Don’t panic!
Looks at stockpile surges
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Fears of a winter of power blackouts and price rises in 1962 saw businesses and families stocking up on candles. The London Bar at St Pancras railway station turned to candle power to stay open during one blackout and trade union Amicus warned that there was a “real possibility” of blackouts in large parts of the country because of serious problems in generating
capacity. 6
Snowy weather in 2000 left many supermarket shelves empty as people rushed to stock up on supplies as the worst winter in 100 years swept the country.
Reports of a handful of service stations running out of petrol because of delivery problems led to motorists across the country rushing to fill up their tanks. Thousands of petrol stations ran dry this week amid “frenzied” panic buying with some companies introducing a £30 limit.
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The aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, as well as the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima atomic power plant, led to panic buying across the country.
One supermarket put up signs informing customers of buying limits on some essential goods.
2Fears of fuel shortages in 2000 also led to panic buying. More than 100 filling stations in the North West of England alone ran out of supplies in a single morning because of worries blockades at fuel depots would lead to shortages. Shoppers also left supermarket shelves bare of fresh milk and bread and a Tesco store in Cardiff imposed a three pint limit per customer before they also ran out.
A looming strike by tanker petrol drivers over Easter in
2012 saw motorists queue for petrol and diesel once again. Minister Francis Maude alarmed fire brigade unions when he suggested people should keep jerry cans of petrol at home in case of shortages.
3Worries of a fuel shortage in 2005 prompted a wave of panic buying as protestors warned of a week of chaos on the roads. Drivers in Yorkshire, the North East and parts of London reported queues forming on forecourts as retailers admitted trade had been “brisk” and called for common sense at the pumps.
No-one could have forseen the great loo roll panic buying at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Australia was the first to see empty shelves sparking British shoppers to rush to stockpile toilet paper as well. 4
A two-day strike by workers at the Grangemouth oil refinery over a pension dispute in 2008 caused panic buying of fuel across Scotland with some garages introducing rationing to stop it running out. 10
Pasta, flour, bleach, nappies, pet food and tinned goods and hand sanitiser were among the supplies people stockpiled last year. Health Secretary Matt Hancock sought to reassure the public following panicbuying in some areas, with supermarkets seeing their shelves cleared of essentials during lockdowns.