A winter of very expensive heating and little food?

I have just come from a large M & S Foodhall on a major A road leading in to London with DD and GC, the shelves were full, veggie, meat, dairy and dry goods.

The one shelf/display which was low (Fred Sirieix recommended) was being restocked. The only item not available was packs of two chicken kievs, we had to buy single ones.

I am not posting this as in I’m alright Jack but purely as an illustration that there appears to be ^no rhyme or reason^as to why some stores even of the same group are suffering shortages and whilst others are not. Another poster pointed out that we are close to several ports (both lorry and container) and only 15 minutes (traffic permitting) outside the M25, whether or not that has any relevance to the situation I am unsure.

I think that it must be because you are going to that particular shop? as none you have visited have had problems so far which is astounding. Perhaps you can advise which one you intend to visit next and we can all visit a well stocked pre-Brexit shop.

Had home delivery today and asked the driver how low the stock is getting overall. He said it seems to be getting worse week by week.

But not apparently in Essex???

Only joking.

Perhaps you can advise which one you intend to visit next and we can all visit a well stocked pre-Brexit shop.

We visited an Aldi today, Whitewave (first time in years but there is a new one a few miles away so we were curious).

Well-stocked shelves, fridges and all the usual stuff down the middle aisles.
They were filling shelves up as we walked round.
I hope the food we bought wasn't dated pre-Brexit ?

I have found that where one shop was out of something I normally get, so were all the others round here. This could be because my food is often specialist and I imagine there are few (sometimes only one) producer and they will not be huge. One lactose free cheese I had found, that actually tasted like cheese (Brie) has disappeared completely locally but still seems available on line and from Tesco's. We don't have a Tesco in our small town.

I think my main feeling is that it's very patchy both in what's missing and the areas it's missing from.

Whitewavemark2

I think that it must be because you are going to that particular shop? as none you have visited have had problems so far which is astounding. Perhaps you can advise which one you intend to visit next and we can all visit a well stocked pre-Brexit shop.

Had home delivery today and asked the driver how low the stock is getting overall. He said it seems to be getting worse week by week.

But not apparently in Essex???

Only joking.

I use two M & S Food Halls, the one I went to today and the other is in Lakeside Shopping Complex, the other main shops I use are Aldi (10 min walk) or Sainsbury’s local (20 min walk).
Sainsbury’s local can be a bit hit and miss, but was like that pre-Brexit as it is on the main road from the Station and is always very busy.

I use Waitrose for home deliveries as and when needed (once every 4-6 weeks approximately) have had substitutes but I am not overly fussy regarding potatoes or tomatoes. Did on three occasions in lockdown this year have to use Tesco’s (twice) and Morrison’s (once) for home delivery but they were rather patchy on availability and I haven’t been into one of their stores for over 10 years.

We have got a local farm shop 10 minutes drive away, but they are more expensive especially the dairy products.

I know that there is a shortage of HGV’s but I just cannot see why some stores manage their stock levels better than others as I was under the impression that stock control was done through the tills (barcodes etc) not by manual ordering.

PippaZ I totally agree with your post of 15.49

I did read why it is so patchy but blowed if I can remember the explanation! Something quite logical I do know that.

I think my main feeling is that it's very patchy both in what's missing and the areas it's missing from.
That is what seems to be happening.

Tesco delivery was wholly fulfilled last week apart from one substitution but we tend to have a delivery every 3 weeks or so and top up in between.

In the practice of fair reporting, our local Aldi was fairly well stocked today with the exception of two large freezer cabinets which were nearly empty ( I think it was frozen meat but I am veggie anyway), a very reduced stack of bleach, no crackers, very little orange squash, very reduced loo roll section, but as we were just doing a top up we got what we wanted. The dog's dried food though, had gone up by over £2 a bag in the pet shop next door.

I have been trying to make sense of the fuel price rises and the cap. It isn’t a pretty picture from my limited understanding.

What I think must happen is for the budget to have provision to protect the most vulnerable, like the poor families with very small children and elderly who will suffer most, and could be catastrophic.

We are all to a greater or lessor degree going to be affected quite substantially and of course those with the most as is usual will be affected the least. But I think the rise will be unprecedented,

Whitewavemark2

I have been trying to make sense of the fuel price rises and the cap. It isn’t a pretty picture from my limited understanding.

What I think must happen is for the budget to have provision to protect the most vulnerable, like the poor families with very small children and elderly who will suffer most, and could be catastrophic.

We are all to a greater or lessor degree going to be affected quite substantially and of course those with the most as is usual will be affected the least. But I think the rise will be unprecedented,

This is becoming a habit. (Should I be worried ), I wholeheartedly agree with you.

The poorest in society are paying as much as others to fund green energy schemes through their fuel bills.

Should this be funded through general income tax revenue?

Callistemon

The poorest in society are paying as much as others to fund green energy schemes through their fuel bills.

Should this be funded through general income tax revenue?

Tbh I think the 420% rise in the wholesale price needs immediate attention and something done to mitigate the affect on the poor.

Callistemon

Ivor Dewdney's was just outside too ?

I was thinking No it's round the corner and then I realised it is round the corner from the entrance I use into the market but as there are doors on all four sides that isn't really relevant is it.

I'm about 30 miles from Plymouth so don't shop in the market regularly but I always pop in when we go to Plymouth. Such an interesting mix of stuff int here.

I miss going to a market to shop.

Ivor Dewdney's used to be in Cornwall Street I think. The bus stops were on the other side and there used to be a Co-op food shop next to the bus stop - very handy!
That was a long time ago.

Thread meander, a trip down memory lane!

I always was taken by my mother for lunch at Dingles on the top floor every Christmas and can remember the glorious decorations.

I can remember a hogs head with an apple in its mouth and a model church lit up inside and carols. That would be about 1950.

Back to thread.

Looking at ITV report.

There will be a two phased onslaught on low to middle incomes over the next 6 months.

On October 1st

fuel prices rise by 11%

Furlough ends

Uplift in U/C ends.

Over the winter food prices are set to rise by at least 5% according to Tesco boss.

April 2022

Fuel price cap set to rise by a whopping 17%
1.5% rise in NI.

Other pressures on the cost of living are beginning to appear on the horizon.

Johnson rather complacently (I thought) announced that this will all be covered with a rise in wages. But he needs to be careful what he wishes for as apart from there being little evidence that salaries are rising, this would have an inflationary effect and turn off what could be a one off price increase into a self reinforcing inflation. The BoE would be compelled to raise interest rates, bearing down on consumer spending, and house wealth thus having a depressing effect on the economy. Government debt will become more expensive.

This winter is looking far from plain sailing - and all carried out by candlelight???

.

Another aspect is the effect on the wider economy. I'm lucky in that I can, theoretically, afford to pay an increase in our electricity bill (albeit grudgingly). However, that will take money that I would have spent on other things. That money will no longer be available for the sort of purchases and services that keep the economy going. Bad times.

And now it seems that petrol is going to be a problem! I filled up my car today for the first time, it’s a new car and I don’t yet know the fuel consumption I get so I didn’t want to go below 1/4 full. There were no queues at my local Tesco garage. Yet by the evening, my neighbour said there were long queues in the road outside as there had been something on the news about possible restrictions!

Teacheranne

And now it seems that petrol is going to be a problem! I filled up my car today for the first time, it’s a new car and I don’t yet know the fuel consumption I get so I didn’t want to go below 1/4 full. There were no queues at my local Tesco garage. Yet by the evening, my neighbour said there were long queues in the road outside as there had been something on the news about possible restrictions!

Petrol suffering the same fate as toilet rolls.
I wonder how many of the people lining up for petrol would normally be filling up panic buying causes problems

My daughter has texted to say she can't understand the government cutting UC and raising NI at the same time as there is a possible large hike in gas prices. Also a link to Rishi Sunak article about swimming pool etc. It's unusual for DD to do this so I know she's worried. Single parent working full time. She works in an extremely busy government office. Most of her colleagues with children are in receipt of UC and have said the top up has enabled them to eat properly. They don't know how they will manage during the winter. It will be a miserable winter and Christmas for many.
I am sure many think "What is the point in trying?"
Of course I will help but not everyone has savings. There must be many parents worrying about their families.
This government is a disgrace. I don't know why people don't give ANY other party a chance. They can't be worse.

Not true rosie. There really are supply problems with petrol. There's a limit to how much fuel people can store in their cars. Yesterday, it was obvious from my local Facebook page that many people had been inconvenienced. I needed petrol and had to drive 30 miles to find any. Fortunately, I had enough in my tank, but I wonder how much it cost me while I was driving around. I wasn't panic buying. I certainly won't be risking a nearly empty tank for a while.

It does remind me of the old I think it was Punch cartoon of a woman showing her guest to her bedroom which had about 6 dogs lying on the bed:

'It's a little chilly so I've put an extra dog on your bed'.