Panic-buying rampage sparks concern in No10
SUPERMARKET bosses launched a plea for calm among shoppers yesterday after panic-buying around the country cleared shelves as people stockpiled for the expected coronavirus epidemic.
The chaotic scenes, with people scrabbling to load up with loo rolls, long-life milk and pasta, have led to rationing by the major shop chains – and triggered alarm in No 10.
The issue has been high on the agenda of Boris Johnson’s COBRA emergency meetings on the crisis, with the Army being readied as a contingency to guard supermarkets and secure food convoys.
More than a third of shoppers have said they are stockpiling produce. The British Retail Consortium
(BRC), which represents most of Britain’s supermarkets, said the rise in demand for certain products was ‘unprecedented outside of the Christmas period’, with the difference that it was focused mainly on ‘hygiene and longer shelf-life food products’.
The rampage has led to extraordinary scenes, such as a man from Bath who was pictured wearing a combat-style hazmat suit while carrying 27 toilet rolls out of a shop.
In a joint letter to customers, major retailers asked people to display calm and consideration.
The appeal, published on Page 40 of today’s Mail on Sunday, says: ‘We know that many of you are worried about the spread of coronavirus.
‘We want to let you know that we are doing everything we can so that you and your families have the food and essentials you need. But we need your help, too.
‘We would ask everyone to be considerate in the way they shop.
‘We understand your concerns but buying more than is needed can sometimes mean that others will be left without. There is enough for everyone if we all work together.
‘Together we can make sure we are looking out for family, friends, neighbours. Together we will care for those around us and those who are elderly, vulnerable or choosing to remain at home.’
Former Labour MP Luciana Berger was one of a number of social media users appalled by the behaviour of some shoppers.
She wrote on Twitter: ‘A man in Golders Green Sainsbury’s wouldn’t give an elderly lady just one of a number of packets of dry pasta he had grabbed. He said no when she asked him politely. Very upsetting.
‘We need a national kindness effort to look out for the elderly, infirm and vulnerable.’
Another post read: ‘Ridiculous scenes in Tesco Colney Hatch this morning. Shelves cleared like there’s been a riot. The selfishness of some people filling their trolleys
with multiple packs and leaving none for others is staggering.’
Pasta, bread, tea, coffee and tins of food, in particular tuna, were being bought up in bulk as shoppers prepared for the threat of the country being put into lockdown.
At Asda in Govan, Glasgow, staff struggled to restock shelves as customers bought up bread.
Shoppers faced empty shelves at Sainsbury’s in the city’s Darnley area, and hundreds of shoppers queued outside Costco in Springburn to buy food items in bulk. Many customers arrived at the store before it had even opened.
Toilet rolls were yet again in short supply in many stores, while soap and cleaning products were also being bought up by frantic buyers. At many M&S food outlets, people were stocking up on ready-made meals to store in their freezers.
One store boss said: ‘It is worse than Christmas... people are genuinely frightened all the shops are going to be closed for a long time.’
The surge in panic buying has led Tesco – Britain’s biggest supermarket – to ration the sale of antibacterial products, dried pasta, tinned vegetables, toilet paper and tissues to five packs at a time. In Boots, children’s paracetamol Calpol are being sold one at a time.
Tesco chairman John Allan said: ‘There’s plenty of product in the supply chain, and I don’t think anybody needs to panic buy.’