Panic Buying

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Having until now only heard the scare stories of stockpiling and empty shelves (I don't tend to shop very often, if I can avoid it), today I decided to conquer my aversion and see for myself. In truth, I wanted to get some extra paint brushes and rollers on the basis that we may as well spend our period of minimal social contact doing something productive. Coupling that with a need to top up my supply of vegetable seeds, I headed for the local hardware store where, apart from an empty space that dust masks would normally occupy, all seemed in order.

I then visited two local supermarkets, having timed my trip to try to avoid the crowds. On that score I was relatively successful, although neither shop was its generally deserted 6pm-self. Traipsing the aisles with my shopping list, I learnt an awful lot about the habits of panic buyers. It seems they buy everything! 

Goodness knows how long they think all the fresh fruit and vegetables are going to last them. In fact if the local population genuinely consumes newly picked produce to the extent that shelves are bare, they'll all be back at the weekend when they are supposed to be avoiding social contact, arguing over a solitary cabbage. I wasn't so lucky, but there were brussel sprouts and mushrooms. Perhaps if fresh chicken or turkey had been available, I might have managed a Christmas dinner, but it wasn't to be.

Strangely the chilled area was devoid too of cheese although the delicatessen counter had plenty, suggesting that I'd missed something of a mad trolley dash rather than a crowd of serious shoppers. 

There were no breakfast cereals, least of all the porridge I was looking for. "It lasts a longtime, so everyone's buying it," explained a helpful retail assistant.

I didn't even bother to enquire about the longlife milk. The clue was in the name and I knew what the outcome would be without asking.

No pasta; no Yorkshire tea; no rice; none of my favourite brand of crunchy peanut butter, just the smooth alternative. As expected the shelves for toilet rolls were empty, and perhaps people are seriously planning to block the drainage systems because the kitchen roll had disappeared too!

Where I seriously missed out though was in the soft drinks area, for there quite simply were no bottles of tonic water. Those savvy shoppers are going to spend their confinements knocking back the gin!

Still I had the last laugh. I actually stocked up with one of my favourite treats: 4 bars of Lindt 90% cocoa, dark chocolate. I'm not sure how long anyone can survive on just chocolate, but I'm willing to give it a go.




Comments

Treaders said…
I find it hard to believe people are actually stripping the shelves in the UK. I went shopping here in France yesterday (where we're in lockdown) and the fruit and veg shop was fully stocked and my regular supermarket maybe 50% of shelves full - including toilet paper. It's saddening to think that is how people behave in an emergency isn't it.
21 March 2020 at 21:53
Caree Risover said…
It’s crazy but reckoned that once everyone sees that the shops have plenty of stock everything will calm down again. Mister E and I shall probably end up ordering online but at the moment all dates in the next couple of weeks are fully booked! In yesterday’s National Briefing, it was estimated a billion pounds extra has been spent in supermarkets in the last 2 weeks, most of it presumably set to linger in cupboards for years until it goes to landfill. Forget the nation famed for its love of polite queues after rationing in the war, that country no longer exists.
22 March 2020 at 08:28
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