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Coronavirus: Can you stop people panic buying? Coronavirus: Can you stop people panic buying?
(5 days later)
Around the UK, shoppers are emptying shelves as fears grow over the spread of coronavirus.Around the UK, shoppers are emptying shelves as fears grow over the spread of coronavirus.
A government minister has said there is "no need" for stockpiling, but can panic-buying be controlled? Supermarkets are urging people not to buy more than they need, but can panic-buying be controlled?
How many people are panic-buying?How many people are panic-buying?
Social media is full of reports of empty shop shelves, and some supermarkets have begun restricting the sale of certain goods.Social media is full of reports of empty shop shelves, and some supermarkets have begun restricting the sale of certain goods.
Items including toilet paper, hand sanitiser, pasta and tinned foods are among the items that have been in short supply.Items including toilet paper, hand sanitiser, pasta and tinned foods are among the items that have been in short supply.
Similar scenes have been seen in countries such as Australia and the US.Similar scenes have been seen in countries such as Australia and the US.
Despite this, the government has said there is no reason for anybody to stockpile. The government has said there is no reason for anybody to stockpile.
And Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "I am confident we have fantastic supply chains. It is very important that everybody should behave responsibly and think about others." Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "I am confident we have fantastic supply chains. It is very important that everybody should behave responsibly and think about others."
The government is advising that it's OK to have friends, family or delivery drivers drop off supplies to get you through any self-isolation period. Public Health England has said that people should plan ahead and think what they will need if they have to self-isolate for seven days.
Public Health England says you shouldn't have any visitors, but you can have deliveries left on the doorstep. The advice is that they should ask friends or family to drop off anything they need or order supplies online. Any deliveries should be left outside their homes.
What can the government do?What can the government do?
This is a new situation, so the government's powers to deal with it are so far untested, according to Paul Dobson, from the University of East Anglia.This is a new situation, so the government's powers to deal with it are so far untested, according to Paul Dobson, from the University of East Anglia.
But he said he expected the government would speak to supermarkets to secure a series of voluntary agreements on issues around supply, and limiting panic buying.But he said he expected the government would speak to supermarkets to secure a series of voluntary agreements on issues around supply, and limiting panic buying.
"The government could have quite a useful co-ordinating role, and I think that's what's needed in the market to produce some stability," he said."The government could have quite a useful co-ordinating role, and I think that's what's needed in the market to produce some stability," he said.
And that appears to be the approach that the government is taking.And that appears to be the approach that the government is taking.
What are shops doing?What are shops doing?
The response from retailers has varied dramatically. A group of 12 major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Lidl and Iceland have written a letter to their customers asking them to be "considerate in the way they shop".
Several shops have introduced sales restrictions on certain items, to avoid selling out completely. "Buying more than is needed can sometimes mean others will be left without," they said, and added that they were working with government and suppliers to keep shelves stocked.
For example, at Tesco, shoppers are limited to buying no more than five of certain goods, including anti-bacterial gels, wipes and sprays, dry pasta, UHT milk and some tinned vegetables. As well as this overall plea, supermarkets have introduced sales restrictions on some items.
Meanwhile, Waitrose has brought in a temporary cap on some items on its website, including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes. The situation is changing but, at the time of writing, Tesco has been limiting shoppers to buying no more than five of certain goods including anti-bacterial gels, wipes and sprays, dried pasta, UHT milk and some tinned vegetables.
Boots and Asda are both restricting some types of hand sanitiser to two bottles per person. Waitrose brought in a temporary cap on some items on its website, including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes.
Iceland has yet to introduce any restrictions. Its chief executive, Richard Walker, told the BBC said panic-buying had been seen more in the south of the country. Boots and Asda have both restricted some types of hand sanitiser to two bottles per person.
He added that he believes stockpiling is only an option for those who can afford it.
When will products be back on the shelves?When will products be back on the shelves?
"Whilst there might be empty shelves at the moment in the shops, over the next week or so, we will see them replenish," Andrew Potter, from Cardiff Business School, told the BBC."Whilst there might be empty shelves at the moment in the shops, over the next week or so, we will see them replenish," Andrew Potter, from Cardiff Business School, told the BBC.
"The supply chain will start to deliver stuff through to the stores and hopefully this shortage - which is fairly short term - will clear and everything will be back to normal again.""The supply chain will start to deliver stuff through to the stores and hopefully this shortage - which is fairly short term - will clear and everything will be back to normal again."
Jan Godsell, from the University of Warwick, also said that the initial spike in demand is likely to be short-lived.Jan Godsell, from the University of Warwick, also said that the initial spike in demand is likely to be short-lived.
She said people bought items like toilet paper and pasta to stockpile but then were likely to stop buying.She said people bought items like toilet paper and pasta to stockpile but then were likely to stop buying.
She said the "unknown" was labour, questioning what would happen if 20% of the workforce was taken ill, a situation the government has factored into its plans. She said the "unknown" factor was labour, questioning what would happen if 20% of the workforce was taken ill, a situation the government has factored into its plans.
"Then we might need to make some decisions about where in our supply chain we use those [people]," she said."Then we might need to make some decisions about where in our supply chain we use those [people]," she said.
The Competition and Markets Authority watchdog has warned retailers not to "exploit" fears about coronavirus by dramatically increasing the price of protective goods like hand gels and face masks.The Competition and Markets Authority watchdog has warned retailers not to "exploit" fears about coronavirus by dramatically increasing the price of protective goods like hand gels and face masks.