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Original poster

Is tesco rationing???

198 replies

Santaslittlemelter · 04/04/2022 19:37

I'm trying to do the online shop here and not only is stock a bit shit, like no dishwasher salt, no pork mince, no organic cucumber, no most types of tomato, but I have noticed that a load of the things in my basket say I have reached my maximum quantity. So I am allowed one red pepper, one pack of two small salmon fillets, one pack of tomatoes, one cucumber.....I have a family of 6.

I haven't heard much recently on supply issues. But is anyone else finding this happening? Its a bit shit for a huge retailer.

OP posts:
SawnWood · 04/04/2022 19:39

Shop this evening had a sign out saying “U.K. wide shortage of products” in the crisp aisle and GF products are really hit and miss

LampLighter414 · 04/04/2022 19:43

Brexit, labour shortages, rocketing shipping costs.

Expect less stock on the shelves at any given time and what there is to be more expensive or at least significantly less frequent or generous promotions

Singlebutmarried · 04/04/2022 19:43

Shortage of salad type goods. Some sort of strike I think in Spain with the lorry drivers.

Maybeitstimeforachange · 04/04/2022 19:48

Yes I often have this in my Tesco prebooked slots when I edit through them the night before - milk and fruit/veg usually.

Ducksurprise · 04/04/2022 19:50

Went into tesco today, it looked like they had been burgled.

Wnkingawalrus · 04/04/2022 19:50

I’ve found shortages of various items at different times over the last couple of months. Pom bears. Certain soft drinks. Lurpak unsalted spreadable. Dishwasher salt.

Duracellbunnywannabe · 04/04/2022 19:52

Most shops have a shortage of tomatoes

MiniDaffodils · 04/04/2022 19:54

I hope they do ration - it really helps prevent the panic buying which makes shortages worse.

Usingit · 04/04/2022 19:55

As PP said there is a strike in Spain, it was in the news the other day so that will be a lot of fruit and veg in short supply

MySecretHistory · 04/04/2022 19:56

A business opportunity for those in Yorkshire who don’t need dishwasher salt to smuggle to London

Pixies74 · 04/04/2022 19:58

It's not usually them rationing, it's usually no more availability over and above what's been ordered.

Svara · 04/04/2022 19:59

Isn't it easy to get around most of the rationing? Buy a red pepper and a yellow pepper for example? Same as you could buy three tins each of different things two years ago.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 04/04/2022 20:00

They have been online, but in store you can buy as normal.

Georgeskitchen · 04/04/2022 20:01

Plenty of essentials in our local Tesco and Sainsburys

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 04/04/2022 20:02

I haven't seem or heard of any panic buying since the beginning of Covid. I think it was different then - people were stocking up in anticipation of not being able to leave the house for two weeks. Now, it's just a case of: there may or may not be shortages of a random item at any given time - which is much less likely to spark panic.

Our Sainsburys has had an extremely limited range of multipack crisps for weeks. I'm aware that is an extremely trivial issue and I'm not actually complaining - just seems like such an odd shortage!

Purplelion · 04/04/2022 20:06

I work in a supermarket. We’ve been told it’s a silly issue due to something happening in Spain. We have to then ration to make it fair for all the customers, hopefully it won’t last too long!

saraclara · 04/04/2022 20:07

Today and Friday, the green veg section of my local tesco was basically a sea of empty crates.

I didn't notice any other obvious shortages, but maybe I was lucky. I was only doing top up shops both times.

WhyOfCourse · 04/04/2022 20:10

No broccoli in sainsburys today.

HumbugWhale · 04/04/2022 20:11

They didn't have tomatoes last week either.

I went in Lidl today and the cereal and crisps aisle was a but sparse. I know there is a shortage of sunflower oil as most of it comes from Russia and Ukraine so that could be a problem for a while.

WhyOfCourse · 04/04/2022 20:14

@HumbugWhale

They didn't have tomatoes last week either.

I went in Lidl today and the cereal and crisps aisle was a but sparse. I know there is a shortage of sunflower oil as most of it comes from Russia and Ukraine so that could be a problem for a while.

Yeah they are switching to oilseed
liveforsummer · 04/04/2022 20:14

I've just got back from Tesco 10 mins ago and the shelves were all full. Piles of all kinds of tomatoes, plenty cucumber and pepper. Wonder if they stock the stores before fulfilling online orders?

BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation · 04/04/2022 20:14

Our Lidl seemed okay and there were plenty of peppers and tomatoes. I bought two bottles of sunflower oil as well.

WhyOfCourse · 04/04/2022 20:15

@liveforsummer

I've just got back from Tesco 10 mins ago and the shelves were all full. Piles of all kinds of tomatoes, plenty cucumber and pepper. Wonder if they stock the stores before fulfilling online orders?
No, they take the orders from what is there
Sapphirejane · 04/04/2022 20:15

I’ve seen this even before the pandemic/Brexit. I think it’s just their stock system knowing how many are left vs. orders they have rather than specific rationing. They just have a lot lower supplies at the moment so it’s happening more often.

Imohsotired · 04/04/2022 20:18

I think the tomato thing is more widespread - I saw a sign outside McDonald’s saying they are only using one slice of tomato instead of two on one of the burgers due to shortages.

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