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Are there actually food shortages or are people just dicks?
HouseElfy · 19/03/2020 18:36
Constant social media photos of empty shelves don't help but I am slightly freaking out that there isn't enough food. 
bellinisurge · 19/03/2020 18:37
No shortages. Lots of dicks. Supply is there but demand is outstripping it.
I think it will calm down.
Fatted · 19/03/2020 18:38
People are just dicks.
Considering every is self isolating, it's been very busy in every supermarket I've been in lately 
HouseElfy · 19/03/2020 18:39
I just do not understand it. People have gone bananas.
Reginabambina · 19/03/2020 18:39
It’s a supply issue. The supply chain is optimised so that you don’t have too much extra lying around but when everyone suddenly starts buying two to theee times as much that no longer works which then becomes difficult to manage when you don’t have the number of trucks, drivers, wharehpusong staff and space etc are o accommodate the new demand.
P1nkHeartLovesCake · 19/03/2020 18:40
Have you actually been to a supermarket in the last day or so? Don’t believe everything you see on social media a LOT of it is utter bullshit
I went to the supermarket this morning, plenty of bread, milk and they even had a small amount of pasta and chopped tomatoes, paracetamol which I haven’t been able to get for weeks.
I think the fact the supermarket aren’t opening 24 hr anymore and have a 2-3 item restriction will help it build up as the greedy of the country can’t buy it all.
My supermarket didn’t have any fresh veg but I went to M&S food hall and it was very well stocked for fresh veg
fairgame84 · 19/03/2020 18:42
I went to sainsbury's today and it was pretty bare.
Freezers looked ok but tinned stuff and fresh stuff was all out of stock.
Tampons, handwashing, loo roll all out of stock. They had a few packs of tissues and kitchen roll.
DoubleAction · 19/03/2020 18:42
I don't think you can call people dicks for wanting to have enough food in the house to see then through a few weeks atm, unless it's because they didn't join the peppers and do it sooner!.
If everyone buys for two weeks instead of one, there will be a big problem with the supply chain.
RhymingRabbit3 · 19/03/2020 18:42
There is the same amount of supply, but demand has increased because (some) people are buying double or triple what they would usually buy. In theory the supply chain should stay intact and supermarkets will start to go back to normal as people will have already bought more than enough pasta and won't continue to buy double or triple.
Elouera · 19/03/2020 18:44
Depends where you are? I'm central london, went to tescos at 8am as they apparently don't re-stock till then at our local store. No tins at all, barely any fresh veg or fruit and multiple things that were there 2 days ago are completely bare. Also shelves I didnt think would be bare! The smaller fruit/veg grocer across the road was well stocked though! Iceland had a queue 30 people long down the rd- at 8am!
P1nkHeartLovesCake · 19/03/2020 18:44
No you absolutely can call someone a dick for emptying a shelf of an item...Even in worse case lock down you will be allowed out for food supplies
Cornettoninja · 19/03/2020 18:44
It will level out as people start having to work their way through what they’ve got.
Normal supply chains are pretty quick and reliable but will be affected because of how many countries have imposed restrictions on their workforces but there is no reason why there shouldn’t be plenty to go round when people chill out.
Unfortunately the panic induces panic buying in people who wouldn’t have done it originally but I can understand that more than the first.
The loo roll thing is just bizarre - I’ve seen anecdotes from America and Australia with the same issue. There’s a chance this will end up being remembered as the great toilet roll panic as much as for the corona virus.
Elouera · 19/03/2020 18:45
I should add that there are now restrictions at tescos on 3 items only.
HouseElfy · 19/03/2020 18:45
don't think you can call people dicks for wanting to have enough food in the house to see then through a few weeks atm, unless it's because they didn't join the peppers and do it sooner!.
I am not referring to preppers, I am referring to those swooping on the supermarkets at this current time of national crisis and taking more than their fair share.
HouseElfy · 19/03/2020 18:46
Have you actually been to a supermarket in the last day or so?
I tried 3 yesterday and all were pretty much empty.
TheFlis12345 · 19/03/2020 18:47
There is plenty of everything, they just can’t get it to shops and on shelves quick enough! A toilet roll manufacturer has said they have millions of rolls in their warehouse they just don’t have the logistics in place to get it to stores that much faster than usual to meet current demand.
P1nkHeartLovesCake · 19/03/2020 18:48
Where about are you? Just out of interest, as it’s strange how some places are struggling more than others as the way the media sells it is that everywhere is food less
I’m in the south east
Ohffs66 · 19/03/2020 18:51
I was sceptical tbh but DH went to Tesco last night and there was very little left at all in the fridges or freezers (other than the vegan section!), no bread, no eggs, no milk, no fruit and veg etc etc. I'm going to go first thing in the morning, we only need some basics so I'm hoping I can just nab just a few bits.
user1471453601 · 19/03/2020 18:53
DD went to our local Tesco express. She said the only things in short supply are crates of larger and cream cakes.
Sounds like the people round here have the right idea 😊😊.
On serious note, she said there were strips across the floor telling you how close you should get to the cashier.
willowpatterns · 19/03/2020 18:54
You can't magic up eggs out of thin air, you have to wait for them to be laid and you can't suddenly increase output, can you? Not without breeding loads more chickens and waiting several months.
CuriousCapricorn · 19/03/2020 18:54
My dp has just been to 5 different shops on his way home from work to try and get me some strawberry pop tarts, I’m craving them. The shelves were pretty bare in every shop he tried. Supermarkets and farm foods ( I often buy them there ) all in Liverpool.
I get paid tomorrow and need to do a big shop. He said he hasn’t a clue where I should go based on what he saw tonight.
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