Supermarket bosses launch plea for calm among panic-buying shoppers clearing shelves as they stockpile amid coronavirus crisis
- Supermarket bosses are pleading customers to calm down amid virus hysteria
- Major shop chains forced to ration after chaotic scenes of panic-buying
- Alarm bells raised in No 10, which is readying Army to guard supermarkets
- British Retail Consortium called demand ‘unprecedented outside of Christmas’
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Supermarket bosses launched a plea for calm among shoppers yesterday after a wave of 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 one 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’.
Trolleys piled high for delivery are seen as shoppers queue at the checkout of Asda, March 14
The rampage has led to extraordinary scenes such as the 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, the BRC asked them to display calm and consideration. The letter, which is published in 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.
‘We are doing all we can to rise to this challenge. Serving you and keeping you and everyone who works with us safe will always be our priority.’
Shelves in Tesco cleared as trolleys are piled high amid coronavirus hysteria sweeping the UK
Empty pasta shelves in Sainsbury’s as coronavirus pandemic was called ‘public health crisis’
Former Labour MP Luciana Berger was one of a number of social media users who said they were appalled by the behaviour of 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 lookout for the elderly, infirm and vulnerable.’
Another wrote: ‘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.’
Shoppers panic-buying toilet rolls in Savers. One woman buys excess toilet roll
The surge in panic buying has led Tesco – Britain’s biggest supermarket – to ration the sale of anti-bacterial products, dried pasta, tinned vegetables, toilet paper and tissues to five packs at a time.
In Boots, bottles of children’s paracetamol Calpol are being sold at only one at a time. Retailers have tried to reassure consumers that the country will not run out of loo roll because the UK is a major exporter of the product – shipping £103million worth of the product to countries around the world last year.
Tesco chairman John Allan insisted that Britain’s supermarkets will be able to keep the country fed throughout the coronavirus crisis.
He said: ‘There’s plenty of product in the supply chain, there’s plenty of food at Tesco and other supermarkets, and I don’t think anybody needs to panic buy.
‘We, and I’m sure our competitors, are re-filling our supply chains as rapidly as we can.’