Food shortage again?

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Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
12,778
1,514
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Wiltshire
Dad has insisted on doing his own shopping.

He says there are a lot of empty spaces on the supermarket shelves

What gives?
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
Our local Tesco's always had empty shelves at times even before COVID. Whether that's lazy shelf stackers, poor management or simply new stock items due in but were late I don't know. It's very common on end of aisle promotions or the seasonal aisle area here. They soon get filled though.

Other than that there's very few empty shelves here.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
There are lots of empty or near empty shelves here. It might have been the panic buying that initially am tied them but the shutdowns have meant a disruption to the resupply chain has kept things scarce. At least for many brand names. I suspect that’s what you dad is noticing. Example: there are plenty of tinned sardines, etc, but not the brand he usually buys.
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
4,520
3,460
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Exmoor
I've noticed in my local shop that although most things are back to normal there is not much variety in the tinned veg section. No sweetcorn no peas no carrots. Sugar runs out regularly as does flour.
Ours is a tiny co op compared to the huge tescos or morrisons most people shop at so that could be the reason but we rarely had problems before covid.
 
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Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
12,778
1,514
51
Wiltshire
My Dad is a very worthy gentleman but he can turn half an inch into two inches of snow easily.

(Should work for the British Ski Union...)

I suspect this is simply his perceptions.

But these days i am wary.
 
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Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
4,520
3,460
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Exmoor
I think you should be stocking up on your dad's favourite items. With brexit comming and possibly covid rearing it's ugly neck over the winter and all that entails we may yet find items difficult to find.
Even if that doesn't come to pass you still have food at today's prices instead of post brexit prices.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I live right in the middle of the central belt, we have M&S, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrison's, Asda, Aldi, Iceland, B&M's, Home Bargains, Farmfoods and the Co-op, all within either five minutes walk or ten minutes drive, from the house. There are three 'corner shops' too within walking distance.
None of the ones I've been in recently (the first four on the list) had any shortages, and I haven't heard anyone mention anything about empty shelves.
Not a lot of special offers/buy one get on half price sort of thing, but nothing missing that I noticed.
The Greengrocers have their usual spread of boxes out too, and the Butchers and Fishmonger's are looking like normal.

M
 
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
It's normal to squirrel at this time of year though. Maybe he's got that at the back of his mind and not seeing the things he'd really like to have stashed away for the wet, cold and dark time.

M
 

TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,451
3,654
50
Exeter
I wonder how many shelves the general population would need to see in a single location to cause a mini panic buy / boom.

If all the bread was missing from the shelves for a few days would that automatically trigger a change in peoples shopping behaviour with immediate effect.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
During the first Covid scare some stores ran out of wheat flour. Everybody were scratching their heads what are the people going to do with it. People act strangely.
 
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TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,451
3,654
50
Exeter
During the first Covid scare some stores ran out of wheat flour. Everybody were scratching their heads what are the people going to do with it. People act strangely.

The Madness of Crowds. Erratic. Unpredictable and quite dangerous.
 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
During the first Covid scare some stores ran out of wheat flour. Everybody were scratching their heads what are the people going to do with it. People act strangely.

I noticed all the gram flour was being panic bought too. Some folks must have got some very surprising bread!
 

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