Britons have rushed to raid supermarket shelves with baked beans, bottled water and batteries all vanishing after heeding Wes Streeting‘s warning to stockpile on essentials.
The Defence Secretary last week said the nation could face potential shortages and disruption from cyberattacks, extreme weather and hostile state threats.
Retailers have since reported huge spikes in sales of essential goods, including online giant Ocado which said several brands of bottled water listed as out of stock on Monday.
Shoppers searching for Volvic, Highland Spring and Brecon Carreg were told to ‘show alternatives’ while various Heinz and Baxters soup lines also ran dry.
An Ocado spokesman said it was working with its supply-chain partners to increase availability, with customers urged to check back or arrange delivery for later in the week.
Frozen food chain Iceland saw a 40 per cent jump in tinned product sales and strong bottled water sales, crediting the government’s warning.
‘Our supplies remain healthy,’ a spokesman from the supermarket said.
Booths, the northern chain, also reported year-on-year increases in sales of tinned goods, bottled water and batteries, with storms and flooding potentially influencing buying habits.
Mr Streeting on Monday told BBC Newsnight: ‘It’s encouraging that people are taking practical steps to be ready. Having a few everyday essentials at home, from tinned food to torches, helps households prepare for disruption, whether that’s flooding, power cuts or burst pipes. We can all play our part in making Britain more resilient.’
The surge in stockpiling comes after the Government released a survivalist checklist in the new official ‘Be Ready’ guidance for emergencies – including having enough food and water for three days and cash in case the electronic payments system collapses.
Online giant Ocado saw a surge in demand for essentials after the Government warned of potential shortages and disruption
The official checklist includes at least nine litres of water per person, foods that don’t need electricity to cook, back-up chargers, and pet food.
A wind-up or battery radio, loo roll and baby food are also advised in the print-and-keep document.
Last Thursday, Mr Streeting urged every household to prepare three days’ worth of non-perishable food, bottled water, an FM radio and blankets in case of hybrid attacks by terrorists or rogue state actors.
Ministers have insisted the advice is part of a wider national resilience strategy aiming to prepare Britain for the triple risks of severe weather, cyberattacks and foreign aggression, particularly from Russia.
But supermarkets have said they are better prepared for surges thanks to supply chain reforms following the Covid pandemic, which saw panic-buying trigger nationwide shortages of toilet paper, pasta and sanitiser.
The Association of Convenience Stores also said there was no ‘meaningful change’ in weekend sales, but sources warn some shoppers may take the stockpiling advice to extremes.
In light of last week’s storm weather, the Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner chaired a summit on wildfire dangers on Friday, where Mr Burnham declared: ‘unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common’.
‘Obviously weather events – and we’re in a situation today where the UK is facing storms, and obviously we feel for the people without power in Cornwall right now – it is just having those supplies in the house to get you through those moments,’ he said.
Ministers say the advice is part of a wider national resilience strategy aiming to prepare Britain for risks such as severe weather (Pictured: Waves crash over the promenade during Storm Boelo at the weekend)
‘We are having that conversation about resilience. That’s why we’re holding this summit today, it’s why we’re putting the guidance out to the public.
‘We potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding, so it’s about recognising all of those risks and taking action.’
Critics of the emergency plans have accused the Government of giving ‘bossy lectures’ and ‘encouraging panic’ while failing to ramp up spending on Britain’s defence.
Earlier this week, Mr Burnham made light of the orders, telling BBC Radio 5’s Matt Chorley show he would include Twiglets in his stockpile.
The PM said: ‘I do like my beans, so I have plenty of those in the cupboard and soup. I think those are the kind of things that I would recommend people to have as well as Twiglets.
‘I’m not sure I can get by for too long without those.’
