Has anyone actually witnessed anyone stockpiling/panic buying?

[sunfloweryy]

I’ve seen a few extreme photos on twitter but nothing in my local shops. However everyone I speak to is saying ‘Oh I’ve just picked up a couple of extra bits just in case I can’t get them when I need’ etc.

Is it not more that millions of people are picking up slightly more than what they usually would rather than a few selfish people are sweeping entire displays into their trolley?

Or am I being naive

And the situation with medications such as paracetamol has got so ridiculous that my own dad who is a pharmacist couldn’t get hold of any for my dcs when they had a fever!

Just before the panic gathered momentum, I witnessed several people with trollies containing up to 7packs of loo roll (each pack containing 40rolls). Most weren’t traders! There was sign limiting 1 pk per person so I politely pointed a particular couple to the sign, the wife looked sheepish looked down and muttered something to her husband. Husband continued tugging at more packs to load their trolley.

I had surgery for cancer in hospital and was told to get paracetamol, and I couldn’t get it.

I've not witnessed panic buying personally but people do seem to be buying bigger shops. I'm not seeing many even in our tiny local store with just a shallow trolley or basket anymore.

That said though if the average family of 2 adults and 2 kids is suddenly at home there's potentially around 50 extra portions to find a week. They're not stockpiling they're just buying more than normal that is coming from the domestic supply chain rather than commercial (restaurants, schools etc).

This was my local Tesco this morning (not my photo).

Manager reckons 3000 people in the store! Bloody fire hazard if nothing else. People not keeping their distance.

My DP works in Lidl. People going mad. They now limiting people are cross. Funny thing is we don't even have any food as it's all gone before she finishes. Apparently stocks will be back to normal next week.

Yup, family thrown out of Tesco this morning for overloading their trolly, security had to escort them out. About 10 loaves, 6 big bags of potatoes were all that I saw being offloaded from their trolly.

I saw a man in Aldi with a trolley full of bottled water, 10 packs of loo roll and 4 trays of tinned tomatoes (so probably about 50 tins). He was not at all polite when asked to put everything bar 4 of everything back. I was happy with my packet of apples and a block of cheese which I'd gone in for.

However, we are a family of 6 and my last Ocado delivery was yesterday, I can't get onto the website to book another - and even if I could, I don't think there will be any for 6 weeks, so I'm a bit stressed about feeding us for the next few weeks, but we'll manage somehow, even if the combinations from the cupboard get more random in a couple of weeks time!

I haven't seen anyone doing it. The thing is it's a vicious cycle now. The shelves have been cleared so as soon as they are stocked people will buy it all for fear it will sell out again. Which it will.

Witnessed a young couple attempting to stock up on microwave rice in Aldi on Friday, just in case 🙄.

No. I’m suddenly feeding 5 people three meals a day. The kids usually eat at school, my OH always eats lunch at work and occasionally has meals out. I ate at work and now suddenly I’m making more food. Same with loo roll. I’m trying to cut down what we are eating and I’m definitely eating a lot less myself.
Logically I know this will all resolve. All the suppliers supplying restaurants will put food into shops and the supermarket supply chains will improve. They’ve all got to start working in a different way. Supermarkets have been working in a short supply system for ages this was one of the concerns related to no deal stupid Brexit.
Anyway I dunno I just think this would all be moderately less awful if I knew I could continue to feed my kids properly. I don’t suppose anyone will read this but I feel a bit better.

how can you tell the difference between a panic buyer and someone who is socially isolating and trying to shop less often, and perhaps buying for elderly family members as well?

I thought there was a limit on how many paracetamol you could buy anyway ?
More than so many had to be bought from a pharmacy.

Yep. Every time I have been to supermarket since last Sunday (the reason I had to go on Sunday, Thurs and Friday was because there was no bloody stock for even our essentials) but each time I've witnessed several people taking the utter piss. I saw a fight in Sainsburys last Sunday.... over soya milk!!!

I've seen the odd few people walking through stores with trolleys filled high (well that was last weekend as I've not been to a supermarket since), but I know of a lot of people who say they've just been buying a 'few extra bits', to which I desperately try to explain is of course contributing to the issue, and also quite a few people have been telling me they haven't been buying loads but they are hitting the shops everyday, so therefore they surely must be buying loads just in many trips instead of one big shop.

I struggle to get to the stores because of where I live and not driving, so I've just stuck with my normal weekly delivery at £40-£50 (I can't afford extra even if I wanted to), and I've stuck to buying what usually would, but a great deal of it isn't turning up due to being sold out.
The one thing I've felt I've had to join the herds on is taking up delivery slots. I'm now having to do a shop 2/3 weeks in advance because if I left it to a few days before hand, as I normally would, then I'm not getting a delivery slot.

I've never seen anything so ridiculously selfish in all my life, and I feel places like Mumsnet (as well as the media) have really added to the mass panic; the news showing empty shelves has people sat at home thinking they better go and join the panicked mobs for fear they won't get anything, and I've seen a fair few posts on here of people asking others for advice on what to buy in bulk ready for a lockdown etc. it's just absolutely shameful of everyone involved.

The worst I've seen, prior to when it got really ridiculous, for toilet rolls rammed with mega packs of toilet roll have been some elderly couples to be honest (considering social media is full of outrage on behalf of the little old ladies who can't get a roll of andrex anywhere).

I nipped into wilko on the way to work last week and they'd had a loo roll delivery, every shopper had 2 x 18 roll packs, some were going outside and swapping with a partner to go back in and get more. Never seen loo roll move so fast 8n my life. Whole lot were gone in 15 mins.

Maybe the people buying Easter Eggs are buying them to distribute to friends and family now while they still can.

We bought all the kids eggs last week when Tesco were selling them half price. We got 12, the same number we buy every year.

What's wrong with people buying Easter Eggs, we can still sit in front of the TV and eat chocolate on Easter Sunday. Easter isn't cancelled and it's three weeks today.

Not seen much bulk buying, especially now supermarkets have limits but surely a lot of people are buying more because they’re at home all the time? My DCs have gone from having almost every meal in school/Afterschool club 5 days a week to being at home for every meal. I used to buy lunch every day in work canteen now home. DH’s business has closed so he is home every day. We’re not eating out at all. So we’re struggling to get by with our normal weekly shop and will need to buy a bit more. I’m contrast catering companies who supply workplaces, schools and restaurants should now have e a lot more capacity if there’s any way they could support.

A week and a half ago I saw a woman buying about 30 bags of pasta. At the time it was so early in the panic buying days I thought she must own a cafe or something. Now I'm not so sure.

I haven't seen any panic buying but then I haven't been into a large supermarket for over a week. Last time I went, there was no loo roll, pasta or tinned tomatoes so I haven't bothered going since. I've picked things up for tea locally. Last Thursday & Friday, I saw huge queues outside Lidl as I went to work at 7.45 am.

No I haven’t - however I am not in the U.K. I am though in a country which closed schools and bars etc weeks before the U.K. I would say there is no panic generally - but we do have cases and obviously lots of concern for those affected. I also have a D.C. in self-isolation in Spain - (been 9 days and no symptoms) - he also isn’t aware of panic buying.

I've not seen any panic buying but I've only gone out when needed.

The week before last I needed to get two tins of chopped tomatoes. Waited for the lady in front of me to get some first. She took the entire tray and put it in her trolley. This was before the restrictions were put in place.

Two or three weeks ago I was in a small supermarket before work, getting some lunch. I saw several couple with big, full shopping trolleys - bearing in mind it was 8.15am and the supermarket is usually quiet at this time with just a few people like me getting some lunch or breakfast to take to work. One couple had a shopping trolley loaded with long life milk. This was before they started to put limits on how many of each item could be bought.