Supermarkets urge restraint as panic buyers empty shelves

SHOPPERS have been urged not to panic buy in supermarkets over coronavirus fears so shelves are not lying empty in the coming weeks.

The warning comes amid concerns some customers are buying up items out of fear that the pandemic could result in them staying indoors for extended periods or that certain products will soon become unavailable.

But this approach has only caused supermarkets to run out of items faster, with fears now surfacing over whether there are enough essentials to go around.

Consumer expert Sue Hayward said: “From a consumer point of view I think stockpiling is sheer greed.

“If you have elderly relatives and you’re shopping for them then you may need to buy a bit more, but even if you are told to self-isolate there is no excuse for this level of stockpiling.”

Waitrose has asked its customers to show restraint and not buy more than they need in an apparent response to the situation.

A spokesman for the supermarket said: “We are continuing to work closely with our suppliers to ensure that we have stock available and asking customers to buy only what they need of those products which are in high demand so we have enough for everyone.”

Many shops have seen their shelves stripped of hand sanitiser, tinned food, rice and frozen foods and medicines such as cold and flu remedies.

Yesterday shoppers reported shortages of laundry detergent, bread, ham and pasta in the Waitrose branch on Finchley Road, London. Elsewhere, customers emptied a Tesco branch in Kensington of all toilet roll and pasta.

A Waitrose staff member in St Albans said the store opened at 8am yesterday and had sold out of hand sanitiser by 8.15am.

The employee said: “It started off with toilet roll and pasta, tea and tinned tomatoes. Now it’s spread to other areas like biscuits, all tinned stuff.

“It’s amazing how no one admits to stockpiling but they’ve all run down to their last two loo rolls at the same time.”

One cautious shopper was spotted in a Somerset Tesco dressed in a full-body hazardous materials suit, typically reserved for toxic or radioactive environments, according to the news website Somerset Live.

The problem has also hit pharmacists such as Boots, the chemist. The company’s branch on Finchley Road had sold out of thermometers on Friday, and shop staff were still turning away disappointed shoppers who wanted to purchase the items.

Experts warned the shortages would continue over the weekend and for the foreseeable future.

Richard Lim, of Retail Economics, the shopping analyst, said: “All the signs are that things are going to get worse before they get better.

“How the Government manages the crisis and responds will be critical in ensuring consumers behave in a rational manner.”

As some shoppers switched from shopping in physical branches to buying online, web-based retailers such as Ocado struggled to keep up.

The company’s app and website crashed throughout last week due to high demand, leading to many consumers being unable to shop online.

As customers turn to doing their weekly shop online, supermarkets’ delivery fleets also struggled to meet demand.

Mr Lim said shoppers in some parts of the country could not book a food delivery slot for up to seven days.

Supermarkets have been rationing certain goods in response. Tesco has limited the sale of hand sanitiser, pasta, lavatory rolls, tissues and UHT milk to five items each per person. Asda shoppers cannot buy more than two hand sanitisers. Waitrose customers online are restricted to buying five of items such as hand soap, and goods such as antibacterial wipes have sold out.

A Boots spokesman said the firm had also been forced to ration certain goods.

But despite the stockpiling and shortages the cost of items in supermarkets is unlikely to go up, according to Neil Mason, from Mintel, the analyst.

Mr Mason said: “There will be delays and disruptions, but the sector is so competitive so we are unlikely to see prices rise.”

Mintel’s research of 2,000 consumers found that one in 10 had stockpiled goods in response to coronavirus.

Buying any goods with cash is also becoming harder, as the World Health Organisation has warned banknotes may be spreading the coronavirus and that customers should try to use contactless payments instead.

Shoppers found corner shops and village shops were better stocked than supermarkets, many of which had been hit by panic buyers.

Spokesmen for Morrisons, Asda and Tesco would not comment on any shortages. However, The Daily Telegraph understands Tesco is expecting some of its stores to run out of a few items and is extending its delivery hours to help.

The source of the coronavirus is believed to be a “wet market” in Wuhan, China, which sold both dead and live animals including fish and birds.

10pc

The number of consumers who had stockpiled goods in response to the coronavirus, according to Mintel