UK retailers report higher emergency-supply sales after Be Ready advice
Some retailers reported sharp rises in sales of tinned food, water and radios after the government urged households to prepare for 72 hours of disruption. Supermarkets said essential supplies remained strong.
UK retailers reported higher sales of some emergency supplies on 27 October, following the government's Be Ready advice to keep enough essentials at home for 72 hours. The increases were uneven: Iceland reported a jump in tinned-food sales, while several major supermarkets said demand for tinned goods had barely changed.
Which emergency supplies are selling faster?
Iceland said sales of tinned products rose 40% over the weekend and bottled-water sales were strong. The chain told the Guardian its supplies of those products remained healthy. The Mirror also cited the 40% figure, attributing it to figures obtained by BBC Newsnight; that is the same retailer result, rather than a separate measure of demand.
The Guardian reported that Maplin had seen higher sales of torches, power banks and radios, with limited stock constraining some purchases. Zaid Al-Mufti, founder of survival-kit seller EvaQ8, said his business sold about 300 wind-up radios over the weekend, compared with its usual 15, and sold out of some products, including water-purification tablets.
The Mirror reported that Robert Dyas sold 160% more radios than in the previous week. Separately, the Guardian said online store Sgt Prepper had been 10 to 15 times busier than usual over the weekend, with demand focused on radios and long-life food.
What the Be Ready advice asks households to keep
The Be Ready campaign launched the previous week and encourages households to hold supplies for 72 hours in case of emergencies, the Guardian reported. The Mirror said the recommended items include bottled water, non-perishable food, a battery-powered or wind-up FM radio for updates during outages, and cash if electronic payments are disrupted.
The rise was not uniform across food retailers. Several major supermarkets told the Guardian they had seen no material change in demand for tinned goods; cooler, stormy weather could also affect sales of soups and beans. Jim Bligh, food policy director at the British Retail Consortium, said some retailers had seen a small uptick in particular products but food availability remained strong.
The Mirror reported that Tesco's own-brand two-litre water bottles were listed as out of stock online and that the retailer had a two-item limit on larger quantities of its own-brand water. Branded alternatives were available, it said. Retail industry sources told the Guardian that photographs of empty shelves on social media may leave out alternatives nearby; supermarkets said they had good supplies of the recommended long-life groceries.
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Sources and context
- Bottled water and tinned food sales surge after UK government issues emergency stockpile adviceThe Guardian
- Brits start to stockpile essential goods after government's emergency adviceDaily Mirror
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.