Panic buying

[Reorte]

34 minutes ago, andytrains said:

We were stockpiling Easter Eggs until Trump, (another name for a phart), announced that it will be all over by Easter.

So my fat wife sat and ate all the said items this afternoon.

 

And thus we see the real public health threat posed by this virus -  what'll happen when thousands of such comments get noticed by the wrong person. That may be a greater risk than catching it...

[Re6/6]

My only stockpiling.

 

[Colin]

You certainly plan on staying awake!

[melmerby]

Went to Sainsburys for oldies hour.

Queue ¾ way round car park at 08:05, took about 15 mins to get in.

Long queue at checkout as it was restricted to alternative tills only open and social distancing.

Still some shortages such as toliet roll which had all been bagged by those first in as there were many trolleys circulating with 2x12 packs in. IMHO it should be limited to just one.

Bread depleted but still enough to go around. pasta and rice zero.

Some of the chilled products were very short dated (why?)

An old dear was trying to take more than 2 UHT milk and she queried me when I told her she could only have two

 

Got everything I went in for.

Hopefully I can rely on home deliveries from now on.

[Butler Henderson]

Still shocked by my visit to Sainsburys yesterday - everyone stood 2m apart in a quickly moving queue to get in but then a shopper with a mask on came out of the store and walked through the queue at less than 2m to put his trolley in a trolley bay. Then at the entrance/exit (they had closed off most of the entrance doors) you had to walk between two members of staff stood around 2m apart and once in the store the 2m rule equally seemed to fly out of the window with staff gossiping on tight corners  and staff and customers going both ways down narrow aisles. I did try to walk down those where people in front were going in the same direction at least 2m distance but would then find someone following behind as someone turned into the aisle at the far end meaning no way of being 2m distant. There was also the odd shopper who obviously ignored all advice and just shot round the store overtaking everyone and ignoring the 2m markings on the floor, To avoid using a trolley or basket, no evident cleaning was being done or provided for either, I used my own bag and a self scan device  which was also unclear whether it was clean or not and then again the touch screen pay display had presumably  been touched by a number of people before me. Still questionable stocks for those with food allergies - bought one of the only two bags of rice flour that I can use in the absence of any bread flour simply to dilute what I have to get an extra loaf.

[big jim]

i did my family's 'big shop' in bescot yesterday on my commute home,  between farmfoods, iceland warehouse and poundland i got everything we need for the next couple of weeks, obviously certain things like bread will need topping up but had no issues getting anything from the 3 stores combined, even wine for my wife, luckily got to farmfoods after a daytime delivery so freezers were pretty much full and there were even stacks of loo roll 

 

the thing with the retail park at bescot is its a bit, how can i put it....urban......with lots of closed units so its not busy at the best of times, yesterday was just right 

[Baby Deltic]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

...the thing with the retail park at bescot is its a bit, how can i put it....urban......with lots of closed units so its not busy at the best of times, yesterday was just right 

A bit like the depot then?

[rockershovel]

Interesting comment about observing “social distancing”, the two police gossiping in Boots yesterday seemed unfamiliar with the concept, although the woman on the till was hectoring customers to stand between tape marker lines..

[petethemole]

41 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

Interesting comment about observing “social distancing”, the two police gossiping in Boots yesterday seemed unfamiliar with the concept, although the woman on the till was hectoring customers to stand between tape marker lines..

Possibly on a break from a shift in a double-manned car?

[Colin]

I read in my paper today that Big Yellow Storage have experienced a big jump in demand for units. I suppose all the idiot hoarders are looking to find somewhere to put their bog rolls and pasta packs now!

[Baby Deltic]

47 minutes ago, Colin said:

I read in my paper today that Big Yellow Storage have experienced a big jump in demand for units. I suppose all the idiot hoarders are looking to find somewhere to put their bog rolls and pasta packs now!

It’ll be funny if they’re forced to close too!

[Baby Deltic]

[Rivercider]

At the store where I work there are now marshals outside controlling the queue (which got lengthy as the morning progressed). Inside the store it is now much calmer, with plenty of room to move, and keep your distance - (though inevitably people will have to walk past each other).

Stock levels are now better than the last 10 days, and there is some reserve stock in the warehouse, where previously there was next to nothing, (the iceberg is still there).

There were no queues to checkout, even though only alternate checkouts are open.   

 

Get used to it folks, we may be like this for some time,  - it is likely to be a marathon, not a sprint.

 

We can do this - together.

 

cheers

Edited March 27, 2020 by Rivercider
Grammar

[Butler Henderson]

34 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

At the store where I work there are now marshals outside controlling the queue (which got lengthy as the morning progressed). Inside the store it is now much calmer, with plenty of room to move, and keep your distance - (though inevitably people will have to walk past each other).

Why is it inevitable, the stores could be arranged with a one way flow and if staff need to contraflow for stocking purposes that bit closed for the duration. At normal times most stores seem capable of rearranging their aisles to force customers to have to look for what they want in the hope people will buy other things as well so why not now when it would be socially appropriate.

Edited March 27, 2020 by Butler Henderson

[Mark Saunders]

1 minute ago, Butler Henderson said:

Why is it inevitable, the stores could be arranged with a one way flow and if staff need to contraflow for stocking purposes that bit closed for the duration. At normal times Most stores seem capable of rearranging their aisles to force customers to have to look for what they want in the hope people will buy other things as well so why not now when it would be socially appropriate. I

 

Ikea was ahead of the game!

[Enterprisingwestern]

36 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

Why is it inevitable, the stores could be arranged with a one way flow and if staff need to contraflow for stocking purposes that bit closed for the duration. At normal times most stores seem capable of rearranging their aisles to force customers to have to look for what they want in the hope people will buy other things as well so why not now when it would be socially appropriate.

 

Assuming that the store has an even number of aisles?

 

Mike.

[newbryford]

Is this classed as panic buying?

 

 

[John Isherwood]

1 hour ago, newbryford said:

Is this classed as panic buying?

 

 

 

Nah !

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-Litres-DICHLOROMETHANE-SOLVENT-METHYLENE-CHLORIDE-Actual-Cheapest/323225616825?hash=item4b41bf81b9:g:w2AAAOSwBAxahZMJ

 

This is how I buy mine - exactly the same stuff and a fraction of the price of the little bottles.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Rivercider]

2 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

Why is it inevitable, the stores could be arranged with a one way flow and if staff need to contraflow for stocking purposes that bit closed for the duration. At normal times most stores seem capable of rearranging their aisles to force customers to have to look for what they want in the hope people will buy other things as well so why not now when it would be socially appropriate.

Well we could I suppose, but when stocking up we would take much longer to complete the routine. I assume you mean we should not overtake a customer on the way, just wait until they move forward? (some fresh fruit and veg need constant re-stocking,  - that is all I do for half my shift).

A complete one-way system Ikea style would be wholly impracticable in my opinion.

Also who would police customers to stop them overtaking on the way round?

 

cheers 

[Butler Henderson]

So to put it simply the supermarkets are happy to have CV19 spread through their shoppers and are just making token gestures,

[Rivercider]

6 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

So to put it simply the supermarkets are happy to have CV19 spread through their shoppers and are just making token gestures,

No

[pH]

2 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

Why is it inevitable, the stores could be arranged with a one way flow and if staff need to contraflow for stocking purposes that bit closed for the duration. At normal times most stores seem capable of rearranging their aisles to force customers to have to look for what they want in the hope people will buy other things as well so why not now when it would be socially appropriate.

 

Have you never got to the end of a trip round a supermarket and thought "Oh dear, I've forgotten the unicorn cutlets" and had to go back for them?

[AY Mod]

13 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

So to put it simply the supermarkets are happy to have CV19 spread through their shoppers and are just making token gestures,

 

I have previously asked that inflammatory statements which cannot be substantiated are left out of it. Please stop.

[Kris]

7 hours ago, melmerby said:

Went to Sainsburys for oldies hour.

Queue ¾ way round car park at 08:05, took about 15 mins to get in.

Long queue at checkout as it was restricted to alternative tills only open and social distancing.

 

 

I went to my local Tesco this morning arriving at 8am (aiming to be out before the 9am old persons hour started). The queue went round the carpark, down the path and out to the road. They were only letting 50 people into the store at a time, which equates to about 1 person per isle. I managed to get into the shop at 9.05, it was a little chilly queuing for that long. It was really strange in the shop and when I got to the tills I had the choice of 6 or 7 with no one at them (except the staff).  I got everything I went for except flour. Shouldn't need to go again for a fortnight, but will need to pop somewhere and get milk in a weeks time.

 

[Butler Henderson]

4 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

I have previously asked that inflammatory statements which cannot be substantiated are left out of it. Please stop.

First hand experience was quoted my second previous posting- the store staff were acting like they were immune and I got out of place as quickly as I safely could,