Panic buying!!!

My clients all tend to live hand to mouth, so are not in a position to 'panic buy' anything at all (there will be very many low paid people in this position). My particular concern at the moment is how communities can identify people who have learning difficulties, but receive no additional support and are socially isolated anyway. There will be many such people who are just left to their own devices because they don't appear on anyone's client list.

The clients I support that have a learning disability are struggling to understand the gravity of the current situation. In the short term I've arranged for their shopping to be done, medication to be collected and even some limited 'reassurance' visits, but I have no idea how sustainable that might be in the weeks and months to come.

I cannot believe this is all panic buying, I do think it is down to many just having minimalistic stock in the home. The reality of potential lockdown must be scaring people into buying, how to keep a family fed for 2 weeks at least. Many have not ever gone through frugal times like the post war years when mums saved bits of string and bought one egg at a time. That was always a lesson for me and I have always kept a decent stockcupboard, it was a psychological thing.

The ones who need stamping on are the profiteers, you see them stuffing vans with toilet roll. They should be named and shamed

A very good post Franbern Mon 16-Mar-20 19:43:23
I was saying the exact same thing to my family yesterday.

Yes they have sold out of all those tea towels that say

Keep calm and carry on

Apparently people using them as face masks LOL

I tried to do an online grocery order today - no delivery available for at least 3 weeks. So I went to the supermarket and as well as the lack of loo rolls, soap etc. there were no eggs. Bread, fresh meat and washing powder were in short supply and many frozen food cabinets were empty.

Tv programme this morning showed a huge warehouse in Oldham that provides all kinds toilet rolls, there were thousands upon thousands and the managing director cheerily spoke to all that he does not know why people are panic buying as deliveries are flowing and there will never be a shortage. Going by what I am reading on here and also what I have seen in all my supermarkets that does not seem to be the case.
I am starting to agree with my son and think there is some sort of conspiracy between the government/supermarkets to get us all running around and panicked into buying up all sorts of things.
If all that loo roll is in these warehouses and it was also mentioned there are warehouses that have it then why has it now become almost impossible to get. Yes some sort of conspiracy is going on.

Ayse, please do not consider flushing down the loo kitchen roll. It has plastic in it to stop it integrating when wet (as loo paper does). Not only are you risking a serious blockage in your toilets, but any that does get through that will add to the plastic in the seas. If you feel you have to use this instead of loo paper, then put in a plastic bag and dispose in normal rubbish. Best not to use this way at all, sponge and hot water would be far better

I like the idea of only OAPs in the early morning, but we can't use our bus passes until 9.30 am.
Because of the school rush and people going to work.
I hope this can be adjusted.

There are a lot of people who are stupid and selfish, and those are the morons who are buying far more than they need, so creating a shortage of some items. I blame the shop managers, for not imposing a limit on how many toilet rolls/tins of tomatoes/loaves of bread/whatever else these idiots are bulk-buying.

My husband does our food shopping and he says that locally he hasn't seen signs of stockpiling although there are one or two shelves that are more depleted than usual. There hasn't been anything that he hasn't been able to buy.

We're in the very fortunate position of usually having well stocked cupboards due to a) having a lot of storage and b) because I often feed huge numbers of people. I also have freezers that are looking healthily full due to having a fisherman son and an allotment. We also have more in than usual because of me having been so ill recently. Even though we obviously weren't feeding the five thousand (as we usually do) during my illness, my husband continued to buy shopping in the usual amounts.

Add to that, I buy Christmas and birthday gifts well in advance, so I am well placed not to have reason to go out for several months.

Tesco on a Monday morning is usually quiet. Today the very large car park was almost full.

We went to do our weekly shop yesterday at Waitrose and were gobsmacked at the queues of people - Sunday is quite busy normally but I've never seen queues like this, even at Christmas. From the tills on one side of the store to the other side of the store for every till.

A friend who works there said some people are coming in every day so they don't look like they are stockpiling, but buying about half a trolley at a time. All the paper products, kitchen towels and loo rolls (which we weren't buying anyway) were gone, the freezers were half empty and tins were down much more than normal. This was at 10.00 in the morning.
What was weird was that the car park didn't look that busy, so lots of the people must have walked down from the housing estate nearby. Maybe they are the ones who visit everyday.

For the life of me I can't understand it. To my mind there is a vast difference between buying in a few extra things and buying up everything you can lay your hands on.

We ended up having a good laugh with the lady in front of us who had only come in for two things and had queued so long her husband and son had come looking for her.

I think the supermarkets are doing the right thing in opening early for the over 70s. That would be fine for me but, I have friends in the same age group who, because of age related conditions, would find it difficult to get to the shops that early
However hard one tries, there are always unforeseen problems..

The only items that bother me up to now are bread flour and dried yeast - I make most of our bread.
Tesco was out of all flour except Bero SR and all dried yeast. Husband bought some Bero and I used some of it yesterday, mixed with bread flour which I already had. Not tried the bread yet.
Maybe bakeries are getting priority - which is fair.
Customers didn't seem to be aggressive, but most looked worried and rather sad.

I don’t approve of “panic buying” but is it panic or is some of this just being sensible in case of a sudden sickness?

It probably doesn’t take a lot to upset the “just in time” deliveries we are all accustomed to now. It may only need everyone to buy an extra few tins or an extra pack of paracetamol for stocks to be compromised.

If you know your house is susceptible to flooding maybe you would buy sandbags and wellies?

Just saying.

Our local artisan bakery had sold out of bread by late morning, but still had plenty of fancy cakes and suchlike.

Who was it said “Let Them Eat Cake”?

(Yes, I know, it was Marie Antoinette)

????

For the second day running DD has not been able to get Baby formula or nappies, she is now panicky and upset with no way to nourish her newborn baby and keep him clean.

How selfish and ignorant are these flipping hoarders

At least it’s not just us.
Friend in Stockholm and a sister in a small village in Cape Cod (US) are saying much the same. Sister says no loo roll to be had. Swedish friend saying no flour, hardly any eggs or potatoes - among other things.
Having said that, supermarkets around here seem to be stocked much as usual, except usually for dry pasta and loo rolls, though I’ve still found pasta in corner shops.
Thanks to dh always buying mega packs, we still have plenty of loo roll.

am i worried . i might be if i had breathing problems . i do have underlying health probs .BUT i have been through swine flu /bird flu /foot and mouth/ang good old winter flu.but i somehow think me and my daughter have had this recent one. 3 weeks ago we got really bad coughs,i had breathing problems at night because i couldnt lay flat and had to sit up on pillows.but it passed .took 2 weeks .stayed in a week because i felt really grotty...now this week the cough is back but i feel fine.bit high temp but that could be anything (urine infection)as in dads army .clive dunns DONT PANIC

i just bought the things i needed .no loo rolls but bought kitchen towel ,just as good but separated into thinner bits. some people are plain greedy and selfish.think it should be over 60 for early morning shopping .its silly when i cant get my almond/oat milk .i cant drink dairy...living on out of date soup from the local food bank.and toast and marmalade .plus lots of apples .and veg esp cucumber...i think 2/3 packets of anything is plenty.

Had emails from Asda and Sainsbury's now asking not to panic buy. They are keeping stocks flowing and restocking as quickly as possible and ordering more. They will limit a few items.

I wish it would make a difference. A good try to these two companies but it very much doubt it will. Judging by the posts here panic buying is getting worse.

Panic buyers have no thought for anyone else except themselves.

Washerwoman, so pleased you were able to get Calpol for the little one sometimes you can get those sort of things in local corner shop.
Some posters mat not have been using the corner shop but that is where I found toilet rolls a couple of weeks ago when nothing any where else. I went to two of my local shops yesterday and managed to get rubbish/bin bags as I could not get any in the big supermarkets. I thought it would be a good idea to get just one pack of toilet rolls. Both shops were out of toilet rolls saying they are hard to get now. One of the shops had a pack of six rolls in it and selling for £ 5.99p
I did not buy I am sure toilet rolls do not sell for as much as that. There will be many people whose budget does not run to that sort of cost.

Apparently, some shops - Iceland seems to be one - are going to be open from 7 a.m. for over 70s only to stop "shelf stripping". Also, some of the shops are setting out their own rationing - only 2 packets, etc. It will happen. Most of us cannot think of anything like this we have lived through before as an adult (unless you are well into your 90s). It may take a while but it will get sorted food-wise.

Was at work yesterday it wa slike christmas but double!! did eventually calm down..

Asda now has limits 2 packs t roll, 2 packs nappies, 2 baby milk

When I have sorted out my new sewing room (dumping room from the move) I shall be catching up with all my UFOs Shandy and reading - oh and talking on the phone or messenger, etc. I do hope there is a way to get a walk and I do know it isn't easy for everyone and very worrying for those with elderly or frail relatives (I am only "older"), but I will try and make the best of it. When I can't I will come on GN and hope someone else is feeling more positive than I am.