Sales of selected emergency-preparation items rose at some UK retailers after the Cabinet Office issued three-day guidance, while several major supermarket chains reported no material change in tinned-goods demand.
Iceland said sales of tinned products rose 40% over the weekend, while bottled-water sales were strong. The retailer said its supplies remained healthy.
Maplin said torch sales climbed 284%, power-bank sales 106% and radio sales 92%. BBC Newsnight reported that Maplin compared those figures with the same period in the previous month. The broadcaster also reported Robert Dyas radio sales were 160% higher than the previous week. The retailers used different comparison periods, so their gains are not directly comparable. Maplin Managing Director Ollie Marshall told BBC Newsnight customers began buying basics “within hours” of the announcement.
Several major supermarket chains told The Guardian they had seen no material change in tinned-goods demand. The stores said cooler, stormy weather was a more likely explanation for demand for soups and beans. Jim Bligh, food policy director at the British Retail Consortium, told The Guardian retailers were “well stocked” with essential products.
The Guardian reported Maplin was low on stock, especially power banks, after summer heatwaves and the fallout from the Iran war. It also quoted a seller citing demand spikes during the COVID-19 pandemic and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Be Ready began Oct. 22 as the first phase of a three-year campaign. The Cabinet Office said the guidance reflects service disruptions from storms the previous winter and wildfires that summer. EconoTimes previously covered the campaign’s household guidance and early reports of activity at specialist shops.
The Cabinet Office said more than 500 organizations had agreed to distribute campaign information. Its publicity plan includes radio and social media advertising in the months ahead. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said household readiness could “reduce pressure on emergency services.”
