Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
That’s why the elderly have gone to Iceland…
A long queue stretched outside Iceland in Whitstable yesterday morning (Wednesday) as older shoppers waited for the store to open at 9am for a dedicated two-hour slot for pensioners.
The first in line was 74-yearold Helen Christie, from Swalecliffe, who applauded the idea after branding panic buyers “really selfish”. “Everywhere I’ve been, the shelves have been emptied by panic buyers,” she said. “It’s disgusting and really is so selfish when people like us who cannot get out so easily, find nothing left.
“If it carries on like this, they should introduce rationing like they did in the war.” Widowed Mrs Christie, who is a retired cleaner, says she was also shopping for her elderly neighbour.
“I think what Iceland is doing is a really great idea and
I’m after some bread, eggs, potatoes, toilet rolls and other bits and pieces ” she added. Another pensioner, Jilly Johnson, 75, who is disabled, says she had to leave a supermarket for fear of being shoved over by panic-buying shoppers.
“I was standing by some shelves when this huge great man just reached over me to snatch something,” she said.
“I thought, that’s it, I’m leaving, because it wouldn’t take much to knock me over.” Also queuing was 67-yearmike Chadwick, from Tankerton, who was furious at the behaviour of panic buyers. “I’ve been horrified by what people are doing, which is just so selfish,” he said.
“It makes me so angry because the fact is that it’s unnecessary to hoard and there is plenty to go round if people just behave in a civilised manner.
“I feel sorry for the checkout staff who’ve had to put up with the behaviour. “I think what Iceland is doing is brilliant and every supermarket should be doing it for the elderly and disabled, because when people are emptying the shelves, we need some support.”