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Original poster

Lots of things out of stock in the supermarket again?

215 replies

Putmynewshoeson · 16/09/2020 10:20

Wondering if it's just us locally but pasta, toilet roll, tinned tomatoes and long life stuff all seem to be completely out of stock again :(

Is it the same when you are? I was hoping this wouldn't happen again but I suppose with the new rule brought in, people realising Christmas isn't going to be the same as usual and Brexit looming, perhaps people have started stocking up.

It's all so bloody depressing

OP posts:
Fifthtimelucky · 16/09/2020 13:52

How ridiculous.

I'm glad to say that everything was in stock in my local Tesco this morning (Surrey). The store is being refitted so things have been moved round but as far as I could tell the main change is that the vegan and 'free from' ranges have been given more space. Obviously all the back to school stuff has also gone and that will no doubt give way to Hallowe'en and Christmas stuff in due course.

There were no packs of 4 tins of tuna, but there was an offer for buying 4 separate tins which I took advantage off. As @QueenOfThorns suggests, much better for the environment to do away with the unnecessary plastic.

roundturnandtwohalfhitches · 16/09/2020 13:52

I don't think it ever was a case that people were panic buying before lockdown. Round us people were quite sensibly just buying 1 or 2 more of everything and when everyone is doing it it adds up. Supermarkets algorithms and stock supplies took a while to kick in. Its why there are piles of discount toilet rolls now.

Leeks seemed to be in short supply here in central Scotland last week randomly.

FUTeams · 16/09/2020 13:52

Sweetcorn back in Tesco today. Everything else fine too.

littlemsattitude · 16/09/2020 13:55

@MintyMabel

Seems good here (Scotland) except lettuce. It's a bad year for lettuce

And yet bizarrely, when buying a mixed salad bag, they seem to be over lettuced.

Filling them with cheap frozen lettuce from last year I expect.
MagicSummer · 16/09/2020 13:55

No problems here with stock or delivery slots (at the moment!). South Coast. I have bought all the ingredients for my Christmas Cake already as well as sausagemeat and puff pastry for sausage rolls.

Osirus · 16/09/2020 13:56

All fine where I am. Nothing low at all.

NeedWineNow · 16/09/2020 13:59

All good with us here in Kent.

MinaMurray · 16/09/2020 14:01

I went to Tesco on Monday and it all seemed normal there.

drumandthebass · 16/09/2020 14:02

I'm struggling to find fresh ginger!

Whatwouldscullydo · 16/09/2020 14:02

Round us people were quite sensibly just buying 1 or 2 more of everything and when everyone is doing it it adds up. Supermarkets algorithms and stock supplies took a while to kick in. Its why there are piles of discount toilet rolls now

But you did have idiots who mis interpreted limits. Like that one in morrisoms I think it was who thought the three can limit meant three cans total so when you bought 2 cans if dog food you couldn't even buy your elderly mum and dad a tin of tomato soup each.

So instead if people getting a norma shop for a family if say 4 they ended up probably buying far more of everything by hitting each supermarket and purchasing the max allowed.

Which of course begs the question when the meat you buy in waitrose is the same as in lidl Kd uts all the sake supplier, why one shop can sell tliket roll at 3 packs of 9 for a fiver while others tell shoppers to come back tomorrow iver and over and over again.

Or why you can't buy tampons in sainsbury but boots were fully stocked.

Or why corner shops had loads of pasta with a fairly sensible ratiok of 3 bags and there was no e to be seen anywhere else.

I'd live to know what really went on

vanillandhoney · 16/09/2020 14:04

No issues here. We get our shop online with Morrisons and we've had nothing missing for several weeks now. DH has also popped to Tesco for various bits and again, no issues.

We're in Cumbria.

areallthenamesusedup · 16/09/2020 14:09

@drumandthebass

I'm struggling to find fresh ginger!
Its a loving hell Grin
MissConductUS · 16/09/2020 14:10

The only thing I can't seem to get at the warehouse club (think Costco) are paper napkins, though they have mountains of paper towels and toilet paper.

The supermarket I shop at seems to have everything in stock.

LesLavandes · 16/09/2020 14:15

Oh here come the scaremongers.

Things are dismal enough. Stop scaring people into panic buying! Please

AmaryllisNightAndDay · 16/09/2020 14:15

Now happily imagining everyone panic buying lettuce....

MyShinyWhiteTeeth · 16/09/2020 14:20

I've found prices have crept up for certain items and some things are occasionally not in stock. There's lots of rearranging of shelves to hide gaps. The sweetcorn cans, long life milk, pasta and teabags are rarely in stock.

There is long life bread available and the range has expanded. They have more pre-baked bread. Fruit and veg isn't as fresh.

The range/variety for some items has decreased and shelf space for popular items has increased.

JayDot500 · 16/09/2020 14:22

Essex. DH vulnerable so we've been relying on delivery slots since March. Tesco, our usual shop, had zero slots available for months! So we semi permanently switched to Asda and have had to remain there because we didn't get a priority slot arranged with Tesco, just Iceland and Asda.

Things I cannot buy everytime I try: tinned carrots, yeast, large packs of eggs, tinned mackerel, various baby food items (I often have put loads into my basket and pray some remains after final check out).

Asda is is great for food, more deals for us than Tesco (large tin of SMA 6+ months is currently 2 for £16). But omg I am always crossing my fingers upon check out!

Sainsburys have been an excellent back up option (especially when I couldn't get baby milk/food). The quality is better, but it's definitely too expensive to be our usual shop (fortnightly).

farmerswifey2 · 16/09/2020 14:27

Here on sunny MidWales, Tesco have massive piles of dried pasta and flour all reduced and even with students returning, everything is in stock.

SoCrimeaRiver · 16/09/2020 14:32

Don't forget to look in "non-supermarkets" for want of a better phrase if there are gaps in your supermarket shelves. Loads of tea bags (PG and Yorkshire not just random unknown brands) in Home Bargains and B&M, and tinned soup / beans etc. too.

Coughsyrupsucks · 16/09/2020 14:33

Tinned sweet corn has just reappeared where I live but it’s been gone for weeks and I can only order 3 cans.

Sexnotgender · 16/09/2020 14:35

Was in Lidl this morning and all absolutely fine.

rosie39forever · 16/09/2020 14:35

Leicestershire, I have shopped online with Tesco for years and there's loads of slots available, also popped to Morrison's yesterday and everywhere was fully stocked so no problems here.....yet.

butterpuffed · 16/09/2020 14:39

Kent. Not so long ago when the first panic buying hit, the refuse collectors here said the amount of burst sacks full of food was scandalous. I'm sure this wasn't the only area. Looks like it's going to happen again Hmm

And I don't get what's so special about tinned sweetcorn, why such a run on it Confused

frozendaisy · 16/09/2020 14:41

No problems here yet. I have decided to try and have a non-perishable stash leading into winter for at least 2 weeks because with schools back it could happen anytime, but it's not working out as we use stuff and I just have no idea what we will need plus it's an added expense.

movingonup20 · 16/09/2020 14:52

Pasta was in short supply here so I took the opportunity of buying some packets when I was away working. Still on my tomato stockpile from long before covid, I'm a good hoarder