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Brixton. Stripped clean by panic buying vultures, FFS

In photos: Sainsbury's Brixton Superstore picked clean by panic buying vultures, 18th March 2020's Brixton Superstore picked clean by panic buying vultures, 18th March 2020


In photos: Sainsbury's Brixton Superstore picked clean by panic buying vultures, 18th March 2020's Brixton Superstore picked clean by panic buying vultures, 18th March 2020





In photos: Sainsbury's Brixton Superstore picked clean by panic buying vultures, 18th March 2020's Brixton Superstore picked clean by panic buying vultures, 18th March 2020




It’s hardly a superstore! Footfall in that Sainsbury is very high, lots of commuters in the surrounding area with fewer corner shops than other places. Probably everyone who lives on Leander Road will pass that Sainsbury’s as they go home. There’s no other shop beyond Iceland they can shop in on that route.

I’m not saying it’s okay (it isn’t, it’s shit) but it’s an inaccurate telling of the story in that link.
 
It’s hardly a superstore! Footfall in that Sainsbury is very high, lots of commuters in the surrounding area with fewer corner shops than other places. Probably everyone who lives on Leander Road will pass that Sainsbury’s as they go home. There’s no other shop beyond Iceland they can shop in on that route.

I’m not saying it’s okay (it isn’t, it’s shit) but it’s an inaccurate telling of the story in that link.
Sainsbury's describes the store as a superstore and I'm not sure how it's an 'inaccurate' telling of the story either - the place has a car park so facilitates bulk buying.
 
It's difficult to know what else people are supposed to do - there's an expectation that at any moment we need to be prepared to stay indoors for 14 days: lots of people - if they're anything like me - have small kitchens and not a lot of storage space, and have typically only food for a few days in at any one time. Millions of people having to increase their stocks of food from 2-3 to 14 days is inevitably going to cause problems with supply chains - but what else would you have them do?


Also loads of people are buying for people who are self isolating or can’t get out for one reason or another.

Hoarding and over-buying is happening for sure, but I’ve not seen much of it. I’ve seen many more people out in shops, and some with stacks of stuff (like 12paxks if instant noodles for eg) but I’ve not seen anyone with car loads of stuff. The other day in Tesco it was super busy but everyone had baskets not trolleys. That might be because I live in a busy inner city area where most people use public transport or walk.

Brixton Market was bonkers today, super busy and a horrible feeling of edgy panic. The phone shop,and WHSmith were empty, Nour was heaving. I couldn’t hack it and left without buying my cashew nuts. Another woman fled alongside me. We felt like escapees.
 
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Sainsbury's describes the store as a superstore and I'm not sure how it's an 'inaccurate' telling of the story either - the place has a car park so facilitates bulk buying.


Really? Then I don’t know what a superstore is.

I’ve shopped there twice this week and neither time did I see people bulk buying. I’m not saying it’s not happening because I know it definitely is happening. But I don’t think most people are doing it, I think most people are doing Christmas level stock ups, with more people doing it than would be around for Christmas (no one is travelling elsewhere but the rich) and the shops were not geared up for heavy stock-up shopping when it started.
 
Blimey editor I wasn’t saying it doesn’t happen. I actually said it does happen. My own corner shop has been stripped. I’ve been bitching about it on Facebook for days. I was just sharing my own perspective of my own observation of my own experience. I’m saying that not everyone who’s in the shops is behaving like a locust. I’m not, I assume you’re not, the people I saw with only one basket aren’t.

You’re right, it’s happening and it’s shit. I’m not arguing with you. I’ve also taken photos like those and stood there in the aisles shaking my head in bewilderment, I’ve also had strange stressy conversations with shelf stackers and till operatives.

I’m saying it’s complex. It’s not only bulk buying that’s making this situation.
 
Blimey editor I wasn’t saying it doesn’t happen. I actually said it does happen. My own corner shop has been stripped. I’ve been bitching about it on Facebook for days. I was just sharing my own perspective of my own observation of my own experience. I’m saying that not everyone who’s in the shops is behaving like a locust. I’m not, I assume you’re not, the people I saw with only one basket aren’t.

You’re right, it’s happening and it’s shit. I’m not arguing with you. I’ve also taken photos like those and stood there in the aisles shaking my head in bewilderment, I’ve also had strange stressy conversations with shelf stackers and till operatives.

I’m saying it’s complex. It’s not only bulk buying that’s making this situation.
I'm so fucking good that when I saw just two packets of pasta left, I only took one!

*shines halo

Meanwhile...

1584647304833.png
 
And you may not have seen it yourself but shelves don't get stripped bare without people taking vastly more than they need.

Yes they can be stripped bare without people taking more than they think they need. Because peoples perceptions of what they need changes at a time like this, and that in itself is enough to upset the balance between supply and demand.

Of course this is not a good thing either, perceptions can vary from reality. Shortages tend to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, people perceive that they need to stock up precisely because empty shelves create a perception of insecurity of supply, and so an ugly loop is created, even if there are no shortages earlier in the supply chain.
 
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Shortages tend to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, people perceive that they need to stock up precisely because empty shelves create a perception of insecurity of supply, and go an ugly loop is created, even if there are no shortages earlier in the supply chain.
Well, yes, we're well into that phase now. The bogroll frenzy still baffles me.

1584647674876.png
 
A close friend of mine lost her dad to a long illness over the weekend.
The funeral director has told them that any wake or get together following the funeral will have to take place in the family home due to the usual pubs being off limits due to Covid-19.
I haven’t heard this anywhere else, but saw the news earlier that the CofE is limiting weddings to five guests.
I expect a lot of family celebrations and memorial services are going to be put on hold for a while.
 
So Jet2 have now cancelled all flights in April which means our holiday can’t go ahead but apparently Jet2 have stopped giving refunds else they will collapse as a company.

Travel agent we booked thru has been trying to get us to change dates but we can’t due to the circumstances - travel agent said they’d get back to us, but we’ve asked for a refund.

We paid for the holiday on credit card, so hoping we get our money back.
 
So Jet2 have now cancelled all flights in April which means our holiday can’t go ahead but apparently Jet2 have stopped giving refunds else they will collapse as a company.

Travel agent we booked thru has been trying to get us to change dates but we can’t due to the circumstances - travel agent said they’d get back to us, but we’ve asked for a refund.

We paid for the holiday on credit card, so hoping we get our money back.
section 75 of the consumer credit act. Talk to the CC company. I am facing similar hell shortly. Good luck and it is gutting.
 
I've started Skyping the French guy I did an exchange with 45 years ago and he's escaped Paris and is at a shared family home in the South and he's convinced he can honestly fill out the online "attestation" and walk the half mile to the beach without incurring a 135 EU fine ...

... mind you this particular place isn't actually the Riviera - so perhaps he can get away with it there ...

EDIT :-

Blimey I hope he doesn't read this :-


The locals are not keen on Parisian refugees and the law is being laid-down.
 
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Things are moving so fast it's entirely possible that this has already been posted multiple times....this is what it does and why it's so dangerous (that we know, so far)

 
My neighbour told me to go to the doctors because I'm coughing (and have been for over a week now... I get a cough every spring because of allergies and general shit no tonsil protection).

I tired to tell her i HAVEN'T LEFT THE HOUSE FOR 5 DAYS.
Not good enough.

Woman's an idiot I swear.
 
Viruses always affect my lungs first. about a year go I cracked a rib because I was coughing so much. Every year I take two wekes off because I consisgtently end up with a lung infection and lose my voice.

Fuck you next door lady. if there's any chance I got a disease I'm not going to any vulnerable doctors office. I'm staying the fuck at home.

K thaqnx.
 
Blimey editor I wasn’t saying it doesn’t happen. I actually said it does happen. My own corner shop has been stripped. I’ve been bitching about it on Facebook for days. I was just sharing my own perspective of my own observation of my own experience. I’m saying that not everyone who’s in the shops is behaving like a locust. I’m not, I assume you’re not, the people I saw with only one basket aren’t.

You’re right, it’s happening and it’s shit. I’m not arguing with you. I’ve also taken photos like those and stood there in the aisles shaking my head in bewilderment, I’ve also had strange stressy conversations with shelf stackers and till operatives.

I’m saying it’s complex. It’s not only bulk buying that’s making this situation.

I also live in Brixton.

I don't understand what your issue is with the @Editors article.

People on Brixton forum have been complaining about shelves be stripped bare.

One of my workmates dropped into his local supermarket to buy a few things today. ( North London) Told me the poor cashiers were trying to tell people to they coiuld only have two packs of rice/ pasta. He said he felt sorry for the cashiers as they were getting a lot of angry people arguing with them. He thought it might kick off

He also told me his relative outside London was findiing it difficult to get powdered milk for her baby. Apparently someonw has been going around buying all local supplies and selling them on EBay at inflated prices.

He thought the government should step in and outlaw profiterring.

At moment I cannot get toilet rolls anywhere.

As Im one of those workers who has been moving people stuff out of the City in past week Ive "requisitioned" some from the now empty office blocks I visit

The situation is not that complex.

People are panicking.

The problem is that the weakest get pushed to back of queue..

In Brixton Iceland and a few other stores are now only letting retired people in the morning. As this vulnerable group is liable to get pushed out of the way at other times.
 
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Up in the City of London today. The couriers in London have been working hard this week helping to move people out to homeworking. Just finished another ten and a half hours.

Amazingly looks like closing down the City has been successful. Its all done to the hard work of the couriers / delivery people in London. They have been working flat out.

My partner teaches in North London and says the tube is empty in mornings now.

So its worked.

What concerns me is that soon the couriers / delivery people will be out of a job soon. There has been little in news of the logistical feat and hard work of ordinary people that has gone into moving people out to home working.

Mayor Khan says we should all work at home.

Me and my workmates can't. So dont know how we are going to survive.
 
I also live in Brixton.

I don't understand what your issue is with the @Editors article.

People on Brixton forum have been complaining about shelves be stripped bare.

One of my workmates dropped into his local supermarket to buy a few things today. ( North London) Told me the poor cashiers were trying to tell people to they coiuld only have two packs of rice/ pasta. He said he felt sorry for the cashiers as they were getting a lot of angry people arguing with them. He thought it might kick off

He also told me his relative outside London was findiing it difficult to get powdered milk for her baby. Apparently someonw has been going around buying all local supplies and selling them on EBay at inflated prices.

He thought the government should step in and outlaw profiterring.

At moment I cannot get toilet rolls anywhere.

As Im one of those workers who has been moving people stuff out of the City in past week Ive "requisitioned" some from the now empty office blocks I visit

The situation is not that complex.

People are panicking.

The problem is that the weakest get pushed to back of queue..

In Brixton Iceland and a few other stores are now only letting retired people in the morning. As this vulnerable group is liable to get pushed out of the way at other times.


I don't have a problem with the article :confused:
 
Hopefully they will come up with a quicker and cheaper method than PCR of spotting virus particles - perhaps routine screening of populations, spotting virus mutations .. vaccines, exploit-preventing drugs ...
It's like the early days of computer viruses...

Perhaps animal eating may start to lose its appeal at an even faster rate than it currently is...

It's making me a bit curious about virus evolution ...

Viruses ironically will also save us in these days of antibiotic resistance... I have a work client working on the mechanisms used by virii to attack bacteria ... the Russians used to be keen on using actual bacteriophages ...

In my case I have to stop rubbing my eyes and picking my nose*- and lose the mild phobia of intense handwashing that used to set my teeth on edge every time I watched MASH...

* I pick my nose a lot less than I did and replaced it not with netipot woo, but simply routinely snorting handfuls of cold water when I visited the washroom ... that is also problematic and perhaps helps to explain my increasing frequency of lurgification...
 
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