What are you panic buying?

[maomao]

I didn't need to buy anything out of the ordinary last time there was a lockdown, and I see no reason why this should change. In fact the only reason I had any difficulty was because of the fucking idiots panic buying bog roll.

It's literally fucking pointless! Why do it?

It wasn't pointless six months ago when the government were being as vague as fuck about what a lockdown might involve and all the food was disappearing off the shelves. It was also actually more difficult to shop during lockdown as I couldn't take the whole family and buggy so I had to carry everything alone. Was very glad of the pile of staples in the back room in April and May.

 

[NoXion]

I think it's been sufficiently demonstrated by now that any lockdown will certainly not be anything like the kind they had in China.

 

[platinumsage]

I didn't need to buy anything out of the ordinary last time there was a lockdown, and I see no reason why this should change. In fact the only reason I had any difficulty was because of the fucking idiots panic buying bog roll.

It's literally fucking pointless! Why do it?

Self-isolating for 14 days is still something that people may have to do with no warning, so anyone who doesn’t have enough to get by for that long, is in my opinion being selfish. Why rely on others to deliver to your potentially virus-addled home, or even worse venture out yourself, when it has been incredibly easy to stock up over the summer? Add in other household members becoming infected later and being ill for weeks, and a month’s worth of stuff is very reasonable.

 

[TopCat]

Self-isolating for 14 days is still something that people may have to do with no warning, so anyone who doesn’t have enough to get by for that long, is in my opinion being selfish. Why rely on others to deliver to your potentially virus-addled home, or even worse venture out yourself, when it has been incredibly easy to stock up over the summer? Add in other household members becoming infected later and being ill for weeks, and a month’s worth of stuff is very reasonable.

A lot of people are skint.

 

[weltweit]

.. Add in other household members becoming infected later and being ill for weeks, and a month’s worth of stuff is very reasonable.

I don't have storage space for a month's worth of stuff.

 

[Orang Utan]

Self-isolating for 14 days is still something that people may have to do with no warning, so anyone who doesn’t have enough to get by for that long, is in my opinion being selfish. Why rely on others to deliver to your potentially virus-addled home, or even worse venture out yourself, when it has been incredibly easy to stock up over the summer? Add in other household members becoming infected later and being ill for weeks, and a month’s worth of stuff is very reasonable.

people will still need fresh produce though and not everyon can afford to get two weeks food or have anywhere to put it

 

[platinumsage]

people will still need fresh produce though and not everyon can afford to get two weeks food or have anywhere to put it

Right. But neither of those things makes it “literally fucking pointless”.

 

[TopCat]

Right. But neither of those things makes it “literally fucking pointless”.

Dick points.

 

[Cloo]

It does seem a bit pointless to me now - everyone should know that shops will remain open and that overbuying was the reason for shortage, not supply chain issues. But I guess that last message may still not have got through.

But everyone's going to start sharing 'Oh, look at this empty shelf' photos on social media and start it all off again. Local supermarket fine this evening though, I can report.

 

[two sheds]

I can't panic buy anything good because I need to defrost my freezer

 

[Calamity1971]

Local supermarket fine this evening though, I can report.

Went to my local for cat food and noticed bare pasta shelves. Woman on checkout said it was rammed today with the people panic buying pasta, bog rolls and flour .
Food Bank box was empty .

 

[Calamity1971]

I can't panic buy anything good because I need to defrost my freezer

Lazy bastard .

 

[Epona]

Honestly I didn't panic buy loo roll last time round but that ended up in a situation I never want to repeat, which is someone in the house with IBD and no fucking loo roll. Seriously there are 2 of us and we get through a roll a day and that is on a good digestive system day.

If you see me in a shop getting 2 packs of loo roll, that is probably a weeks worth, not apocalyptic stocking up.

It is actually fairly unpleasant that I feel the need to excuse or explain loo roll consumption

 

[Calamity1971]

Honestly I didn't panic buy loo roll last time round but that ended up in a situation I never want to repeat, which is someone in the house with IBD and no fucking loo roll. Seriously there are 2 of us and we get through a roll a day and that is on a good digestive system day.

If you see me in a shop getting 2 packs of loo roll, that is probably a weeks worth, not apocalyptic stocking up.

I have always been mocked for my stockpile of bog roll, even before covid. The mockers were helped out when they couldn't get any at peak covid. I was rather smug tbh.

 

[Epona]

I have always been mocked for my stockpile of bog roll, even before covid. The mockers were helped out when they couldn't get any at peak covid. I was rather smug tbh.

We've gone through phases of having loads of loo roll when OH gets into collecting it - it's just... I can't explain it, at the moment it is pens so we have 200+ biros littering up the place in odd locations for no apparent reason, for a while though a few years back it was a loo roll collection that was built into a wall of loo rolls in the bathroom. A friend who visited joked "I hate it when you go somewhere and are worried that they might run out of loo roll". I berated OH about the ridiculous loo roll collection and he stopped doing it. This was about 10 years ago. Then lockdown hit and we were rationing the 2 rolls we had left but had about a million biros because that was his new collected thing. Over the years we have also had a glut of stuff like lighters, chopsticks, disposable straws and more. People are strange and do strange things.

I apologised for ever complaining about the loo roll collection mind you, that one seemed reasonable at a later date.

If anyone needs biros, let me know. Bring a skip for ease of collection.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Self-isolating for 14 days is still something that people may have to do with no warning, so anyone who doesn’t have enough to get by for that long, is in my opinion being selfish. Why rely on others to deliver to your potentially virus-addled home, or even worse venture out yourself, when it has been incredibly easy to stock up over the summer? Add in other household members becoming infected later and being ill for weeks, and a month’s worth of stuff is very reasonable.

Not everyone has a fridge and/or freezer, so not everyone is able to buy and store a couple of weeks' worth of fresh/frozen food.

Some people only buy a few days groceries at a time because they can't physically carry two weeks' worth of supplies but don't have a car and can't afford taxis.

Some people struggle to get by pay cheque to pay cheque in a low-paid job or payday for meagre benefits. Some are reliant on foodbanks to feed their family. Not everyone can afford to stockpile.

Not everyone is in a position to stock up and make sure that they have sufficient provisions for themselves and their family for a couple of weeks, because they lack the finances or storage capacity or because of logistical problems and they lack the means to transport a big shop.

If you're able to, bully for you, but you might want to check your privilege and have some sympathy for those who are less fortunate, who are struggling to get by.

 

[platinumsage]

Not everyone has a fridge and/or freezer, so not everyone is able to buy and store a couple of weeks' worth of fresh/frozen food.

Some people only buy a few days groceries at a time because they can't physically carry two weeks' worth of supplies but don't have a car and can't afford taxis.

Some people struggle to get by pay cheque to pay cheque in a low-paid job or payday for meagre benefits. Some are reliant on foodbanks to feed their family. Not everyone can afford to stockpile.

Not everyone is in a position to stock up and make sure that they have sufficient provisions for themselves and their family for a couple of weeks, because they lack the finances or storage capacity or because of logistical problems and they lack the means to transport a big shop.

If you're able to, bully for you, but you might want to check your privilege and have some sympathy for those who are less fortunate, who are struggling to get by.

I was responding to someone who said stocking up was “fucking pointless”. I am well aware that there are reasons why some people can’t stock up, but to suggest it is a pointless thing for anyone to do is misguided. The more people who do stock up now the better for those who can’t - because if things get worse there will then be more stock on the shelves, more delivery slots and more community help available for those who weren’t able to.

 

[Epona]

I was responding to someone who said stocking up was “fucking pointless”. I am well aware that there are reasons why some people can’t stock up, but to suggest it is a pointless thing for anyone to do is misguided. The more people who do stock up now the better for those who can’t - because if things get worse there will then be more stock on the shelves, more delivery slots and more community help available for those who weren’t able to.

Not really, the people who can manage to buy, carry home, and store multiple weeks worth of goods at one time will always be more likely to be protected against shortages than those who can't, and may be reducing availability of those goods for others.

(We have both been casual labour or self employed paid weekly or per invoice for a while now, we don't get even a months worth of income at one go - it's week to week).

 

[platinumsage]

Not really, the people who can manage to buy, carry home, and store multiple weeks worth of goods at one time will always be more likely to protected against shortages than those who can't, and may be reducing availability of those goods for others.

If no one at all stocks up when things are plentiful, like now, then everyone will be competing for stuff when the shortages come. We saw this last time with pasta, tinned goods etc.

However if those who are able have stocked up in advance when things are plentiful, then when the shit hits the fan they won’t need to compete for staples with those who weren’t able to stockpile.

 

[Epona]

If no one at all stocks up when things are plentiful, like now, then everyone will be competing for stuff when the shortages come. We saw this last time with pasta, tinned goods etc.

However if those who are able have stocked up in advance when things are plentiful, then when the shit hits the fan they won’t need to compete for staples with those who weren’t able to stockpile.

Yes, in that sense it is the same as has always been since the class system came into being - people who are able to stockpile do better than those who can't (and that in itself is the basis for much inequality in the world). You can't simply berate the poor into buying more stuff while it is available if they can't afford it, regardless of how sensible an idea it might sound to you.

 

[platinumsage]

Yes, in that sense it is the same as has always been since the class system came into being - people who are able to stockpile do better than those who can't. You can't simply berate the poor into buying more stuff while it is available if they can't afford it.

I wasn’t though was I?

Telling everyone that it’s pointless to stockpile will make things worse everyone.

 

[Epona]

I wasn’t though was I?

Telling everyone that it’s pointless to stockpile will make things worse everyone.

No you're absolutely right, the wealthy stockpiling now will help the poor if there is a shortage of goods and prices go up as a result. Absolutely. I can;t see how your logic can possible go wrong.

 

[platinumsage]

No you're absolutely right, the wealthy stockpiling now will help the poor if there is a shortage of goods and prices go up as a result. Absolutely. I can;t see how your logic can possible go wrong.

Because if no one buys anything in advance, future shortages are going to better how exactly?

 

[Numbers]

Went to CoOp this morning for some things for breakfast (Cava, eggs, bread) and found myself buying 4 tins of chick peas, 2 x plum tomatoes, 2 x red kidney beans, frozen peas/veg and a big pack of Cushelle double rolls. Prob gonna buy 1 or 2 bits anytime I’m out in the coming week(s).

 

[WouldBe]

Because if no one buys anything in advance, future shortages are going to better how exactly?

The whole problem last time wasn't with the supply chain it was due to people filling trollies with pasta or big roll. If there is another lockdown it won't be the poor that will be filling trollies as they won't be able to afford to. It will be the better off who won't stop stockpiling when they have a month or 2 stockpiled.

 

[maomao]

So The Mail is full of pictures of people strapping hundreds of bog rolls to their roof racks etc. but I've been in three supermarkets this week and apart from Lidl being a bit short of eggs once everything seems normal.

 

[NoXion]

So The Mail is full of pictures of people strapping hundreds of bog rolls to their roof racks etc. but I've been in three supermarkets this week and apart from Lidl being a bit short of eggs once everything seems normal.

Maybe not many people in your area take that worthless shitrag seriously? I live in hope.

Either way it's been shown that this kind of stuff can snowball, and that the media plays a role in that. I definitely think news outlets should be strongly discouraged from carrying such non-stories.

 

[platinumsage]

So The Mail is full of pictures of people strapping hundreds of bog rolls to their roof racks etc. but I've been in three supermarkets this week and apart from Lidl being a bit short of eggs once everything seems normal.

Weren't the Mail picturing only Costco customers, 70% of whom are small business/wholesale purchasers?

 

[bimble]

The supermarkets near me messed up by selling off really cheap stacks of all their weird stock that they sourced somehow during the last panic (spaghetti with just turkish writing on, 17p, peculiar pink scented bog roll etc) . They'll be regretting it now.

 

[maomao]

Maybe not many people in your area take that worthless shitrag seriously? I live in hope.

I live in a solid working class Tory part of London so that's probably not true.