Panic buying

[melmerby]

32 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

 

I’m quite certain that a wide range of businesses have actually used the situation to stop worrying about customer service, for example our local B&Q won’t be reopening its “cut to size” counter as both trained operators have not yet returned to work. 

I gave up on cut wood at B&Q many years ago as there never seemed to be a qualified person on duty to do the cutting. "Off sick", "Not on Duty Today", "Busy elsewhere" etc.

 

The local sawmill seems to have plenty of people qualified to use any of the machines, so there's normally no waiting.

Edited October 3, 2020 by melmerby

[rockershovel]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

I gave up on cut wood at B&Q many years ago as there never seemed to be a qualified person on duty to do the cutting. "Off sick", "Not on Duty Today", "Busy elsewhere" etc.

 

The local sawmill seems to have plenty of people qualified to use any of the machines, so there's normally no waiting.

 

I can’t remember the last time I saw an independent local sawmill serving retail customers.

[melmerby]

2 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

 

I can’t remember the last time I saw an independent local sawmill serving retail customers.

I suppose I'm fortunate as I could walk to the one I use. I actually know of another not too far away if they are still operating.

I bought the ply for my baseboards (all cut to the sizes I wanted), unfortunately the quality of ply has gone downhill somewhat in recent years as the main bulk importers switched from Malaysian (very good) to Chinese (rubbish) due to rising prices.

No doubt better quality could be obtained, at a price.

[Butler Henderson]

Just watch the pricing at a timber merchants, asked for an offcut and they cut a new sheet and charged for the complete sheet.

[polybear]

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Our local one has reopened the cut to size area but oddly the buyers seemed to be on the wrong side of the counter and handling the wood off the cutter - H&S nightmare - the trained person cannot touch the wood due to covid but the untrained person can get very close to the cutting stuff - may as well do it yourself.

 

Not a problem in my book, so long as the saw is shut down.  Not sure I understand the B&Q line regarding the saw operator not touching the wood though - what do they expect the till operators to do with all those handled little packets of screws?

[woodenhead]

Just now, polybear said:

 

Not a problem in my book, so long as the saw is shut down.  Not sure I understand the B&Q line regarding the saw operator not touching the wood though - what do they expect the till operators to do with all those handled little packets of screws?

When I was shopping early after lockdown lifted in May/June they didn't touch anything - all items had to be bar code up and the staff would scan from a distance.  Not been in recently so perhaps now they are back to touching anything and everything.

[melmerby]

19 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

Just watch the pricing at a timber merchants, asked for an offcut and they cut a new sheet and charged for the complete sheet.

I have bought offcuts that are just that, bits left over from previous cutting jobs.

[melmerby]

1 minute ago, woodenhead said:

When I was shopping early after lockdown lifted in May/June they didn't touch anything - all items had to be bar code up and the staff would scan from a distance.  Not been in recently so perhaps now they are back to touching anything and everything.

A couple of weeks ago I bought some stuff  at B&Q

I dumped them on the counter and the till assistant just scanned them, there was contact but not much.

Screwfix is operating very much as normal apart from staff screens and customer masks.

 

Plenty of items in self service emporiums of all sorts where people pick them up inspect them and put them back.

I doesn't seem to be great spreader as far as can be determined.

 

Being breathed on by an infected person seems to be the major spreader, when the airborne bug is inhaled.

[Butler Henderson]

46 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I have bought offcuts that are just that, bits left over from previous cutting jobs.

That's what I was expecting.

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

That's what I was expecting.

I assume you took it all?

[cctransuk]

4 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

Just watch the pricing at a timber merchants, asked for an offcut and they cut a new sheet and charged for the complete sheet.

 

It may well be that they just didn't have a suitable offcut.

 

John Isherwood.

[AY Mod]

[figworthy]

8 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Weirdly, smaller bags of frozen French Fries were one of the few items missing from our shop this morning - just an empty space in the freezer section (larger packs were still available).
I can only surmise it’s for making substitute McDonald’s-type meals at home for the kids?

 

10 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

A very strange shortage again in Waitrose, frozen french fries completely sold out two weeks running same as in the original panic.

 

Two weeks running I've had problems getting large potatoes (which is what you'd need for chips).

 

I'm sure that I remember something from early in the year (pre lockdown) about the weather causing problems with certain crops.  Perhaps that could be it.

 

Not sure if that's why I can't get refills of mixed herbs.

 

Adrian

[melmerby]

15 minutes ago, figworthy said:

 

 

Two weeks running I've had problems getting large potatoes (which is what you'd need for chips).

 

 

The last three bags of spuds from Asda (2x Maris Piper & 1xRooster) are all large ones.

[Dave47549]

.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff

[Ben B]

8 hours ago, figworthy said:

 

 

Two weeks running I've had problems getting large potatoes (which is what you'd need for chips).

 

I'm sure that I remember something from early in the year (pre lockdown) about the weather causing problems with certain crops.  Perhaps that could be it.

 

Not sure if that's why I can't get refills of mixed herbs.

 

Adrian

 

Now you mention it, I've had trouble getting hold of basil and oregano since early in the year.

 

[spikey]

9 hours ago, figworthy said:

 I've had problems getting large potatoes (which is what you'd need for chips).

 

  Could you not eat shorter chips?

[Ohmisterporter]

21 hours ago, melmerby said:

A couple of weeks ago I bought some stuff  at B&Q

I dumped them on the counter and the till assistant just scanned them, there was contact but not much.

Screwfix is operating very much as normal apart from staff screens and customer masks.

 

I have been buying from Screwfix recently using click and collect. Order online and pay by Paypal. Door guard making sure everyone wore a mask and kept to the 2 metre distance. I think I will carry on using this system. 

[melmerby]

26 minutes ago, Ohmisterporter said:

 

I have been buying from Screwfix recently using click and collect. Order online and pay by Paypal. Door guard making sure everyone wore a mask and kept to the 2 metre distance. I think I will carry on using this system. 

No door guard at the one I used.

Plenty of floor markings to aid distancing and you don't approach the counter until asked.

[figworthy]

12 hours ago, spikey said:

 

  Could you not eat shorter chips?

 

I eat what ever sized chips are served up in the pub/chippy.

But long chips need big spuds, and I prefer to buy big spuds so that I don't have to peel a dozen silly little things in order to get a decent helping of mash.

 

Adrian

[Steamport Southport]

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, figworthy said:

 

 I prefer to buy big spuds so that I don't have to peel a dozen silly little things in order to get a decent helping of mash.

 

Adrian

You peel spuds?

[Hroth]

9 hours ago, melmerby said:

You peel spuds?

 

I suppose thats needed if you want to use one for EM/P4 and you only have OO.....

[Oldddudders]

Sherry has been staying with me in France for the last three weeks, and obviously now has to quarantine for a fortnight in her flat in Torquay. Having heard that loo rolls are in short supply in the UK, she has a 12-pack from Lidl in Bonnetable hidden in the boot. It was not found at Portsmouth....

[boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Sherry has been staying with me in France for the last three weeks, and obviously now has to quarantine for a fortnight in her flat in Torquay. Having heard that loo rolls are in short supply in the UK, she has a 12-pack from Lidl in Bonnetable hidden in the boot. It was not found at Portsmouth....

If Sherry had to have crossed the Tamar we would have found them