Are people stockpiling in your area?

[holliem91]

They are where I am!

Went to pick up a few things from Sainsbury's earlier and they had no bread, no toilet roll and the rice and pasta isle was pretty much empty.

Why are people doing this?!

It's creates a massive knock on effect as then others who weren't originally panic buying then start to think they need too.

I have an 8 month old baby and now I'm thinking should I stock up on her milk & nappies etc? We always keep a couple of tubs in the house as spare anyway but I remember throughout the last lockdown I really struggled to get her some milk! But then if I do that, I'm as bad as them!

It just really stresses me out and I wish people wouldn't do it

I went to Lidl to shop for my mum who has COPD. It was quite busy and no plain flour, but there were loo rolls, pasta etc.

Sorry no pun intended in my post above.

Nope. No one here is doing it. Supermarkets are all well stocked as usual. Even loo rolls 😂

@KitKatastrophe

The problem is, nobody thinks they're part of the problem. Very very few people are buying 10 bags of pasta. But 10 people each buying one extra bag of pasta, which they wouldnt have bought otherwise, has the same effect. Each of those 10 people will think "I'm just buying a little extra just in case" or "stocks looked low and I didnt want to not have any if it runs out".

Because those 10 people getting one extra bag each aren't really behaving either completely unpredictably or completely unreasonably, we're probably stuck with brief upticks in demand happening after bits of news like yesterday's. This is what supermarkets ought to be able to manage, also governments need to communicate reassurance about supply chains right now. If they can do that, the problem needn't be more than a brief one.

If we get real supply-side problems with Brexit, though, it'll be a different story.

Our local Tesco has been selling off pasta and bread flour for pennies all summer.

@Norugratsatall

Sadly yes. DD2 works at Morrison's and she said the shelves had been wiped of toilet paper (again!!). People have clearly learned nothing from the first lockdown.

Except they have! They learned that, for a brief period of time, it was hard for some people to get hold of toilet roll, and they don't want it to be them that happens to this time. So ironically they're contributing to a brief repeat of the problem, but for quite rational reasons.

If I was in your situation re nappies and milk, yes I would be stocking up and wouldn’t care what anyone thought. They are necessities - people can live without pasta and tinned tomatoes.

@KitKatastrophe yes I suppose you’re right. This thread won’t be helping and will probably encourage some to do the same. But yes, that was exactly my point, I’m stuck between going out and stocking up on milks and nappies (which makes me as bad as them) or going through the same situation as March/April where I had to go to 6 different shops just to get some basic necessities!

I just don’t understand it. It’s as if people think the worlds going to end and all shops are going to vanish! Boris even said in his announcement not to panic buy as supermarkets will be staying open.

@WitchFindersAreEverywhere I honestly did not think people would panic buy again. But then again, I didn’t expect a second national lockdown. Perhaps very silly of me. But, I really thought people would’ve learnt from last time that there is no need to panic buy. I am definitely kicking myself now that I didn’t prepare more.

The Sainsbury’s I went too today was quite quiet but I went right before they close so I thought maybe they’re expecting deliveries, but a few family members have told me today a lot of their local shops have empty shelves.

It’s already an anxious time for most and this just adds to it. There’s no need for it

Yep. Went to get toilet roll because we had 2 left and there was one pack left on the shelves. Never seen such selfishness.

Pasta is cheap, versatile and filling, and last longer than potatoes. Quick and easy to cook and popular with kids. Thats why people tend to buy it

I need a Costco run for my usual list.

It will be hell, wont it?

@Sparklingbrook

I don't understand the obsession with pasta.

Cheap, easy to store, easy to cook, versatile...

More substituted items on my shop today than in last few months. At least 15 items and a dozen out of stock and no replacement sent. Obviously the store was low on stock.

Apparently people were queuing round the block to get into my local Costco this morning, and coming out with the massive 48 packs of loo rolls.

My DH suggested that we give all out friends a big Who Gives a Crap box of loo roll for Christmas.

Yes they are we went out to buy toilet roll amongst other things and only 3 packs left

Had to go to Sainsbury's earlier. No sausages which was odd, toilet roll, pasta or tinned tomatoes.

Shop was very quiet so the hoards must have been in early.

The last time i didnt bother with supermarket just used the local shop and was always fine, ill probably do just this again if people are being idiots again

Cheap, easy to store, easy to cook, versatile...

Well if there was literally nothing else to buy maybe but the fresh stuff in the shops never ran out last lockdown. I hardly ever eat it.

I went to my local Costco to go get petrol (it's the cheapest around) and the queue to get in the shop was the whole length of the warehouse twice over. I don't understand why cause Costco is classed as essential and didn't close last time, and isn't going to close this time! Fucking sheep!

No subs on my ocado order, this afternoon. Doubt if I'll get another slot, this side of Christmas, though.

I rarely eat pasta, either.

Now rice....

Yes, we tend to have rice in. What's the big deal with tinned tomatoes? They are something else I gladly live without.

I went to Lidl today and there was a fairly big queue but once inside it was obvious they had reduced the number of customers they were allowing in at once. No pasta but plenty of everything else. Luckily I'm low carb.

I went to Sainsbury's about 2ish, and it looked like a normal Sunday afternoon. I didn't see any madness like last time & everything was in stock.

The lady on checkout said yesterday had been busy, but today not so much.

We have had shocking weather today, so maybe that put people off.

Do you think there will be a lull tomorrow and Tuesday then full on carnage on Wednesday? In the non essential shops. I don't understand the stripping of the shelves in supermarkets which are remaining open throughout.