In the rush to stock up, we should not forget to use our local businesses
sir – While in these uncertain times supermarkets are having a field day, with bare shelves and many thousands of online orders, let us not forget our independent shops.
We should be supporting local suppliers – butchers, bakers, farm shops and others – and perhaps encouraging them to begin weekly home deliveries, in order to keep households supplied and their own livelihoods intact. Pam Haworth
Shipston-on-stour, Warwickshire
sir – The Prime Minister rightly acknowledged the great work being done by our NHS staff.
We should also recognise the shopworkers keeping our stores open for essential supplies, along with the postal workers, the delivery drivers and many more who are at risk from direct contact with the public. Michael Ryan
Northmoor, Oxfordshire
sir – I took advantage of the “silver hour” for over-70s at Sainsbury’s yesterday morning. I can only liken the experience to rush hour on the London Underground.
We were asked over the tannoy to “keep two metres apart in these difficult circumstances; we know it’s not easy but please try.”
I paused to allow space to develop in front of me – only to be shunted from behind and both sides. Rodney Goodwin
Sherborne, Dorset
sir – On Wednesday, my wife and I went to our local Waitrose for the weekly shop. A policy of no more than three items of each individual product was in force. Needless to say there were no lavatory rolls on the shelves.
Chatting to the lady on the till, we learnt that the shelves had been fully restocked with the product for the morning opening – but some customers came in and bought three multi-packs, left the store and then came back in for more. On the other hand, I was not allowed to buy more than three 330ml bottles of lemonade.
Time for some legislation against hoarding, perhaps. R A Lonsdale
Cranbrook, Kent
sir – I have a suggestion for stopping bulk-buying in supermarkets.
Baskets only – no trolleys. Juliet Johnston
London SW19
sir – Our daughter lives in Singapore. When panic-buying started, stores began to hold back from immediately restocking shelves. Each morning, food of every variety reappeared, and people came to realise that they didn’t need to panic-buy. Within two days they stopped doing it. Sharon Hall
Finchampstead, Berkshire sir – Is it not time that news programmes stopped showing footage of empty shelves and concentrated on the fact that products are being replaced? If people are encouraged to revert to normal buying, there will be enough to go round. Rosemary Griffiths
Hythe, Kent
sir – Visiting our local supermarket, I noticed that the aisle previously holding lavatory rolls was now stacked with disposable nappies.
I assumed that this was a pragmatic and imaginative response to a shortage created by panic-buying, even if it did take the Dunkirk spirit a little too far.
I was relieved when my wife informed me later that the toilet rolls had been moved to another aisle since my last visit. Neil Russell
Portsmouth, Hampshire