need be surprised that following a sunny Bank Holiday, no-one has teak oil or any other preparation for outside garden furniture in stock. Actually, that’s not quite true; my neighbour, who is a more diligent gardener than I’ve ever been, tried on Thursday without success, so they didn’t have it beforehand, either. 

 

Screwfix, Wickes and B&Q all have no information about restock dates. Since it takes an hour or more to get on the Wickes or B&Q websites, I’ve left a request to email when back in stock on another local supplier ... best of a bad job, I suppose. 

Edited April 13, 2020 by rockershovel

[Reorte]

3 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

I don’t suppose anyone need be surprised that following a sunny Bank Holiday, no-one has teak oil or any other preparation for outside garden furniture in stock. Actually, that’s not quite true; my neighbour, who is a more diligent gardener than I’ve ever been, tried on Thursday without success, so they didn’t have it beforehand, either. 

 

Screwfix, Wickes and B&Q all have no information about restock dates. Since it takes an hour or more to get on the Wickes or B&Q websites, I’ve left a request to email when back in stock on another local supplier ... best of a bad job, I suppose. 

 

If you can stay up for long enough try late at night. I had a look on B&Q at 2 am last night and there was no queue (wanted to make sure the paint I was painting the fence with was still available - on the list but unavailable, which is a bit concerning but maybe it's just reduced stock for the while - I wasn't planning on actually getting any until things have opened up again anyway).

[Gwiwer]

6 minutes ago, Reorte said:

If you can stay up for long enough try late at night. I had a look on B&Q at 2 am last night

 

The same can work for supermarket websites.  No queue but regretfully still no delivery slots most of the time.

[rockershovel]

Quite so. What’s the point of queueing, or logging on at such hours, just to be told there’s no availability. 

 

My earlier comments about “Just In Time, with Time defined as At Our Sole Convenience”, apply. I’ve placed a marker with a supplier offering to advise when stock is received, which seems to me a useful service in the circumstances. 

 

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, rockershovel said:

I don’t suppose anyone need be surprised that following a sunny Bank Holiday, no-one has teak oil or any other preparation for outside garden furniture in stock. Actually, that’s not quite true; my neighbour, who is a more diligent gardener than I’ve ever been, tried on Thursday without success, so they didn’t have it beforehand, either. 

 

Screwfix, Wickes and B&Q all have no information about restock dates. Since it takes an hour or more to get on the Wickes or B&Q websites, I’ve left a request to email when back in stock on another local supplier ... best of a bad job, I suppose. 

I have been trying to get shed felt roofing for the past three weeks, virtually impossible, and totally impossible to get the type I need, is every bodies shed suddenly started leaking?   Most of my tools now have a nasty coating of rust and everything else has mould......it’s nasty!

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, rockershovel said:. 

 

Screwfix, Wickes and B&Q all have no information about restock dates. Since it takes an hour or more to get on the Wickes or B&Q websites, I’ve left a request to email when back in stock on another local supplier ... best of a bad job, I suppose. 

Oh yes and beware the Wickes site, I queued for 35 minutes to just get on the site, and the. I managed to order 5 rolls of felt only to then be told (after all the ordering process) that they were short of delivery slots and to try again in an hour! 

[Jinty3f]

OK, someone has to say it........I  got felt in Wickes  a while back but it turned out to be just the wife. Sorry.

[rockershovel]

So, order stuff you don’t need immediately, and use it when it comes..... except, of course, that most online ordering sites don’t seem to work that way. 

[melmerby]

I think one of the problems with such places as B&Q etc. is apart from all the extra retail business with the lock down, is any builders that are still operating (Small concerns mainly) cannot get materials from their usual builders merchant so are trying to get stuff from B&Q etc.

I cannot understand why many of these builder orientated suppliers have totally shut down.

Why couldn't they carry on with on-line ordered deliveries which normally comprises a large part of their business?

Edited April 13, 2020 by melmerby

[boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, melmerby said:

I think one of the problems with such places as B&Q etc. is apart from all the extra retail business with the lock down, is any builders that are still operating (Small concerns mainly) cannot get materials from their usual builders merchant so are trying to get stuff from B&Q etc.

I cannot understand why many of these builder orientated suppliers have totally shut down.

Why couldn't they carry on with on-line ordered deliveries which normally comprises a large part of their business?

Jewsons and TP are still going but for only account holders and if they themselves have PROOF they are working on a “priority” job, might be the same for others around the country.

[APOLLO]

I've been mixing, matching and making do with what I have to do odd jobs in and around the house and garden - surprising what you find lurking in and around the shed / garage / garden !! - all those bits n bobs youve saved for years thinking "I'll keep that it'll  do for such a thing etc" - Saved a bit of money also.

 

Just told the wife "This time tomorrow I'll be on the plane" - don't be daft she replied, pointing to the azure blue Wigan sky  - now'ts flying - No, not that plane said I - I'll be taking 1/4" off the garden gate !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Brit15

[melmerby]

51 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Jewsons and TP are still going but for only account holders and if they themselves have PROOF they are working on a “priority” job, might be the same for others around the country.

EH Smith stopped completely when the lockdown started.

No new orders were accepted, they only continued deliveries of previously ordered items with scheduled delivery dates to site.

So if you have a continuing order for say 10 pallets of bricks a week on a large project they will carry on.

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

Jewsons and TP are still going but for only account holders and if they themselves have PROOF they are working on a “priority” job, might be the same for others around the country.

 

Not all Jewsons branches. Many closed without much warning and before delivering items that were on order. Not pleased here!

[spamcan61]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

Jewsons and TP are still going but for only account holders and if they themselves have PROOF they are working on a “priority” job, might be the same for others around the country.

Do they have to be working on "priority" jobs?, I've not seen any such restriction on any business on gov.uk for example. Plenty of folks assuming that is the case mind you.

[boxbrownie]

36 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Not all Jewsons branches. Many closed without much warning and before delivering items that were on order. Not pleased here!

Yes true, forgot to mention it’s the main branches open, our local town one is shut but the big Jewsons 7 miles away is still open.

[boxbrownie]

32 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

Do they have to be working on "priority" jobs?, I've not seen any such restriction on any business on gov.uk for example. Plenty of folks assuming that is the case mind you.

Says so on the Jewsons website......

 

https://www.jewson.co.uk/a-message-from-jewson-covid-19/

Edited April 13, 2020 by boxbrownie

[spamcan61]

3 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Says so on the Jewsons website......

 

https://www.jewson.co.uk/a-message-from-jewson-covid-19/

Ah right thanks for clarifying , a Jewsons decision not a HMG edict.

[Gwiwer]

15 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

Do they have to be working on "priority" jobs?, I've not seen any such restriction on any business on gov.uk for example. Plenty of folks assuming that is the case mind you.

 

All the major corporate construction businesses have suspended operations other than for safety-critical tasks and site security purposes so far as I am aware.  However the smaller firms and (often self-employed) one-man construction operations seem to be still very much at work.  

 

 

[boxbrownie]

5 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

Ah right thanks for clarifying , a Jewsons decision not a HMG edict.

Not an edict no

 

“We will only be delivering materials and Tool Hire for essential infrastructure and services. We have outlined below examples, based on government guidance (The Scottish Government have excluded Schools from Essential Services) the sorts of essential services we will support”

[rockershovel]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

EH Smith stopped completely when the lockdown started.

No new orders were accepted, they only continued deliveries of previously ordered items with scheduled delivery dates to site.

So if you have a continuing order for say 10 pallets of bricks a week on a large project they will carry on.

 

Travis Perkins seem to be serving regular account customers as far as possible, presumably on the basis that they can’t source or deliver unlimited stock, so why try? 

[rockershovel]

17 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

 

All the major corporate construction businesses have suspended operations other than for safety-critical tasks and site security purposes so far as I am aware.  However the smaller firms and (often self-employed) one-man construction operations seem to be still very much at work.  

 

 

 

Well, of course. They won’t get a brass farthing from any of the schemes being cried to the heavens, and they know it.