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AIBU?

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Original poster

Why don’t supermarkets preempt “stuff”

107 replies

Iamnotagoddess · 27/07/2019 14:42

Went shopping and though I’d get some ice lollies to stick in the freezer.

Four empty fridges where they had been totally raided.

Why don’t they preempt seasonal stuff?

At Christmas it’s mincemeat and sausage meat.

Bloody annoys me.

OP posts:
Finfintytint · 27/07/2019 14:44

It’s cheaper for companies not to have huge amount of stock in warehouses and will deliver the goods just in time I think.

Original poster
Iamnotagoddess · 27/07/2019 14:46

Or is it just British people going nuts over things?

OP posts:
LemonSqueezy0 · 27/07/2019 14:48

I can see why you're annoyed, but they can only carry so much stick.. It's the same in that you could've preempted and got it a few weeks ago. But you didn't, you waited until it was hot and you knew you'd need it. They are the same, just on a much larger scale.

TinyGhostWriter · 27/07/2019 14:48

Did you miss the heatwave?

It’s to do with the weather, not the season.

SummerSeasoning · 27/07/2019 14:49

I thought this would be about their freezers failing.

Original poster
Iamnotagoddess · 27/07/2019 14:50

Yeah but you would think they would know about the heatwave and predict that they are going to sell more of something, like de-icer when there is snow.

I was just pondering, it’s not totally ruined my day Smile

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 27/07/2019 14:53

I'm pondering whether to mention Brexit and just in time deliveries.

I'm deciding against it. Grin

Redcrayons · 27/07/2019 14:54

If there hadn't been a heatwave, which lets face it is more likely, then they would have been left with loads of stock of lollies. Holding stock costs money. Plus there the cost of destroying stuff that goes out of date before the next spike in demand. (i.e. Sausage meat)

Original poster
Iamnotagoddess · 27/07/2019 14:54

Grin. Ooh yes I wonder what they will run out of then?!

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 27/07/2019 14:55

Make your own, much nicer.

Original poster
Iamnotagoddess · 27/07/2019 14:55

I had my heart set on a box of rockets.

OP posts:
womaninthedark · 27/07/2019 14:55

Waitrose were re-stocking freezer cabinets with tasty ice-cream stuff, like mad things, when I was there on Thursday. Asda freezers were full on Friday. Let there be no panic. All is well.

SagAloojah · 27/07/2019 14:56

Supermarkets have been removing food from some freezers because they weren't cold enough due to the heatwave.

If they're empty then it's nothing to do with being raided, they've been cleared away.

IncrediblySadToo · 27/07/2019 14:56

Why didn’t you?

Original poster
Iamnotagoddess · 27/07/2019 14:56

This was Tesco Grin

OP posts:
Mide7 · 27/07/2019 14:57

In my experience it’s hard to react to these type of things for big companies.

They will always increase stock for seasonal items but extreme heatwaves or cold spells are hard to predict with enough advance warning to get to stores.

There is a risk/ reward element to it. If you increase stock for a heatwave which doesn’t materialise then you’re stock with a shit load of stock and have money tied up.

Original poster
Iamnotagoddess · 27/07/2019 14:57

I can’t be arsed to make my own any more, most of my kids have left home now,

OP posts:
PinkBuffalo · 27/07/2019 14:59

Pretty much every supermarket round my way all their freezers broke down!
BUT our morrisons is pretty shit anyway. Half empty shelves no matter what time you go, and everything fresh nearly out of date. Fruit just doesn't last more than a day from there. Most people here are going to Tescos now.

AnnieOH1 · 27/07/2019 15:00

Most supermarkets use technology to do exactly that. It looks at weather, bank holidays, sports fixtures etc comparing year on year and trying to make sure the right stock is there when needed. Unfortunately it's as much art as science.

This heatwave has resulted in lots of fridge and freezer breakdowns as well as panic buying, it's irritating but nobodies fault.

Original poster
Iamnotagoddess · 27/07/2019 15:00

I wish I had a Morrison’s close by.

We used to have one on our high street but they turned it into a Waitrose, I was gutted Sad

OP posts:
RebootYourEngine · 27/07/2019 15:01

Have you ever worked in retail OP?

Depending on where the shop is in relation to the suppliers it can take a few days for deliveries to arrive. Weather forecasts change hour by hour. For example the forecast for where I live said that today it was meant to be raining all day. It is actually warm, sunny and dry.

TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan · 27/07/2019 15:01

My local Tesco had loads of lollies, ice cream and ice cubes. Maybe just a crap manager?

RedSheep73 · 27/07/2019 15:02

Round here all the supermarkets seem to have had their freezers break down when it was 39 degrees the other day - I'm not sure they could have predicted that or what they could have done about it!

Elision · 27/07/2019 15:02

I used to work in supply chain logistics and believe me this kind of thing is the entire point- getting shit you want to buy in front of you when you want to buy it. It’s an incredibly complex balance and if ice lollies sell out it’s not because of some kind of apathy or lack of effort on the part of the industry FFS.

SummerSeasoning · 27/07/2019 15:04

Did they keep the freezers fluff free?!