Britons stock up on tinned food and bottled water after government 'Be Ready' campaign

In brief

• Sales of hand sanitiser, bottled water and tinned goods rose sharply in the ten days after the UK 'Be Ready' campaign launched on 22 October.
• Worldpanel by Numerator reported increases of 83%, 67% and 37% compared with the same period a year earlier.
• Analysts at Worldpanel said shoppers were stockpiling gradually rather than panic buying.

Sales jump after government appeal

Demand for basic supplies climbed in the ten days following the start of the government's "Be Ready" campaign on 22 October (Sales of tinned food and bottled water jump after 'Be Ready' campaign launch – BBC News) (Britons stockpiling water and food tins but not panic buying, figures show – The Guardian). Compared with the same stretch a year earlier, hand sanitiser sold 83% more, bottled water 67% more, and tinned and jarred food 37% more, according to figures from the retail research company Worldpanel by Numerator.

| Product | Change in sales (10 days after launch vs. same period last year) | |---|---| | Hand sanitiser | +83% | | Bottled water | +67% | | Tinned and jarred goods | +37% |

What the campaign asks people to do

The government's checklist also includes wet wipes, a torch and cash.

Stockpiling, not panic buying

Worldpanel said households were building up supplies rather than rushing the shops. Fewer than a third of households bought bottled water in October. Measured in volume, tinned meat purchases rose by an amount equal to roughly 400,000 extra people buying each day, while the typical purchase stayed at around 500g, which suggests gradual stocking up.

Wider context

The campaign has drawn attention beyond Britain. Japan's government has since urged citizens to keep supplies for at least three days, and ideally a week, in case of natural disasters (Od Londynu po Tokio. Kolejne rządy wzywają do robienia zapasów – Polsat News). Some commentators have argued that a two-week reserve is safer, citing advice from emergency planners in the United States (Учений закликає зробити запаси на два тижні: що саме варто купити – TSN). The UK guidance itself remains at three days (Brytyjczycy mają zrobić zapasy na trzy dni. Rząd publikuje listę – Business Insider Polska).