Coronavirus virus fears causing panic buying

[PeterC]

A lot of the coffee prices have rocketed at Tesco. I noticed yesterday-good job I don't drink it!

Wholesale prices are up so maybe not Tesco's fault.

 

[Typhoon]

Agreed. It probably makes sense for a given store to standardise on the pack size they'll sell most of. For a large supermarket that might as well be either 9, 12 or 24. For a local shop, probably 4, primarily because people mostly travel to such shops on foot and only buy a small number of items to carry home.

My local Sainsburys (normal size, not a Local) has only been having packs of 4. Must be bl@@dy expensive if you've got a large family.

 

[Busaholic]

I must admit I’m surprised about the absence of dried pasta here in St Albans. It is here, (allegedly!) that the ‘overheard in Waitrose’ comment was made by a yummy mummy shrieking down the aisle to her young son who was trying to be helpful by putting stuff in the trolley.

“NO TARQUIN. We do not have dried pasta! Go and get some fresh!”

Reminds me of the sketch in the Catherine Tate Show a few years back when Catherine, as mummy, shouts to her prep school kids in the egg and spoon race 'no, Sebastian, put them down, they're not organic.'

 

[AndrewE]

Our local Coop is pretty well re-stocked now (apart from flour,) luckily their usual range of ground coffee is still available as it's very good and not excessively expensive.
Can't find any wholemeal breadflour anywhere yet, and Doves Farm online shop is locked down too!

 

[cactustwirly]

Our local Coop is pretty well re-stocked now (apart from flour,) luckily their usual range of ground coffee is still available as it's very good and not excessively expensive.
Can't find any wholemeal breadflour anywhere yet, and Doves Farm online shop is locked down too!

Unfortunately my local Co-op was sold to Budgens, which is nowhere as good

 

[corfield]

Still don’t get stockpiling flour - what do you do with it, unless you’ve milk, butter etc as well?

A nation of suppressed bakers!

Pasta now seems back on the shelves in the evening when I go (hate qeueing!) albeit not a lot.
Don’t need personally is as I bought 1000s the other week

 

[Bald Rick]

Still don’t get stockpiling flour - what do you do with it, unless you’ve milk, butter etc as well?

A nation of suppressed bakers!

Pasta now seems back on the shelves in the evening when I go (hate qeueing!) albeit not a lot.
Don’t need personally is as I bought 1000s the other week

It’s not stockpiling - it’s people doing baking. In my house it’s one way to keep the kids entertained, albeit waistlines are suffering.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I think there is a lot to be said for NOT compressing four days shopping demand into adjacent days. I would advocate standard opening hours 7 days per week. It is hard enough to socially distance in a queue but to then shorten opening hours will make the queues longer and more compressed. Cutting out Fri-Mon inclusive would cause panic buying. OK possibly only some as I imagine most households that did panic buy last time might still be stuffed !. The risks to avoid are less essential activities like going to parks.

 

[scotrail158713]

Don’t need personally is as I bought 1000s the other week

So you were one of the evil panic buyers recently?

 

[arbeia]

£2.99 up to £7.29 for the brand and size we buy for the son.

Wholesale prices are up so maybe not Tesco's fault.

 

[Karl]

I picked up 2 tins of Heinz beans and nearly had a heart attack as I scanned them across the self-checkout till. £1.25????!! per tin. I promptly returned one back to the shelf. Sheesh!!

 

[PG]

I picked up 2 tins of Heinz beans and nearly had a heart attack as I scanned them across the self-checkout till. £1.25????!! per tin. I promptly returned one back to the shelf. Sheesh!!

Is this a different method to achieving the same outcome as rationing?

 

[farleigh]

I picked up 2 tins of Heinz beans and nearly had a heart attack as I scanned them across the self-checkout till. £1.25????!! per tin. I promptly returned one back to the shelf. Sheesh!!

Is that safe?

Is this a different method to achieving the same outcome as rationing?

Aldi beans are - surprisingly - acceptable

 

[Karl]

Is this a different method to achieving the same outcome as rationing?

I'm not sure, but beans on toast is now off my menu!

 

[PG]

I'm not sure, but beans on toast is now off my recipe!

As mentioned above other makes are available...

 

[Karl]

As mentioned above other makes are available...

"A million have them every day, they pick up a tin of beans and say, beans means Heinz!!!"

 

[farleigh]

"A million have them every day, they pick up a tin of beans and say, beans means Heinz!!!"

Ha ha - takes me back to schooldays.

Beans, beans good for your heart,
The more you eat the more you f**t,
Custard powder makes 'em louder
Chivers jelly makes 'em smelly

 

[Karl]

Chivers jelly makes 'em smelly

Oh yes!! I used to love sucking on a cube of jelly!

(Right. Enough of this. We're way off topic. Apologies Mods)

 

[AndrewE]

Ha ha - takes me back to schooldays.

Beans, beans good for your heart,
The more you eat the more you f**t,
Custard powder makes 'em louder
Chivers jelly makes 'em smelly

No!
"The more you fart the better you feel,
so it's Beans, Beans - for every meal!"

 

[Cowley]

I’m going to lock this thread now because there’s enough for us to keep an eye on at the moment and the initial panic buying situation seems to have moved on anyway.
Thanks all. (I’ve got three toilet rolls left by the way. Send me a pm and I’ll swap it for some pasta)