With the wintery conditions officially here, supermarket shoppers have been urged to think twice before they stockpile any household essentials.
The Met Office has recently issued yellow warnings for snow and ice across parts of the country. Scotland has been hit with a new weather warning on Wednesday morning, which is to bring 14 hour flurries until Thursday.
As we all know, the snowy forecast often sparks a bout of panic buying, with consumers racing to grab essential items. Retail pundits point out that when the flurries begin, it’s common to witness people hastily snapping up staples like bread, milk, and toilet paper.
Speaking to CNN, these experts noted how these goods are typically hoarded during snowy conditions. The news outlet previously reported: “With every predicted blizzard, there’s a mad dash to load up on milk, bread, eggs and toilet paper.”
Although other products like alcohol and snacks may also be in hot demand, these core items are usually what vanish first from the shelves at the slightest mention of snow. During the notorious ‘Beast from the East’ back in 2018, reports circulated of patrons emptying stores of bread and milk, reports the Express.
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
The icy onslaught resulted in customers stripping supermarket aisles bare, with some zealously snatching goods directly from delivery lorries amidst the frenzy. One Twitter user at the time documented the bedlam, posting: “Local Co-op out of milk and bread. Apparently there was a delivery this morning and people were literally taking it from the driver before he’d got it into the shop.”
One social media user commented: “It’s snowing here and I’ve just been out to watch the panic buying brigade 20 milk and 14 loaves battling it out in those trolleys like chariots and battering rams.”
They added: “I also noticed the price of the basics suddenly shot up 5p in some cases. Sheer profiteering as the snow has hardly settled.”
It is important to note that, despite the warnings, there are no confirmed shortages of essentials at major supermarkets including Asda, Tesco and Morrisons. However, the general rule for shoppers is to stick to what they need to avoid creating a problem.
Get the latest money news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our Record Money newsletter.