To all those who are panic buying

I think to put it in some perspective, what looks like panic or 'inconsiderate' buying to some is just cautious buying to others.

There a 5 in my house including 3 young boys who, even though quite young, can and do eat a reasonable amount of food. Basics like milk and bread - I'll easily go through 20 litres and 2-3 loaves in a week. And that's with 2 of them getting meals in school / nursery. Half-term / Summer holidays / Weekends, consumption goes up significantly with everyone at home.

So if families are expecting a full-lock down for several weeks / months, then it's only reasonable that they're going to be buying stuff up.

Once this inital 'panic' is over, I would expect things to settle down considerably. Once schools are shut and my family are in lock down, I don't intend to go out much for food and only restock bread / milk / eggs every now and then.

One thing that might have an impact - although this will be slow - is that there will be a shift in resources away from restaurants/cafes/hotels to the home shopping crowd. For instance there's a (very high end - but it's just an example) grocer in London that until now has only dealt with trade, but is opening up to the public. That will open up more supplies, eventually.
 
Just been up to Iceland to get white fish for the cat and to be honest not sure why Iceland are open as I would say it has the most empty spaces I have seen in a store.
Not sure what the new opening ours are all about as the store was not busy.

Of course for many of us it means several trips to the shops to try and get what we need because of the inconsiderate behaviour of others. I will need to try again tomorrow and perhaps Friday.
 
Following the school run, I thought I pop into Costco for a few things. Unfortunately, the queue to get into the store (that is after you parked up) was the longest I ever have seen. But then my daughter called that her College had given up and could I pick her up. We popped into Sainsbury on the way back and it seemed totally normal; we got veg, meat, potato, rice, fresh pasta (no flour though to make my own and no dried pasta), lots of tinned tomatoes (left them as we have our normal stock). And a few other bits and bobs.
 
Just got an email from Sainsburys. Restrictions on every grocery item to 3 max, 2 for the essentials. Food counters to be closed from tomorrow to get more hands on the shop floor. Opening hour for the elderly.

... and vulnerable customers. An important point that most, including $ky, seem to be ignoring.
 
How do you prove you're a vulnerable customer to get a priority delivery slot? Rhetorical question really, I'm not expecting anyone to know yet.
 
Local Aldi shut it doors today, couldnt cope with the sheer number of people in the store.

Mine was fine @ 11:30. Shortage of biscuits, red meat and no pasta but otherwise Ok.

Just don't run out of Irn-Bru ... please!
 
I tried both Aldi and Lidl last night and both shops look like they had been burgled. Just rows of empty shelves.

So tried Tesco at 06:10 this morning as I'm on early shift and no fresh meat, no bread, no pasta very little tinned goods and very little milk. The shop was already busy and had a stream of cars entering the car park as I left.
 
How do you prove you're a vulnerable customer to get a priority delivery slot? Rhetorical question really, I'm not expecting anyone to know yet.

No idea. I think I'll go with my Dad tomorrow to see if I get turned away.
 
managed to get from poundshop, one loaf of bread £1 and mother's day luxury hand wash £1 to go with each sink in the house. Hand wash from China and probably full of microplastic because it is a luxury version, what can go wrong.
 
How do you prove you're a vulnerable customer to get a priority delivery slot?

Maybe:

In receipt of particular benefits e.g. attendance allowance.
Companion bus pass holders
Wheelchair users.

You would hope a list of qualifying criteria would be sent as *guidance*.
 
I think to put it in some perspective, what looks like panic or 'inconsiderate' buying to some is just cautious buying to others.

There a 5 in my house including 3 young boys who, even though quite young, can and do eat a reasonable amount of food. Basics like milk and bread - I'll easily go through 20 litres and 2-3 loaves in a week. And that's with 2 of them getting meals in school / nursery. Half-term / Summer holidays / Weekends, consumption goes up significantly with everyone at home.

So if families are expecting a full-lock down for several weeks / months, then it's only reasonable that they're going to be buying stuff up.

Once this inital 'panic' is over, I would expect things to settle down considerably. Once schools are shut and my family are in lock down, I don't intend to go out much for food and only restock bread / milk / eggs every now and then.
The news now says you shouldnt go out for food at all when you are in lockdown.
 
How do you prove you're a vulnerable customer to get a priority delivery slot? Rhetorical question really, I'm not expecting anyone to know yet.
  • Driving license, passport, other id showing date of birth.
  • Set of 3 box tops from blood glucose tests, needles and insulin.
  • Any other combination of boxes of medication for treating diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cancer etc.
  • Letter from GP
  • Self declaration saying you are a vulnerable cusomer. I think this is the most likely
 
But they have not asked for any of those.
 
The news now says you shouldnt go out for food at all when you are in lockdown.

That's unpractical seeing as most online delivery companies now have 3 week waits for slots and warned the government that they, "cannot feed the nation".

Even in Italy people were food shopping.
 
That's unpractical seeing as most online delivery companies now have 3 week waits for slots and warned the government that they, "cannot feed the nation".

Even in Italy people were food shopping.
I agree but you are not supposed to go anywhere with people around.
 
So I have been accused of Panic buying and have been heckled in the supermarket. Aldi said a Maximum 2 packs of loo roll and I bought my two .. I was heckled for this

Same in Morrisons when we bought 2 bottles of soap and 2 packs of paracetamol and 2 packets of pasta. - Heckled (ironically by a bloke with 36 loo rolls and 6 4pt cartons of milk)

... and you know what , its true, I have bought more than I normally would out of fear that the supply chains cant / wont keep up. I've been told by work I have to work from home and my wife has been told to self isolate over what appears to be a cold.

So we're all stuck in the house, we need more than we would normally and we're worried that if we don't get what we need when its available it wont be there when we really need it

Am I to be flamed for this?
 
I bought 6 x 2 litre bottles of Gin in Morrisons this morning. The assistant had to put it through as two transactions as they have a limit on 3 of everything apparently. I didn't know.

Didn't get heckled but three separate people initiated a conversation with me about my large exclusive booze filled trolley, and why I wasn't buying pasta or toilet roll.

That's three more conversation and supermarket social contacts than I experienced in the whole of last year which was a less than optimum outcome.
 
the shelves were pretty decimated in many parts of the Waitrose last night

I bought 2 beers, a quiche, a sweet potato and some bread and butter pudding, oh and my wife picked up a bar of chocolate. I’m not changing my habits :) except that I usually shop at co-op.

we have broccoli in the garden, just as well there was practically no veg at Waitrose
 
I hate shopping so always tend to buy in bulk. Because we were supposed to be away on holiday now, I had run down all my stocks of food/beer/toiletries etc and was planning to stock back up on our return. I obviously won't do this now due to the situation we are in.
 
I think to put it in some perspective, what looks like panic or 'inconsiderate' buying to some is just cautious buying to others.

No. This is panic buying. Nothing to do with being cautious. By buying up the supermarket and getting more than you need, you basically increase the risk of other locals not being able to get the same useful supplies as you and are thus more vulnerable and suspectible to the virus.

Call it what you want but it's pure selfishness. But then, I would expect nothing less of a nation that gave Boris Johnson an overwhelming majority. Absolutely disgusted.
 
I stopped off at my local Morrisons to try (unsuccessfully) to get a bag of Quorn mince for my fussy eater vegetarian teenager and most of the freezer section had been stripped of veg, pizza and ready meals. I was going to grab a couple of other things while I was there but I could not be arsed.
I think I am more in danger of starving to death due to my apathy about shopping and queueing than any danger I am in from the virus.
 
I stopped off at my local Morrisons to try (unsuccessfully) to get a bag of Quorn mince for my fussy eater vegetarian teenager and most of the freezer section had been stripped of veg, pizza and ready meals. I was going to grab a couple of other things while I was there but I could not be arsed.
I think I am more in danger of starving to death due to my apathy about shopping and queueing than any danger I am in from the virus.


My daughter has just filled our dustbin with a load of frozen Quorn stuff. All yours if you are nearby :D
 

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