Coronavirus virus fears causing panic buying

[Deepgreen]

The hype about Covid-19 is staggering. Far more people die from 'flu and TB (yes, TB!) than from this virus. The government and media hype is creating a self-sustaining downturn in everything, including panic-buying and medical stock-piling that is both unnecessary and incredibly selfish.

 

[bramling]

The hype about Covid-19 is staggering. Far more people die from 'flu and TB (yes, TB!) than from this virus. The government and media hype is creating a self-sustaining downturn in everything, including panic-buying and medical stock-piling that is both unnecessary and incredibly selfish.

Strange atmosphere in Tesco’s this evening. As I walked in I passed a family leaving with several kids all carrying two packs of toilet rolls each. Then a pensioner pushing a trolley filled with nothing else than toilet roll. Not much evidence of empty shelves, apart from - predictably - hand sanitisers, although the more expensive brands were still plentifully available. The only other thing I noticed missing was pasta, those shelves 100% empty. As I left another family were entering and could be heard saying “we can put the toilet rolls in our wardrobe”. The store was noticeably busier for the time of day, normally at 2000 on a Saturday the place is pretty empty.

 

[LeylandLen]

The hype about Covid-19 is staggering. Far more people die from 'flu and TB (yes, TB!) than from this virus. The government and media hype is creating a self-sustaining downturn in everything, including panic-buying and medical stock-piling that is both unnecessary and incredibly selfish.

And road traffic accidents..

 

[duffield]

The hype about Covid-19 is staggering. Far more people die from 'flu and TB (yes, TB!) than from this virus. The government and media hype is creating a self-sustaining downturn in everything, including panic-buying and medical stock-piling that is both unnecessary and incredibly selfish.

The experts say their best estimates are that it is roughly 10x more deadly than flu. But I suppose we don't listen to them any more, do we?

 

[Bald Rick]

Strange atmosphere in Tesco’s this evening. As I walked in I passed a family leaving with several kids all carrying two packs of toilet rolls each. Then a pensioner pushing a trolley filled with nothing else than toilet roll. Not much evidence of empty shelves, apart from - predictably - hand sanitisers, although the more expensive brands were still plentifully available. The only other thing I noticed missing was pasta, those shelves 100% empty. As I left another family were entering and could be heard saying “we can put the toilet rolls in our wardrobe”. The store was noticeably busier for the time of day, normally at 2000 on a Saturday the place is pretty empty.

Same in my store. No toilet roll, and no pasta. The cartoon on the front page of the Sunday Times captures it perfectly; “I’ve stocked up on toilet roll before everyone panic buys it”

 

[deltic]

No pasta or rice at my local supermarket - people leaving with numerous toilet rolls - tinned meals selling strongly to. Makes no-deal Brexit look like a minor hiccup. At the present rate mainstream passenger transport companies may be going under not just heritage railways.

 

[Bald Rick]

Expect toilet roll and pasta sales to be slow next week, I’m hoping for some special offers!

 

[bramling]

Same in my store. No toilet roll, and no pasta. The cartoon on the front page of the Sunday Times captures it perfectly; “I’ve stocked up on toilet roll before everyone panic buys it”

Must admit, we did get some extra rice and one particular tinned item - in both cases for the simple reason that they’re something we eat a *lot* of and I’d be extremely hacked off to go there next time and find the panic buyers have taken it all. Apart from that we came away with nothing more than we normally would have, including toilet rolls.

Meanwhile my neighbour tells me there was a frenzy at the town centre Sainsbury’s this morning, car park gridlocked and people queueing outside the door prior to opening time, followed by the toilet roll aisle being plundered immediately. Felt removed from all this spending the day catching up on some gardening!

 

[superjohn]

Toilet rolls are particularly prone to this as they are bulky, they take up a lot of storage space for a low value. Supermarkets cannot keep reserves easily so if demand suddenly surges there is a delay both in getting more in and creating capacity to ship them on to stores. If you double the quantity of toilet rolls on a delivery lorry that is going to see a lot of other stock, probably more valuable stuff, being left behind at the warehouse.

I see The Daily Mail are still illustrating the story with pictures taken at Costco. I’m sure they know that Costco is a wholesaler where small shopkeepers would buy their stock, hence bulk purchases being an everyday scene, but it must somehow suit their agenda to show a picture of a brown person with a trolley full of toilet rolls.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

The whole thing is stupid.... I’m not sure one of the symptoms of coronavirus involves having the sh*ts

 

[Ianno87]

I wonder what the correlation between stockpilers and people who voted Leave is?

 

[Busaholic]

iI can't provide a source for this, or even remember quite how long ago it was, but it was reported somewhere last year that a no deal Brexit would bring a toilet roll shortage: not sure it ever said why.

 

[hexagon789]

I wonder what the correlation between stockpilers and people who voted Leave is?

I imagine exactly the same as the correlation between those who voted Remain

 

[Bletchleyite]

I imagine exactly the same as the correlation between those who voted Remain

What I have noticed is a distinct male-female split in terms of hysteria about coronavirus (and otherwise living in fear of crime etc). I wonder why that is?

 

[hexagon789]

What I have noticed is a distinct male-female split in terms of hysteria about coronavirus (and otherwise living in fear of crime etc). I wonder why that is?

While I have noticed little to no change at all. Other than reduced quantities of eggs (apparently due to chicken vaccinations), I have yet to see any shortages per se other than hand sanitiser, that's been the only thing.

 

[PG]

Hypothesis: some of the population use toilet paper instead of tissues so could this be behind the sudden increase in demand for toilet roll?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Hypothesis: some of the population use toilet paper instead of tissues so could this be behind the sudden increase in demand for toilet roll?

That makes sense - I've spent several months trying to persuade my daughter to use proper hankies rather than the bog roll.

 

[PG]

That makes sense - I've spent several months trying to persuade my daughter to use proper hankies rather than the bog roll.

So once the country has emptied the shelves of toilet roll will they start stockpiling tissues instead?

 

[Bertie the bus]

I wonder what the correlation between stockpilers and people who voted Leave is?

Pretty small I would have thought. Far more likely those gullible enough to swallow all the scare stories around Brexit are the same people who swallow all the scare stories around this.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hypothesis: some of the population use toilet paper instead of tissues so could this be behind the sudden increase in demand for toilet roll?

A runny nose is not a symptom of COVID19.

 

[Bletchleyite]

While I have noticed little to no change at all. Other than reduced quantities of eggs (apparently due to chicken vaccinations), I have yet to see any shortages per se other than hand sanitiser, that's been the only thing.

Almost no bog roll left in Bletchley Asda on Friday evening.

 

[AM9]

So once the country has emptied the shelves of toilet roll will they start stockpiling tissues instead?

At my local Waitrose, now the toilet roll shelves are aloost empty most of the day, shoppers are filling baskets and trolleys with kitchen roll. The next problem will be the water companies complaining that inappropriate tissues being flushed into the sewers are blocking them. Or maybe some couples are preparing for two weeks forced isolation, and there is nothing worth watching on the TV.

 

[PG]

A runny nose is not a symptom of COVID19.

Indeed but HM government are busy advising the panicked of Pangbourne to use tissues!

 

[AM9]

... I see The Daily Mail are still illustrating the story with pictures taken at Costco. I’m sure they know that Costco is a wholesaler where small shopkeepers would buy their stock, hence bulk purchases being an everyday scene, but it must somehow suit their agenda to show a picture of a brown person with a trolley full of toilet rolls.

Yup, I buy toliet roll from Costco, a 45 roll pack of Velvet or Cushelle, usually about half the price that supermarkets charge. Luckily last weekend, I dropped in there and collected it without any trouble so OK for a few more months.
Does anybody remember the great 1973 toilet roll famine, followed in 1974 by the sugar famine?

 

[hooverboy]

Yup, I buy toliet roll from Costco, a 45 roll pack of Velvet or Cushelle, usually about half the price that supermarkets charge. Luckily last weekend, I dropped in there and collected it without any trouble so OK for a few more months.

look on the bright side. Stocks of curry and chilli will be plentiful!

 

[squizzler]

Presumably the risks of death and life changing injury from engaging strangers in combat down the local grocers is higher than that for this new bug? In fact the risks are still higher from driving there in the first place.

 

[DarloRich]

I wonder if the interpretation of this situation is driven by personal living arrangements.

I bet if you have 2 kids and a wife/husband you might be worried about having two toilet rolls for a fortnight. Perhaps, if like many posters here ( myself included) you live alone you don't have any need to stock up. Speaking to my colleagues with families about this situation the response was: You don't have two teenaged daughters do you............

My local Tesco, which I went to on Saturday night for my usual shop, had no paracetamol, toilet roll, pasta or rice left. It did have alternative products that would be much more sensible for "panic buying" left in large quantities and often at a cheaper price.

People are quite stupid!

PS i also wonder if the government advice to use tissues to catch the germs has an impact.

Indeed but HM government are busy advising the panicked of Pangbourne to use tissues!

To catch the coughs not the snots ( so to speak!)

 

[Silver Cobra]

Seems there's plenty of hand sanitisers and toilet rolls available on Ebay right now. Undoubtedly some of the panic-buying has been people looking to take a chance on 'flipping' these items for a profit.

 

[jon0844]

The hype about Covid-19 is staggering. Far more people die from 'flu and TB (yes, TB!) than from this virus. The government and media hype is creating a self-sustaining downturn in everything, including panic-buying and medical stock-piling that is both unnecessary and incredibly selfish.

With all due respect, how are you coming to that conclusion?

That flu has killed more people? Well, that's true. So as a total number - and with the headstart flu has had - yes, flu has killed more people.

But what about the percentage of people who get flu that die, compared to the coronavirus?

That's surely the most important thing, given there would appear to be a very high chance that those who decide it's some sort of exaggerated hoax and carry on as normal WILL get it. If they're young enough that the risk is slight, what about when they come into contact with someone more vulnerable?

As soon as people start to compare the number of deaths with road accidents, cancer or whatever then I think they've quite seriously missed the point. Facebook is packed full of memes that seem to downplay the virus, which doesn't help because the risk of you or me getting it is greatened massively if someone we don't know doesn't take basic precautions.

 

[jon0844]

Seems there's plenty of hand sanitisers and toilet rolls available on Ebay right now. Undoubtedly some of the panic-buying has been people looking to take a chance on 'flipping' these items for a profit.

Yes, and hopefully they're being called out on it by their peers. Facebook marketplace has loads of local people to me reselling stuff for a HUGE markup and it seems that 99% of the responses are extremely unkind.