Supermarkets in Islington have imposed a purchase limit on household essentials including toilet paper, as local shops report shortages due to Coronavirus panic buying.
Sainsburys, Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose supermarkets visited by Islington Now reporters were all short of toilet paper, baby products, dry pasta and hand sanitiser, with many shelves completely empty.
Some soap products will not be delivered to Islington supermarkets for over two weeks, with Imperial Leather soap completely out of stock until 21 of March.
Items such as hand sanitiser, UHT milk and dry pasta will be limited to five per customer in Tesco stores to prevent shortages, as the number of cases of coronavirus across the country rises to 373.
The Waitrose store in Angel currently has no plans to impose item limits, despite reporting a shortage of certain products. They have introduced a temporary cap on their website in order to ensure customers can continue to access products such as antibacterial soaps and wipes.
Islington has yet to see a coronavirus diagnosis, but this has not prevented shortages in supermarkets across the borough due to customers stockpiling as panic about the virus grows.
One shop worker at Sainsburys in Angel, who asked not to be named, said: “On Saturday it was absolute mayhem. People were buying loads and loads of toilet paper and hand sanitiser. Now it’s moved on to pasta and rice. People are stocking up.
“It is good for the shop though. We’re selling lots, we’ve been really busy,” she added.
Lee, a local resident who had just finished shopping at Sainsburys, is not worried about the virus and will not be stockpiling food. “You don’t need to stockpile pasta to survive. There’s plenty of other things to eat, just look around the supermarket there is no shortage of fruit and vegetables. This isn’t a third world country,” he said.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Our members are working hard to ensure consumers have access to the products they need. Even where there are challenges, retailers are well-versed in providing effective measures to keep retail sites running smoothly, and they are working with suppliers to increase the supply of goods.
“Retailers are currently facing a rise in demand for certain products unprecedented outside of the Christmas period. However, this has largely been limited to hygiene and longer shelf-life food products.
“The BRC has given the government a list of regulations where relaxation would ease pressure in the supply chain, including extending drivers hours and giving flexibility on delivery times to stores,” she added.
