Selfish panic buying?

[CwtchesCuddles]

A friend in London has just been shopping and sent me this picture of bare shelves, people have been panic buying!
AIBU to think it's selfish? I can understand buying an extra few things as part of your normal shop but clearing the shelves? Is everyone just looking after number 1 these days? What is going to happen when all those with spare cash buy up all the supplies?

Preppers do not panic buy.

Exactly.

And you know this panic buying is because of corona virus and not due to flooding do you?
It’s the weekend, some shops run low. Our Tesco was operating as usual yesterday.

You can’t blame people for trying to be prepared.

Sure they weren't just moving stuff around?? Waiting for big delivery? Shelves are still full round here and we're in a town with a 'super spreader'...

Well, there was no disinfect spray in Aldi today, but that's par for the course with Aldi. They had everything else.

Oh fair enough, thanks for posting picture.

I wanted a pack of pasta for tea my 2 local supermarkets are completely out of it! Along with lots of other staples. It's definitely panic buying people are crazy

Our supermarkets was looking fully stocked apart from mini hand sanitizer.

I went into boots yesterday in Manchester City centre and one woman literally emptied an entire shelf of antibacterial wipes into her basket, each pack was £1.15. She wasn’t even counting how many she was getting, just shoving them all in. Absolutely selfish cow

Well if enough people all at once buy “1 or 2 extra things” as part of a normal shop then that will clear the shelves. It’s not one person being a selfish twat (most of the time); it’s large quantities of people changing their shopping habits all at once and the just-in-time system can’t cope.

The sensible thing to do would be to have picked up a few extra things once a week for the last few weeks/months. But we got called batshit insane for doing that 🤷‍♀️

I think it's sensible to always have a couple of weeks worth of food in, assuming you have the storage space and the money.

Not just because of the virus or Brexit, but in case of illness, job loss, unexpected sudden bills, snow or floods etc.

Whereabouts are you very roughly sadatchristmas?

Apparently it's not at all unreasonable or selfish because it means people would be able to self isolate, it doesn't matter if this leaves the shelves empty for the frequent shoppers who are on benefits because they are expendable.

Wow. That's shocking. There is 42p Aldi anti bac hand gel being sold for ridiculous money on eBay

it's payday sunday.
plus sunday.
deliveries are still rolling and shops will be restocked soon.

I have bought a few things to prep for coronavirus, just in case:

A new bottle of calpol
2 packs of ibuprofen
2 packs of paracetamol
A new bottle of children's neurofen

So we have it in plentiful supply if we feel ill and don't have anyone who can bring it to us at that moment.

2 multipacks of the handi tissue packs for handbags/pockets etc
4 mini hand sanitiser bottles just in case we aren't near sinks and soap. 1 for my bag, 1 for the car, 1 for DHs backpack and 1 for DDs backpack

To try to contain and sneezes/coughs and prevent catching any.

5 jars of pasta sauce
2 bags of pasta

Because we had worked through our supply.

We have a very well stocked pantry with dry goods and the freezer is basically all full of veg, fruit and meat.

We always have a spare full 16 rolls of toilet paper and 4 pack of kitchen roll as well as other cleaning supplies/soap etc in the cupboard under the stairs.

People who are generally well prepared don't need to panic buy and can get by for a couple of weeks without clearing the shelves.

There was no salad bags in my local Waitrose...but I don't think that's down to stockpiling or prepping .........

Yes it is inherent in the just in time approach that a slight change in habit among a fair few people will cause some issues.

Probably why governments like Sweden's advise citizens to have in a stock of supplies.

It is somehow in the UK perceived as patronising to be informed of the reality of the society you live in.

I Are people seriously stockpiling food because of Brexit/Coronavirus?!? Wow. What’s the point?
In a food shortage/zombie apocalypse situation the ‘have nots’ will just kill you and/or nick all your carefully bought supplies anyway 🤷‍♀️

I smith knives as a hobby. Good luck with that.

Isn’t this just normal on a Sunday?

Probably why governments like Sweden's advise citizens to have in a stock of supplies.

Or it could be because of the weather in parts of Sweden.

Have there been anymore snow warnings this week? That will clear a shelf quicker than anything!

I've been shopping today and supermarket shelves were full. I didn't see any empty spaces.

Justhavinganosy that is bad.

Our local shop "rationed" milk when we were cut off by bad weather. Bigger Shops also were limiting baby powder at p e point, so it can be done.

Baby formula that is.