Coronavirus virus fears causing panic buying

[Cowley]

Maybe I'll do some digging and see if it's worth proposing. Mind you I would have to get an answer right to pose it, so don't hold your breath!

That’s what scares me about setting questions on there. It can be embarrassing if you don’t definitely know the answer (I know this from experience).
Right, erm better get back on topic...

 

[tony_mac]

I have used Asda for years. Just wondering if it is possible to get a delivery slot

I don't know if it's nationwide, but they seem to have released a whole load of new delivery slots. I can now get them from Monday onwards.

 

[Belperpete]

I went to my local Aldi this morning rather than Tesco, much the same. Few cars, customers all distancing themselves and well stocked with the exception of bog and kitchen roll. Two shelves of macaroni though no other pasta. Not a great variety of meat but I was able to get chicken and mince, which I’ve not seen in ages. Everything else plentiful minus a few gaps.

Gives me confidence that we are getting the shops slowly back to normal.

Agreed. I live opposite an Aldi, and there was a noticeable difference between Sunday and Monday. Sunday: car park full, plenty of people about. I think some people were anticipating the coming lock-down. Monday: a dozen or so cars at most in the car park, very quiet. Likewise today.

 

[Peter Kelford]

It has come to my attention via the forum staff that a number of sarcastic posts of mine have been found as offensive to some members. Being extremely underestimating, dismissive and generally negative of certain professions, people etc, I thought that it was plainly obvious that it was intended as humour. Seeing as that is not the case, I wish to apologise to anyone who was offended.

That website being made unavailable does not mean there are IT issues or a lack of "simple server capacity" and just adding a server will fix it. It might be:
- a mamagement decision take it down to allow backlogs to be cleared
- a management decision to focus on recruitment and training temp workers while clearing the backlog
- a reduction in range being introduced and a basic website being deployed
- a database failed and needs a restoration
- lack of availability of drivers or maintenance of equipment
The fallback page might be the quickest way to take it down until a marketing person / ceo approves the text of any warnings or restrictions.

Different companies are dealing with things in different ways and its not a one size fits all and it's not as simple of just adding a server.

Yes, I realise that. My post was so clearly wrong, extreme and underestimating of things that I thought it was obviously a sarcastic joke. Yorkie pointed out the misunderstanding to me last night. My sincere apologies to anyone offended.

That said, the problem with Waitrose was literally being put onto a holding page saying 'we're very busy, please wait'.

 

[nidave]

It has come to my attention via the forum staff that a number of sarcastic posts of mine have been found as offensive to some members. Being extremely underestimating, dismissive and generally negative of certain professions, people etc, I thought that it was plainly obvious that it was intended as humour. Seeing as that is not the case, I wish to apologise to anyone who was offended.


Yes, I realise that. My post was so clearly wrong, extreme and underestimating of things that I thought it was obviously a sarcastic joke. Yorkie pointed out the misunderstanding to me last night. My sincere apologies to anyone offended.

That said, the problem with Waitrose was literally being put onto a holding page saying 'we're very busy, please wait'.

No worries. It can be hard to tell online the intent sometimes. Happens to us all.

 

[Bantamzen]

I don't know if it's nationwide, but they seem to have released a whole load of new delivery slots. I can now get them from Monday onwards.

Just logged on (eventually, their servers are already busy) and all slots up to 13/04 are full at my local store.

Edit: And you can't even book one of those as a "just in case".

 

[telstarbox]

Are shop stocks largely back to normal now?

 

[krus_aragon]

Are shop stocks largely back to normal now?

Depends on the shop. My wife walked to our local Co-op yesterday, and found they were very low on cereals, and out of milk. One member of staff, noticing her significant baby bump, gave her a bottle they'd kept behind to buy at the end of their shift (explaining that there was a delivery due in later, and they'd get a replacement then).

(As for why she was out and about, I'm full of a cold at the moment, and am not going anywhere until the weekend at the earliest. The symptoms don't match those of Covid-19, but I'm not going to take my coughs and sniffles out for a walk, regardless.)

 

[Belperpete]

Are shop stocks largely back to normal now?

My local Aldi was still very short-stocked of some items on Sunday (for some reason the condiments shelf had been stripped almost bare - we seem to have got to the stage of panic-buying mayonnaise last week, noticed a woman bagging four large jars of the stuff. What the hell do you need FOUR large jars of mayonnaise for?!). By Monday, everything was all restocked, perhaps not quite as well stocked as usual on some items, but everything seemed to be available - apart from loo roll (still). But compensated for by a very over-stocked selection of kitchen roll!

 

[IanD]

My local Aldi was still very short-stocked of some items on Sunday (for some reason the condiments shelf had been stripped almost bare - we seem to have got to the stage of panic-buying mayonnaise last week, noticed a woman bagging four large jars of the stuff. What the hell do you need FOUR large jars of mayonnaise for?!). By Monday, everything was all restocked, perhaps not quite as well stocked as usual on some items, but everything seemed to be available - apart from loo roll (still). But compensated for by a very over-stocked selection of kitchen roll!

You can use mayonnaise instead of eggs and fat when baking cakes. I saw it on Blue Peter once.

 

[GusB]

There is definitely a pasta pie somewhere in Italy (Milan?) as well as in Scotland... I 'll bet that there is some sort of a (genuine Italian) pasta wrap which is re-heated by deep-frying too. Maybe this is a question for the non-rail quiz!

Indeed, we have the Macaroni pie in these parts. One of our local butchers has now introduced a Breakfast pie - sausage, egg, bacon, beans and black pudding in a Scotch pie case.

I don't know if it's nationwide, but they seem to have released a whole load of new delivery slots. I can now get them from Monday onwards.

One thing I did notice about Asda was that they've cut the time that you can keep a delivery slot reserved. Normally a slot could be reserved until 11pm, but when I checked earlier the time was around 2 hours, so more will become available if people don't actually use them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

With Tesco it was classically 23:46 for amendments, quite why such an odd time I don't know

You only ever got to hold the slot for 2 hours until first checkout, though.

 

[trainophile]

We had a Tesco macaroni cheese quiche out of the depths of the freezer last night, it was surprisingly tasty. It had some sort of BBQ dressing in it.

As for the frozen milk, when you defrost it and get a surprise block of ice in your hot drink surely that is just frozen water, or with a very thin trace of the milk? I don't know, will have to experiment with that next time I'm using one.

 

[Typhoon]

Are shop stocks largely back to normal now?

In a word, NO!

Went to Sainsburys this morning in time for 08:00, long queues. I got in about 08:15, very little UHT milk. toilet rolls (4's only), meat, tinned fruit, pasta. Other shelves sparse, some chiller and freezer space shut down. People still filling their trolleys to the brim. Fruit and veg fine. (Our nearest Aldi have apparently hidden away the largest trolleys to try to avoid over buying.)

 

[Tom B]

Tescos yesterday evening was reasonably stocked. Some items were low or out of stock but there was always a suitable alternative. Queues were present at the main door with security controlling entry and disinfectant available on entry for trollies.

 

[3rd rail land]

I don't know if it's nationwide, but they seem to have released a whole load of new delivery slots. I can now get them from Monday onwards.

I have just tried to access the ASDA website. They have implemented a queuing system and I have been in said queue for about 20 minutes before I gave up. It doesn't give you a timer as to how long you will be in the queue or even what position you are in the queue.

 

[tony_mac]

I have just tried to access the ASDA website. They have implemented a queuing system and I have been in said queue for about 20 minutes before I gave up. It doesn't give you a timer as to how long you will be in the queue or even what position you are in the queue.

It just took me 21 minutes in the queue - and we still have slots available for next week.

 

[RichJF]

My local Sainsbury's has a queuing system to restrict the numbers, but people are still congregating in aisles much less than 2m. Stock control is appalling versus the Aldi/Waitrose in the same town!
A surprising number of people driving & walking about in my local Sussex town so doesn't actually feel like a lockdown weirdly!

 

[Trackman]

It just took me 21 minutes in the queue - and we still have slots available for next week.

I've been waiting since 19.05, just left a tab open.

 

[edwin_m]

I've been waiting since 19.05, just left a tab open.

Similarly here. I'm not really convinced click and collect is worth it, as someone just picks it up from the shop a short while before your slot, so you might as well go in and collect it yourself. Another problem is that the restricted opening hours make it difficult to go in before work, less so after work but by then the shelves will be at their emptiest. Perhaps they should shut in the afternoons for re-stocking and re-open early evening until say 10pm?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Similarly here. I'm not really convinced click and collect is worth it, as someone just picks it up from the shop a short while before your slot, so you might as well go in and collect it yourself. Another problem is that the restricted opening hours make it difficult to go in before work, less so after work but by then the shelves will be at their emptiest. Perhaps they should shut in the afternoons for re-stocking and re-open early evening until say 10pm?

The advantage from a social distancing point of view is that you drive to the collection point and encounter only one person there.

 

[corfield]

A lot of people out doing walks for the sake of it by the looks of it as well!

Looking further ahead, paying for all this is going to be a decade+ recovery. The recent Budget I assume is now only good for loo roll (hah, there's a source!) so things like HS2 and any other capital spend must be in doubt - although arguably something "New Dealish" to get productive things going again may justify retaining/expanding infra spend.

 

[tsr]

My local Sainsbury's has a queuing system to restrict the numbers, but people are still congregating in aisles much less than 2m. Stock control is appalling versus the Aldi/Waitrose in the same town!
A surprising number of people driving & walking about in my local Sussex town so doesn't actually feel like a lockdown weirdly!

Sussex is generally awful for people abiding by the lockdown rules, from what I can tell. Loads of people on the roads today compared to yesterday (I'm a key worker and can't work from home, if people are wondering, so had to be travelling), supermarkets absolutely rammed in places, and by all accounts a big problem with groups of feral kids causing absolute mayhem all over the place. Not to mention the elderly drivers who appear to think it's a lovely time to go pootling round all the country lanes at 33mph because it's sunny and a bit quiet.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not to mention the elderly drivers who appear to think it's a lovely time to go pootling round all the country lanes at 33mph because it's sunny and a bit quiet.

While this is probably to be avoided due to accident risk (the NHS could do without it) the risk of spreading it through going for a drive alone is probably lower than a walk or run.

 

[philjo]

The queue of shoppers waiting to get into Sainsbury's at 8am this morning went round the car park and back to the garage. so abandoned that trip. Will try Morrisons later as I gather that is generally fairly quiet.

 

[broadgage]

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?

Yes, I remember the great toilet roll famine. IIRC it was caused by an actual reduction in supply. A vital machine in a toilet paper factory had broken, and could not be quickly repaired. Several percent of national capacity was unavailable and shortages the result.

 

[Darandio]

The sugar famine might already have started again, at least around here. Not a bag to be had, we're on Canderel for the foreseeable.

 

[Meerkat]

I see that Wilko and Poundland are apparently essential shops!
Quicker to get your bog roll there than join the queues to get into the supermarkets!

 

[broadgage]

No toilet roll panic here. I have about 200 rolls, purchased ages ago and NOT during the current panic. I buy toilet rolls and many other supplies in bulk. Toilet rolls come in cartons of 108 rolls, and I aim to keep AT LEAST one full carton in reserve, sometimes two.

Not certain how well hand sanitiser keeps, but it is easy enough to make and I keep stocks of the ingredients.

I have long believed in being prepared well in advance for any out of course event, not just pandemics but also extreme weather, industrial disputes, civil disorder, fuel shortage, terrorist attack etc.

 

[oldman]

I see that Wilko and Poundland are apparently essential shops!

Why not? Poundland sells food, toiletries, cleansing materials - all essentials.