To the selfish people driving around for miles emptying small local and village shops

[BuggerOffStockpilers]

NC. We live rurally. There are two shops in the village - a small traditional village shop and a mini-supermarket. The village shop is closing down soon, which will leave only one shop to serve the village and surrounding farms and villages. There is some welcome passing trade too from the main cross country road nearby and from tourists and walkers, which the shops can usually cope ok with and in fact helps to keep the shops going. So far so good, yes?

And then along came the Coronavirus and the stain on humanity that is stockpilers, panic buyers and profiteers.

Suddenly our village shops are full of strangers bulk buying and our shelves are almost empty. I will give you a couple of examples from one day in the mini-supermarket:

• The man, not local, who came in and wanted to buy the whole tray of something, every single one of that item, leaving none for anyone else. When politely told at the checkout that he, like everyone else, was welcome to buy 3 of them only, he became aggressive. The frightened assistant had to let him take them all, knowing that the shop is too small to employ a security guard and the police would take a long time to arrive. Several hours later the assistant was still feeling shaken up and took that feeling home with them.
• The woman who is not only not local, but openly tells staff that she is from a city 75 minutes and two counties away, and driving around small local and village shops, filling up her car with groceries. In our village mini-supermarket alone, she piled two trolleys high, spending almost £200. She didn't try to breach the new 3 of any items rule, but she bought the maximum she could of just about everything. It's the kind of place where the average shop fits easily in a basket or forms a single layer in a small trolley, so her greed made a serious dent in stock.

We have lots of elderly people locally, some disabled, some vulnerable. Many are fiercely independent but don't drive. There's not much in the way of public transport to get to shops anywhere else, even if they were up to it. They rely heavily on our local shops. It's not just our senior and disabled citizens, lots of other local people rely almost completely on our local shops too, including young families.

Thanks to the selfish people driving around for miles emptying small local and village shops, our vulnerable elderly and others are being turned away empty handed without even the basics they need - like milk, bread, eggs, fruit and vegetables, tinned soup, and yes, loo paper. There are huge gaps daily where 200-300 different items would normally be, and our staff and supply chain just can't keep up.

If you are doing this, can I ask you to spare a thought for others, especially the vulnerable and isolated, who can not shop anywhere but their local shop, and not just think of yourself?

If everyone just shops where they normally shop, and buys what they normally buy, there will be enough for all. Shortages are being created by this abnormal behaviour, and it's our more vulnerable and isolated people who are suffering as a result.

Just stop the smash and grab raids, ok? It's selfish and it's unseemly.

Bump

Oh my goodness I could of written this myself, in the same boat. Our local butchers was out of meat by 9.45am! Majority of our village is of elderly people and I really worry for them. All I'm seeing is faces I've never seen before its awful.

Those shops could put stuff in the back, maybe and only sell to people who actually live in the village? Can’t clear a shelf if it’s empty.

Sorry but i have driven out slightly as none of my local shops or supermarkets have anything !!! No milk bread nappies i have kids to look after blame the people that are stockpiling and lining up at shops from 6am lucky i have a car and can do so my elderly nan cant even order her shopping

I understand that, Kmx123. It wouldn't be as bad if everyone in your situation just bought the basic minimum of essentials to get themselves or their family through the next couple of days and got by on what is already at home. I'm not suggesting anyone in your situation should starve. But instead people are 'driving out a bit' or a lot, expecting to still do a full shop or stockpile without any restraint or care for others including the vulnerable and isolated, and are clearing shelves. The only people at risk of going without, really going without, are our most vulnerable people.

Our local butcher says it’s better than Christmas he is selling more than he has even known in his 40 years running the shop. We are very rural though and all our shops are holding up. You might not get the exact products you would normally buy but still possible to feed yourself adequately.

They are starting to do this, Saucery, albeit in a small way. When a delivery comes, they are trying to put it out gradually, but it all still goes quite soon in the day. I am aware that one particularly kind and thoughtful staff member at the mini-supermarket has taken it upon themselves when they are on shift to keep behind a very small number of essentials for a couple of daily customers who are elderly and/or vulnerable who have asked - milk, loo rolls and paracetamol. It's part of a chain though and they are very much told what to do and what not to do by HQ. At the moment all they are allowed to do is try to limit the number of any one item someone buys, but as described in the OP this can put them at risk of threats and potential violence, and without any training or backup.

Similar happening here. Post on local Facebook about a corner shop in a nearby village and a customer screaming and swearing at the assistant (the posters daughter) because she was telling the customer they could only buy 2 of the item. A local (built like a brick outhouse!) farmer happened to be in the shop at the same time and stepped in telling the customer to calm the hell down, even offering to be a witness if police called.

Assistant arrived home and burst into tears poor lass.

Absolutely outrageous behaviour if I were an assistant in this position I’d be wanting some backup in some form.

I’m thinking taking all customers photos could be a deterrent but not sure on legalities of that. Cctv in these places tends to be non existent or poor quality.

“Those shops could put stuff in the back, maybe and only sell to people who actually live in the village? Can’t clear a shelf if it’s empty.” That’s a good idea, or only have a few of each item on shelf at a time and top up frequently?

They might also need to provide at least 2 members of staff on premises where they wouldn’t normally.

As the clubs and concert venues are now shut maybe the security staff from those could provide security?

Their head office needs to acknowledge the current issues and change operating practice.

If you wanted you could name the chain (guessing somebody like nisa or spar?) and we could maybe ask on sm for them to protect/backup staff?

An update:
Village mini supermarket reporting last night that they were still being inundated with non locals. Most shelves empty, including no milk for well over 24 hours. Most customers being polite, even more so than usual. A sizeable number being rude to nasty - blaming the staff for lack of stock, accusing them of taking the items for themselves and criticising their attitudes.

Not liking their attitudes?! Staff are tired, stressed and worried. They are doing their best. If you don't like it, stay away and do us all a favour.

I expect it has been even worse today because it has looked and sounded like the peak holiday season out there. The sooner we go in to some form of lockdown the better. Everyone needs to stay in their local areas now.

We'll have no trouble here

My village shop have been doing really well. No meat etc. But bread milk cans and frozen food. He is even getting in a free from shop as some of us has asked for that.

If others come it will not take long for it to all be gone. And we are a village with a lot of elderly people who don’t drive. And the council closed all the bus routes. It will be dire if they take all the stock.

The shopkeepers could say no and put it aside for regular customers.
Do wonder though how many people regularly use their local shops rather than large supermarkets?!

Our poor shop assistants have gobby local kids licking counters. And mummies bringing children in and letting them touch stock.

The shop keepers could take orders from locals that could be collected at the beginning or end of the day.
If they have a hatch they could work from that also.

In our village we have a mini supermarket.

It's been cleaned out. They have been getting regular deliveries but it's being cleared faster than they can re-stock.

They have put limits on most items.

Most of the staff live in the village and they know the regular customers.

I went in today for a fruitless search for milk but did manage to get some apples.

In a brief chat at the till and the lady serving me said it's been mad. She said most villagers have been sensible and are shopping relatively normally but they've had lots of shoppers from outside and they've largely been the ones depleting stocks.

She said there are a cohort of them who come in every single day buying as many limited items as they can.So for example buying 2 cartons of milk one day and the same again the next and the day after.

It's really annoying and I shudder to think about how much food is going to be wasted.

In the meantime friends in the village who are both doctors at the hospital are struggling to get basic provisions after coming off shift (I've mentioned it at the shop and the lady serving said they are going to start a ring in service for NHS staff living in the village and they'll put their order aside as soon as they get a delivery which they can then collect on showing their NHS I.D. so that's good). In the meantime I've shared my Brexit stash with them so they have food in the house.

I'm just incredibly sad/angry/frustrated with the selfishness I'm seeing - the bulk buying (that's way beyond having enough if you have to isolate), the flouting of social distancing guidelines, the re-locating to holiday homes etc

It's a bad situation being made exponentially worse by a significant number of utter arseholes.

Their head office needs to acknowledge the current issues and change operating practice.

Head office? Our village shop is a small independent place, not a chain.

Your examples are definitely arseholes!

But I have had to shop in places I don't normally. Not villages. But I've joined milk and more. It's the only way I've been able to get milk, bread and orange juice to give my children breakfast. If I got really stuck id probably try out of town. But only to get essentials. Id be really upset too if I thought people thought I was a cheeky bastard. Im just trying to provide food for my children in a time when everyone is getting everything!

I also went in the local corner shop the other day. I was feeling low because it was my my DD last day at school for the foreseeable future. I got a packet of Jacobs crackers, rich tea biscuits, a magazine, 6 cereal bars and some pasta sauce. The bloke at the till was mardy as hell ranting and saying how he cared for the elderly and nobody else. Everyone else wasn't his priority. He made me feel like he didn't approve of me buying food incase the elderly needed it. I was with my innocent 2 year old son whilst he said parents don't give a shit about their kids and theyl be out playing.

Some do take the piss but others are trying to provide for families. It's sad how greedy everyone has become.

Thank you to all pps for your replies. Just coming back with an update.

Just after I last posted, an older couple were in the mini-supermarket stocking up and openly admitted they'd driven from the nearest city 'because we usually drive out to the countryside here most weekends'. So not only had they not changed their behaviour, they didn't feel they were doing anything wrong, and they also thought they'd come into a village shop while here to get any items they might not be able to get at home. The man said he hadn't been to work for 2 weeks, yet they still felt it was ok to do this. Although he mentioned his job, they both looked like they should be self isolating and being extra careful because of age, health and weight. They were treated very politely, because it's that kind of a place, but they were a walking advert for how to not follow the advice we're all being given and for potentially spreading the virus in either direction - not to mention risking an accident on the roads and contributing to lack of stock here. You do have to worry about some people.

Since then, the shop has put limits on how many of one item someone can buy, put markers on the floor near the tills to encourage social distancing, reduced the opening hours, and started a shopping hour for the elderly, vulnerable, carers and NHS. Unfortunately the hour has limited success because it's not always being respected by other people. Perhaps people driving past don't think they should have to wait or that they shouldn't be able to 'just pop in'. Staff are trying to enforce it and also limit numbers inside, but it's difficult with only 2 staff on usually - the shop is so small that it easily becomes crowded, but slightly too big for 2 staff to 'police' effectively.

One positive is that stock levels have improved slightly, perhaps because less people are stockpiling now and, because of stronger advice from the government and police about staying local, less people are driving out here to exercise and/or stock up. Hopefully that will remain the same, but with Easter weekend upon us, there's some trepidation being felt here.

Sounds like your experience is / was the same as ours

Can I also add a plea to remember that we all need to appreciate the essential job our shop keepers and staff are doing for us? They are in most cases doing their best to keep us all fed and supplied in difficult circumstances. They are on the list of key workers, putting themselves and their loved ones at increased risk of developing the virus and not for a great deal, when it comes to wages or thanks.

I described in a pp that staff in our mini-supermarket were dealing with a significant proportion of rude, ungrateful and in one case threatening customers at the moment.

I'm going to quote what was said by staff in a neighbouring village shop a couple of days ago, and I've never seen them looking so downtrodden and unhappy:
'It's just awful. We hate coming to work now. Some people are treating us like we're the lowest of the low.'

That just can't be right. Where would we be without them? It is entirely possible that some of them could die, just like medical staff, just like bus drivers, just like carers, because of the job they are doing for us all.

Friends of ours have found the same in their village. Some arseholes seem to think that village shops aren't a village amenity, but a useful destination to stockpile. What's annoyed my friends is that a lot of the people doing this are open about driving out to the country "for exercise" even though the local towns are over half an hour away so they're apparently not driving to shop but happen to call in whilst already out, making it essentially a public service and everyone should applaud their selflessness.

Awful to upset staff - disgusting.

Have to say our local shop is doing really well. The manager was savvy enough to forecast trends and get stock in. He also kept prices fair so a lot of good will is being thrown his way.

I will reiterate rudeness to shop staff is horrendous and not fair.

I would just say though, that if you live in a village without a shop, and then you can no longer get a slot with your supermarket, then you have to drive to the next village to get something/anything. I am now doing a short round trip to the three neighbouring villages for extra supplies. We have a very small farm shop, but they only do meat, so I then have to go somewhere else for veg, and somewhere else for dairy, and somewhere else for bread, and somewhere else for cat food! It's not easy for anyone, and everyone I have come across so far has been lovely, fortunately.

God some of those customers sound atrocious! I had no idea this was going on. It's so hard aswell because I used to work in shop where I would often be alone or with one other person, and we were told by managers that if someone came in and was threatening or violent we could call for help but in the meantime we basically just had to let them take what they wanted because it was too dangerous to intervene.

It was the sort of shop that sold upmarket traditional toiletries, I often wondered what the teenage boys who ran off with it were hoping to do with their rose talcum powder.