To be fed up of supermarket low stock

[BradfordGirl]

Since Christmas stock is so low in the supermarkets. I have tried different supermarkets and going at different times, it makes no difference. Today I had to go two supermarkets so I could buy bread, milk and ham - so hardly an exotic shopping list. The supermarkets all have some large empty spaces in their fruit and veg section and lots of other things missing. And trying to get eggs is not easy.
The only supermarket with good stock is the co-op. I went in as I had been a few places trying to get eggs and was a bit taken aback to see shelves fully stocked. Unfortunately it is quite expensive.
But I am getting fed up of all the other supermarkets having permanently low stock.

@IDontCareMatthew

My husband has been trying to get a driving job for months, and got nothing back.

Hard to solve the driver shortage when they won't take on new passes.

We've found the "big 4" are problematic at the moment, particularly Tesco and Morrisons who have huge empty spaces in lots of areas.

Funnily, just like during the covid panic buying, our village Spar shop aren't out of stock of anything and the nearby Co-Op is the same. We went to our town's B&M Bargains this morning and they were fully stocked of virtually everything including a full range of bread, milk, eggs, etc.

I honestly haven't had much issue post covid.

I shop in sainsburys. Apart from a weird phase a few weeks ago when they had basically no milk on weekends (now resolved) I've not noticed things be completely out of stock.

I have noticed:

• cheap/value/own brands disappear
• less choice of brand generally
• smaller packet sizes
• higher prices

Its been since way before Christmas

Im sick of it.

@MintJulia
The only bread was three loaves dated that day and marked down. Literally no other bread. I went to ASDA which had bread, but not that much.

I haven't found it too inconvenient personally but I have noticed gaps. Lidl had literally zero loo roll yesterday evening, I wasn't looking for it, but it was a huge visible hole on the shelves. Cat litter stock is a nightmare, especially the wood stuff - I think that's Ukraine-related because so much of it comes from Russian woodmill surplus normally. Rumour has it that people with wood burners are buying up the wood cat litter.

My local Tesco seems to have plenty of eggs, milk and bread.

YANBU it’s DH’s birthday soon and ive done an online shop for ingredients for the birthday meal, cake, candles etc. But I’ve had to book the slot for 2 days before to give me time to replace the things which inevitably don’t turn up. Some of the replacements are so bad they make me laugh though!

Avian flu isn’t affecting the supply that much. It’s farmers being underpaid to the point they are no longer making a profit. The uk supply of laying chickens has been cut down by a third with most farmers saying they’re either not planning on increasing their stock, or they’re knocking the egg industry on the head altogether. I’d expect the egg situation to get worse for a long time yet

I'm surprised that your co-op was the best stocked because our 2 closest have had very limited stock for months now, and as you say, expensive.
I think it's probably a combination of things avian flu being a big one for eggs, but also Brexit for importing, and lack of drivers, costs going up and up and up so maybe cutting some lines because they're not viable? And possibly lack of staff during processing as well as delivery meaning they can't make as much.
I'm sure that if it were in the financial interests of the companies, and possible, they'd be making sure that the shelves stay stocked as much as possible.

I'm in South Yorkshire and only seem to be able to get eggs in the farm shop at the moment, and we normally eat quite a lot!

And the prices are going up by 30 - 50 p a week on most items on a weekly basis. It’s a worry. We are not poor by any means, but I am shopping more carefully at the moment. I’m glad I know how to cook from scratch and I am also trying to use up stuff I have in the cupboards before buying more. I only wish it was saving me money!

Using the specific examples already mentioned…I ordered cornflour before Christmas and no joy but did get it last week from Tesco’s (in a daft plastic bag instead of a nice cardboard box but I’ll file that under first world problems).

Eggs come with the milk in proper glass bottles via doorstep delivery from a local dairy which partners with other small businesses. They are brilliant - a little bit more pricey but very very reliable.

I have had substitutions on every order from Tesco’s for weeks. And the veg doesn’t seem the same quality at all (firmly European here, so of course I didn’t vote for this shitshow!)

Exactly this, too

I shop online with Tesco, nothing has been missing except looroll which I ordered next day from Amazon.

I'm in the NW and have an Asda shop coming today
No cottage cheese and no courgettes

I've switched back to Waitrose because of issues with stock and quality. There are gaps, but overall it's been better (and no more expensive than my previous Sainsbury's or Morrison's shops). They had plenty of eggs, and the only issues for me today were tiny broccoli heads and no chimichurri (the latter is slightly niche, so I'll forgive them that!). Sainsbury's in particular has been rubbish for months!

Weird. I go to an ordinary Tesco or Sainsbury’s superstore every week and never have a problem with basics. Ok on a Friday or Saturday by late afternoon there’ll be a few gaps (only 8 kinds of apple left instead of 10, no fresh baked loaves kind of thing) but I haven’t had an issue with getting ordinary bread or milk at all and I have always found a reasonable substitute for anything missing.

Eggs are limited to 3 boxes per customer and there’s fewer choices, but that’s presumably an avian flu issue. There are still eggs, just not two dozen different kinds and most of the very premium (organic, fancy coloured) types are gone.

My local Tesco did have a weird deodorant shortage for a couple of weeks, but that seems to have resolved.

Yep same here and getting more and more expensive. Terrible selection of cheese (christmas). It's tedious.

Remember they told people that food would get cheaper after brexit. 🙄
But ofcourse everyone knew what they were voting for.

Apart from eggs (which is because of flu and I'll only buy free range), I haven't had any issues buying anything in my part of West Midlands! Where are you all?!

I've not been able to buy cream crackers at my local co-op, waitrose, Asda or Sainsbury's for several weeks (6-8 weeks I reckon). Sainsbury's seem to run out of their own brand nappies on a regular basis too its very hit and miss!

Lengthy strike at the cream cracker factory apparently.

I went to Tesco Friday and the only thing I couldn't get was tenderstem broccoli, I bought purple sprouting instead and they had loads of the normal stuff. They had eggs (maybe not the full range but plenty), bread, milk, loads of spices in the jars and the big bags in the world food section. I did a big shop with no issue and I cook from scratch all the time so buy lots of individual things.

I think a lot of people are buying double or more to evade future price rises too. For eg. I wish I had bought more Twinings EG tea off Amazon at 14.00 for 4 boxes which are now 20.00 for the same amount. Apart from eggs a lot of items can be frozen. This may be part of the reason too

I've been aware that some products are out of stock when I've been in various supermarkets but put that down to the time I was shopping at. I shop when I need to and the time I can be bothered to go shopping varies. But we get our milk from the milkman and he also offers eggs, butter etc so if needed I could buy from him but prices are higher but the quality is exceptional.
But I can be flexible in my shopping needs - if - for example only seeded bread is available then I'll buy that, if no tomato sauce is available then I'll live without it. I tend to use frozen veg more than fresh as the quality of fresh is doubtful some days unless I'm making soup when it's not so important.
One colleague I used to work with used her receipt from the previous week to buy what she needed that week. They ate the same meals each day from week to week!! 😧No variety at all!! Monday - Fish, Tuesday. Spag Bol etc etc