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| Coronavirus: Tesco rations essential shopping items | Coronavirus: Tesco rations essential shopping items |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Tesco, the UK's largest grocer, has begun rationing essential food and household items as a result of coronavirus stockpiling. | Tesco, the UK's largest grocer, has begun rationing essential food and household items as a result of coronavirus stockpiling. |
| Shoppers are limited to buying no more than five of each of the rationed goods, including antibacterial gels, wipes and sprays, dry pasta, UHT milk and some tinned vegetables | Shoppers are limited to buying no more than five of each of the rationed goods, including antibacterial gels, wipes and sprays, dry pasta, UHT milk and some tinned vegetables |
| The rules apply in stores and online. | The rules apply in stores and online. |
| Waitrose has introduced a temporary cap on some items on its website, including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes. | Waitrose has introduced a temporary cap on some items on its website, including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes. |
| The supermarket said it was in talks with its suppliers to ensure customer demand was met. | The supermarket said it was in talks with its suppliers to ensure customer demand was met. |
| But it said some individual stores may have introduced restrictions, with "some branch managers making a judgement at a localised level". | |
| The High Street chemist Boots has restricted sales on hand sanitisers to two per person. | The High Street chemist Boots has restricted sales on hand sanitisers to two per person. |
| Asda is also restricting some types of hand sanitiser to two bottles per person - the supermarket's only restriction in place currently. | |
| Meanwhile, Sainsbury's said it was not rationing any products in-store or online yet. | |
| 'Short-term shortages' | 'Short-term shortages' |
| According to a survey from Retail Economics, as many as one in 10 UK consumers is stockpiling, based on a sample of 2,000 shoppers. | According to a survey from Retail Economics, as many as one in 10 UK consumers is stockpiling, based on a sample of 2,000 shoppers. |
| But Dr Andrew Potter, chair in logistics and transport at 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. | But Dr Andrew Potter, chair in logistics and transport at 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. |
| "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." |
| He said while retailers may have been caught out by the beginning of this shopping surge, they had very sophisticated systems to check changes in demand. | He said while retailers may have been caught out by the beginning of this shopping surge, they had very sophisticated systems to check changes in demand. |
| Waitrose said it has not put a cap on any of its products in stores. | Waitrose said it has not put a cap on any of its products in stores. |
| But it has introduced a temporary cap on certain products on its website, including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes, "to ensure our customers have access to the products they need". | But it has introduced a temporary cap on certain products on its website, including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes, "to ensure our customers have access to the products they need". |
| UK retailers have been warned that they face prosecution if they exploit the coronavirus scare to hike prices for products such as hand sanitisers and face masks. | UK retailers have been warned that they face prosecution if they exploit the coronavirus scare to hike prices for products such as hand sanitisers and face masks. |
| The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has told suppliers to act responsibly and said it was monitoring pricing practices. | The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has told suppliers to act responsibly and said it was monitoring pricing practices. |
| It comes as Facebook and Amazon have cracked down on profiteers hiking prices online of face masks and hand sanitisers. | It comes as Facebook and Amazon have cracked down on profiteers hiking prices online of face masks and hand sanitisers. |
| Facebook says it is temporarily banning ads and commercial listings for medical face masks. The ban will also apply to Instagram. | Facebook says it is temporarily banning ads and commercial listings for medical face masks. The ban will also apply to Instagram. |
| "We're monitoring Covid-19 closely and will make necessary updates to our policies if we see people trying to exploit this public health emergency," Facebook director of product management Rob Leathern tweeted. | "We're monitoring Covid-19 closely and will make necessary updates to our policies if we see people trying to exploit this public health emergency," Facebook director of product management Rob Leathern tweeted. |
| "We'll start rolling out this change in the days ahead. We... anticipate profiteers will evolve their approach as we enforce on these ads." | "We'll start rolling out this change in the days ahead. We... anticipate profiteers will evolve their approach as we enforce on these ads." |
| Facebook had earlier announced a ban on ads for medical products which falsely suggested an item was in short supply, as well as those which falsely claimed to provide cures or prevention methods for coronavirus. | Facebook had earlier announced a ban on ads for medical products which falsely suggested an item was in short supply, as well as those which falsely claimed to provide cures or prevention methods for coronavirus. |
| Meanwhile, Amazon said it had removed thousands of listings from its sites around the world and was constantly monitoring attempted price-gouging. | Meanwhile, Amazon said it had removed thousands of listings from its sites around the world and was constantly monitoring attempted price-gouging. |
| Gel price ramping | Gel price ramping |
| Analysis from Liberty Marketing has found UK own-brand hand sanitisers are being sold on eBay for huge mark ups, with Lidl 49p sanitisers selling for as much as £24.99 online. | Analysis from Liberty Marketing has found UK own-brand hand sanitisers are being sold on eBay for huge mark ups, with Lidl 49p sanitisers selling for as much as £24.99 online. |
| Morrison's £2 hand sanitiser is being sold for £29.99. | Morrison's £2 hand sanitiser is being sold for £29.99. |
| The Tesco Health Antibacterial Hand Gel (50ml) is just 75p in-store and is being sold for as much as £9 on eBay. | The Tesco Health Antibacterial Hand Gel (50ml) is just 75p in-store and is being sold for as much as £9 on eBay. |
| Other supermarkets included in the research include Asda, with a 2,629% increase, and Morrisons, with a 1,400% increase. | Other supermarkets included in the research include Asda, with a 2,629% increase, and Morrisons, with a 1,400% increase. |
| Have you struggled to purchase items in your local shops? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Have you struggled to purchase items in your local shops? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |