Panic buying

[spikey]

Alas I am still unable to join in the moaning about shortages, as Tesco continue to deliver what we want when we want it.  We even got a free 2 litre box of icecream last week as the driver noticed that the lid was cracked, which didn't bother us but resulted in us both keeping the product and getting credited for it.

 

Meanwhile, I am pleased to report that following the rearrangement of our various stashes, our stock of wholemeal spelt flour straight from the mill now stands at 61 kilos.  The intention is to maintain a minimum stock level of 50 kilos.

[boxbrownie]

10 hours ago, andytrains said:

Tomato juice seems to be the rare product in a few local, to me, supermarkets over the last couple of weeks.

They had some at Asda today, so I panic bought 4 of them.

Only joking we normally get through 4 per week.

I get through one a week, no issues from ASDA here…….when our daughter was here earlier in the year she got through four a week as well, she loves TJ! 

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, spikey said:

Alas I am still unable to join in the moaning about shortages,

My problem is the Asda they deliver from is not the biggest store around, with many products not stocked in large quantities (as noticed during a visit there) and is also no where near the closest to where I live. That one being considerably larger.

 

I assume it's used because it's part of a B&Q with plenty of room at the rear for vans to load and connected to a good road network.

Edited August 5, 2021 by melmerby

[andytrains]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

I get through one a week, no issues from ASDA here…….when our daughter was here earlier in the year she got through four a week as well, she loves TJ! 

Best with a double vodka and Lea & Perrings!

[Nick C]

19 hours ago, melmerby said:

It's got so bad that I am having to go to a supermarket to top up.

Last week I went to the very Asda that delivers to us and was able to get most of what was missing on the last order!

We've noticed this too - on the Sainsbury's website for the last few months, there has been nothing available in the Polish foods section - yet when we went into the store the other week, that part was fully stocked.

 

It can't be Brexit related either as the local Polish shop has been fully stocked the whole time, and their supply chain must be smaller and less resiliant than that of a major supermarket...

[Fat Controller]

4 hours ago, spikey said:

Alas I am still unable to join in the moaning about shortages, as Tesco continue to deliver what we want when we want it.  We even got a free 2 litre box of icecream last week as the driver noticed that the lid was cracked, which didn't bother us but resulted in us both keeping the product and getting credited for it.

 

Meanwhile, I am pleased to report that following the rearrangement of our various stashes, our stock of wholemeal spelt flour straight from the mill now stands at 61 kilos.  The intention is to maintain a minimum stock level of 50 kilos.

I'd be wary of keeping too much flour around the place; it can go rancid if ambient temperatures are too high and it is prone to insect infestation. The latter applies to other cereal-derived products, such as muesli. At this time of year, I used to keep my stocks fairly low.

[cctransuk]

If you really want to see empty shelves, try a Co-op in Wales!

 

We were recently in Machynlleth, and couldn't believe the acres of empty shelving. I suppose that hauliers are reluctant to deliver to such time-consuming destinations.

 

We're just glad that, here in Cornwall and adjacent to the A30, Asda seems to be relatively unaffected by shortages.

 

CJI.

 

 

[spikey]

2 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

I'd be wary of keeping too much flour around the place; it can go rancid if ambient temperatures are too high and it is prone to insect infestation. The latter applies to other cereal-derived products, such as muesli. At this time of year, I used to keep my stocks fairly low.

 

We get it from the mill in 25Kg bags with 5-6 months date on it and split it straight away 2Kg at a time in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.  In theory the shelf  life will be >5 years (even though it's wholemeal), but we use 2Kg a week and rotate the buffer stock so it's never anywhere near that.

 

It's just part of our resilience plan.  And no, neither of us owns a rifle or a Bowie knife, neither of us has a strange beard and neither of us has ever noticed that characteristic manic gleam in the other's eyes.

Edited August 5, 2021 by spikey

[Guest]

1 hour ago, spikey said:

 

We get it from the mill in 25Kg bags with 5-6 months date on it

 

At the start of lockdown I found some flour in the back of the cupboard that was a year out of date and the bread it made was fine.

[stewartingram]

Iceland seem to be having problems. I've recently been in 2 stores more than once, within a 15 mile radius of home, only to find a quantity of totally empty freezers, and the rest only about 30% full. Anyone else noticed this?

[spikey]

On 05/08/2021 at 09:30, melmerby said:

My problem is the Asda they deliver from is not the biggest store around ...

 Forgive me for asking the obvious question, but what's the problem with taking your business elsewhere?  Do none of the others deliver where you are?

[SamThomas]

Working as a part time HGV driver last week (in the food logistics sector) I double manned with another driver. In the course of conversation the subject of "how long would it take for the effects of a 100% strike by HGV drivers to be seen ?".

 

The other driver reckoned about a week.

 

I reckoned about an hour from the time it was announced - an hour for the selfish vultures to swoop on the stores & clear the shelves.

 

Food (or in this case lack of) for thought.

 

[spikey]

https://news.sky.com/story/customers-face-permanent-food-shortages-fuelled-by-lack-of-lorry-drivers-warns-industry-leader-12403956

 

So, the top man in the Food and Drink Federation now says "... what is changing now is that the UK shopper and consumer could have previously have expected just about every product they want to be on a shelf or in the restaurant all the time.  That's over, and I don't think it's coming back."  In response to which a No10 spokesman said: "We don't recognise those claims.  We have got highly resilient food supply chains which have coped extremely well in the face of challenges. We believe that will remain the case.

"We know there are some issues that are facing the sector. We will continue to speak and liaise with those involved in those industries to try to ensure we can help them as much as possible."

 

Am I alone in interpreting that second quote as "The food chain's on the verge of collapse so stand by for empty shelves and reassurance from Doris that there's nothing to be concerned about we'll all be fine"?

Edited September 11, 2021 by spikey
clarity

[NorthBrit]

Here we go again.   The Propaganda Machine is working overtime,  so shops can increase the prices again.   Newspapers sell more negativity.  As for the propaganda on TV?   That has been going on for ages.

We know the Government (no matter who is in power)   will increase taxes etc. to pay for the lockdown measures.

[rockershovel]

I did notice while out and about this week, that Tesco and Sainsbury's seem to be adapting their shelf stacking to spread items out, and disguise the actual stock levels. A neighbour who has a job at Tesco told me that they don't intend to be caught out the same way in future, and are reducing levels of stock on display so that it is less vulnerable to panic buying. 

 

Regarding Polski Sklep and online deliveries, one of the things I learnt working at Royal Mail during the first round of panic buying was that supermarkets organise their online deliveries to serve ongoing customers ordering viable quantities - typically in the £50-£100 range, with a limited number of older customers ordering small regular orders in the same areas. It's all about maximising utilisation of vehicles, and making the delivery profitable. Peterborough has a large Polish population, but a high proportion of them are transient contract workers, working shifts and living in HMO and the supermarkets aren't interested in delivering to customers like that. Their shelves are stocked, if you want Polish food you can walk in and buy it, but a van full of small drops to customers who might be out when it calls (I don't know how others find this, but our Ocado deliveries are notably less than punctual, sometimes almost 2 hours early) .... Nope. 

[spikey]

1 hour ago, rockershovel said:

 ... I don't know how others find this, but our Ocado deliveries are notably less than punctual, sometimes almost 2 hours early) ....

 

FWIW Tesco hereabouts update their ETA on the app about an hour before they're due and give us a 30-minute window, which so far has only been adrift once.  On that occasion, they were running late and advised us of the delay 45 minutes prior to ETA, then again with 20 minutes to go, then turned up 5 minutes earlier than the revised time!

 

Tonight's order has just been delivered, with for the first time in 30+ deliveries - a substitute! Tesco frozen breaded cod ordered with the haddock version as an alternative, both OOS but Young's equivalent sent instead which is OK by us.

[andytrains]

9 hours ago, NorthBrit said:

Here we go again.   The Propaganda Machine is working overtime,  so shops can increase the prices again.   Newspapers sell more negativity.  As for the propaganda on TV?   That has been going on for ages.

We know the Government (no matter who is in power)   will increase taxes etc. to pay for the lockdown measures.

We do not have any other option. What do people expect. Lower taxes!

[boxbrownie]

Bloomin’ panic buying fuel now as well…….driving through Plymouth today and the inside lane of a major road was blocked by a very long queue of cars waiting to get onto a forecourt, we silently hummed by in our EV 

[adb968008]

On 05/08/2021 at 11:12, Nick C said:

We've noticed this too - on the Sainsbury's website for the last few months, there has been nothing available in the Polish foods section - yet when we went into the store the other week, that part was fully stocked.

 

It can't be Brexit related either as the local Polish shop has been fully stocked the whole time, and their supply chain must be smaller and less resiliant than that of a major supermarket...

Polish food transport logistics are fantastic…

 

I regularly use it to send stuff from our home to the polish family and vice versa… 

There is a whole network of couriers covering the UK and Poland, they tranship from everywhere in Poland, to motorway services in Germany, from there its either HGV to a wholesaler, or other couriers for UK wide delivery and vv. For £20 we can typically get a full suitcase, no weight restriction either direction within 24 hours door to door… its way cheaper than sending suitcases by Easyjet etc.

 

They are fantastically efficient, one occasion the family sent inflated balloons for my daughters birthday… (dont ask).. no label they still got here next day.

Weve seen the vans, all kinds if stuff goes in it.. eggs, car tyres, IT, furniture they take it all… and from Poland… everything for your local polish shop.
 

Over here there are Polish wholesalers, you can even get Polish bread made in Poland here next day… just wait until Christmas when the Carp starts coming.

 

The only downside is pickup/drop off time.. its to the nearest 12 hours, which can be 2-3am sometimes.

 

no unions. No RHA, all self employed, no complaining.. they are doing financially quite ok.. one showed me the house he was building, best described as “american” sized.

 

Since Brexit, his only difference is you now have to do a customs declaration.

Edited September 24, 2021 by adb968008

[big jim]

27 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Bloomin’ panic buying fuel now as well…….we silently hummed by in our EV 

same here on the bike! 
 

we now have problems in work as hire car companies can’t supply vehicles for this weekends diagrams, I can use the train in and out every day anyway but the middle of my job tomorrow involves a couple of taxis now as there is no hire car, which I can see being a problem as drivers may not be wanting to take on either medium distance (rugby to bescot) or short distances fares (coleshill to birch coppice) to conserve fuel!

 

It’s going to be a long chaotic weekend I recon 

 

 

[37114]

That 20litre Jerry can of petrol in my shed must be worth at least £50 now..

[Jol Wilkinson]

Just watched BBC Look East. Panic buying for fuel well underway in Suffolk. Many petrol stations have apparently run out. Good to now that people are being true to form.

 

I may have to siphon out the three or four gallons in the MGB fuel tank for the Peugeot! We are/were planning to attend a family bash on Sunday, a 220 mile round trip, the longest we have done for ages. I would normally top up before we go but that is looking rather unlikely.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

Bloomin’ panic buying fuel now as well…….driving through Plymouth today and the inside lane of a major road was blocked by a very long queue of cars waiting to get onto a forecourt, we silently hummed by in our EV 

 

The one in Royal Wootton Bassett cunningly avoided this happening by charging 144.9 for diesel.

[Gareth Collier]

All the petrol stations wiped out here by mid afternoon by the sheep spurned on by scaremongering reporting on breakfast TV this morning. Further chaos late on when my wife was leaving work at 7pm as a petrol tanker was pulling into Asda followed by a cavalcade of eager motorists eager to squeeze that last couple of quid's worth into their tank.

True definition of a self fulfilling prophecy: claim incorrectly there are fuel shortages so everyone panic buys creating a fuel shortage.

[Guest]