Supermarkets are cracking down on what shoppers can purchase as panic about the coronavirus epidemic lead to wide-spread stockpiling.
The chaos saw people scrabbling to load up with loo rolls, long-life milk and pasta in a bid to prepare for the worst as the coronavirus death toll hit 21 yesterday while the number of infected soared past 1,000 in the UK alone.
Sainsbury’s – which has a five-product limit on certain items – emailed millions of its customers today to urge them not to stockpile and insisting there were enough supplies of food and essential items for ‘everyone’.
Supermarkets are cracking down on what shoppers can purchase as panic about the coronavirus epidemic lead to wide-spread stockpiling. Pictured: Two men with trolleys full of goods are pictured outside a Costco store in Manchester
Panic-buying customers formed huge queues in an Aldi supermarket in Liverpool as they stocked up on goods
Empty freezers can be seen in a Morrisons store in London as shoppers stock up on frozen goods
Chaos this week saw people scrabbling to load up with loo rolls, long-life milk and pasta in a bid to prepare for the worst as the coronavirus death toll hit 21 yesterday while the number of infected soared past 1,000 in the UK alone. Pictured: Bare shelves in a Morrisons store in London
Shelves in Sainsbury’s in Portishead, Somerset, had limited stock after shoppers stockpiled goods
Shelves in Sainsbury’s, New Cross Gate in London were completely clear of products as scared shoppers resorted to panic buying
Huge queues formed outside Costco in Cardiff as people desperately stockpiled goods as the panic about coronavirus intensifies
Tesco – Britain’s biggest supermarket – has rationed the sale of anti-bacterial products, dried pasta, tinned vegetables, toilet paper and tissues to five packs at a time starting online on Sunday morning and in stores on Saturday afternoon.
Waitrose has introduced a limit to products – including hand sanitizer – that can be bought online.
In Boots, bottles of children’s paracetamol Calpol are being sold at only one at a time.
Asda in Dalgety Bay, Dunfermline, had empty shelves after shoppers stocked up today
Huge queues formed outside an Asda in East London this morning as shoppers flocked to get their hands on essential items
Morrisons (an empty store in London, pictured) has placed ‘a maximum order number’ on certain products – according to a statement on its website
Shoppers seeking a Morrisons (empty store in London pictured) home delivery have been instructed to tell the store if they are self-isolating so goods can be left on the doorstep
Morrisons has placed ‘a maximum order number’ on certain products – according to a statement on its website.
Shoppers seeking a Morrisons home delivery have been instructed to tell the store if they are self-isolating so goods can be left on the doorstep.
Asda has a two-product limit on items including cleaning products and hand sanitizer while Aldi has limited shoppers to four items in store.
Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe sent a message this morning in a bid to relax the nerves of desperate shoppers.
It was apparently sent in response to images of supermarket shelves stripped bare of toilet rolls and long-lasting food like pasta and rice.
In a personalised statement to shoppers, he urged them to ‘think before you buy and only buy what you and your family need’.
Shelves were almost completely bare after panicked shoppers stocked up on long-life items
The fruit and vegetable aisle was cleared out as frantic shoppers stocked up as coronavirus panic increased
He said in his email: ‘You will have seen that, due to the ongoing uncertainty around the full impact of Coronavirus, supermarkets have been much busier than usual and customers are choosing to stock up.
‘I wanted to personally reassure you that we have more food and other essential items coming to us from manufacturers and into our warehouses and distribution centres.
Two shoppers bought nappies from a Morrisons store in London
‘If we all shop just for the food that we and our families need, there will be enough for everyone.
‘I also wanted to let you know that at Sainsbury’s, we are working really hard to ensure this remains the case.
‘Over the past two weeks we have: Ordered more stock of essential items from our suppliers, put more capacity into our warehouses and set limits on a small number of items, including some cleaning products, soap and pain relief.
‘This is a precautionary measure – if everyone shops normally, there will be enough for everyone.
‘There are gaps on shelves because of increased demand, but we have new stock arriving regularly and we’re doing our best to keep shelves stocked. Our store colleagues are working tirelessly and doing the best job they can.
‘Which brings me onto a request.
‘Please think before you buy and only buy what you and your family need.
‘If we all do this then we can make sure we have enough for everyone.
A 56-year-old shopper was mugged for his toilet paper just moments after leaving a Savers store in Harringay, north London yesterday. Pictured: Other shoppers leaving the store yesterday
‘And please help elderly and vulnerable friends, family and neighbours with their shopping if you can.
People frantically stocked up in Savers, north London yesterday before a man was mugged
‘I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and to thank our colleagues who are all working incredibly hard to ensure we can continue to serve our customers well.’
Yesterday a 56-year-old shopper was mugged for his toilet paper just moments after leaving a Savers store in London.
Dinendra was shopping in Harringay, north London, around 3.30pm when someone ran up behind him and snatched one of the two toilet roll packets he was carrying.
He was left shaken after the broad-daylight attack and lodged a report with the police – but insists ‘it’s not the value of the toilet roll, its the principle’.
Dinendra – who only went into the story to buy toilet paper – said: ‘I went to my local savers and bought two packs of toilet rolls.
‘Someone came up from behind and stole one packet in broad daylight.
‘I was shaken and shocked. Is that what we have come to? Its not the value of the toilet roll, its the principle.’