Supermarkets - the Megathread

Try smaller independent shops and butchers.
I got lots there a few days ago I couldn't get anywhere.

After all the panic buying madness when the announcements were made, things will quieten.

The stores will be open so don't worry about a 'lockdown'.

Own a vape shop and ive never been busier, you think its all stockpiling but people realising your better vaping than smoking if you catch this. Silver linings and all that.

Was shopping in Aldi Sunday morning as i do every week, probably 95% of shelves full, limits on tinned food, pasta, cleaning products, toilet roll and nappies.
Calm enough

Muahahaha wrote:

Just back from Aldi and Dunnes, neither was particularly busy but there was no fresh chicken to be found anywhere. The security guard in Dunnes was at the entrance wiping down customers trollies and basket handles with wet wipes and all the staff were wearing gloves.

I'm not sure if you would be able to get a chicken on any March 16th. Paddy's day is a big roast dinner day for a lot of ireland. I be willing to bet that there will be chicken on the shelves again on Wednesday

I've managed to avoid them apart from centra around the corner to get beer, going to cycle up to lidl artane soon and get some stuff, hoping it's not too bad

odyssey06 wrote: »

There was a bird flu outbreak in the border region - could be affecting chicken and eggs getting onto the shelves.

Ah but which gets there first?

Tesco Wicklow completely cleaned out of every kind of fresh meat. It's ridiculous. This is what happens when people rely on social media for hard information.

Locally I found it okay.
I'd describe it at brisk. People are getting a trolley of shopping instead of popping in a few times during the week. Stock levels are okay.
Not much pasta and no flour at the weekend. Lidl had customer quotas on a few things.
Some people are a little over whelmed that people that a family might use a trolley of shopping in a week and they call it panic buying.

Aldi anyway from what I've seen are filling the shelves as the stuff comes off, doing a fantastic job. Tesco I was in had nothing the other day.

The supermarkets in parts of London are in a dire state to be honest. Popped into one on the way home and the gaff was bare, and I mean bare.

No meat; three empty aisles. About 3/4 products left; lamb steaks, Clonakilty black pudding and a solitary roast beef with the plastic burst.

No fish. No eggs.

No rice, pasta, cous cous or any staples. Lentils and pulses gone. Nearly all the tines food gone.

90% of the veg gone. Couple of packets of asparagus and brocolli left but most stuff gone.

Cheese aisle massively diminished.

No jacks roll or tissues or anything. Nappies totally gone. Women’s sanitary products all gone.

No cleaning products at all.

It’s not great. Can buy some stuff in the Turkish or Indian markets and most of them are grand to be fair but a minority have been engaging in disgusting price gouging.

Aldi, Lidl have a 4 units per product limit
Tesco, Dealz also have a sign saying they have a quota on products

Vectors are still proximity crowding around each other in aisles and checkouts

Supermarket retailers revenues will see big jump in revenue in March if nothing else.

Probably have to start a hiring blitz some to keep up with demand

Supervalu in Swords (Pavilions) was completely restocked the couple of times I was there the last few days, whereas Tesco was a complete s**t show. Incredible difference, and I have to say the advertising that Supervalu are doing on the radio recently seems to be backed up with action.

I work in one of the large retailers, bird flu is impacting on eggs and chicken. As for meat at the moment the surge in buying it has put a backlog on the deliveries but they will start returning to normal again soon.

Fresh food is different to ambient, no retailer would of had warehouses full of it in case of a shortage.

donglen wrote: »

Was there not a a big kill off of chickens in Monaghan a few days ago due the bird flu? Possibly affected the short-term egg supply?

Did the chickens in Monaghan not get the flu jab?

The ones in Dublin did and they are okay:D

I feel sorry for people for working in supermarket warehouses. I know a few people who've worked in one and it's hellish on a good day never mind now!

tobsey wrote: »

I think people are being hard on others over panic buying. I don’t think most people stocked up because they thought the shops would run dry. I think they did it in case someone in their house caught it and needed to self isolate. People are actively reducing going out and about so instead of popping to the shops for a few things? They want to get them all in one go. It makes sense to do it that way. There was a mad rush on Thursday and Friday because of the new measures but that will ease. I still think most people will try to do one big shop a week instead of multiple trips.

Well unless they thought they would have to remain self isolated for the next 5 years they had no need to buy up all the toilet roll.

Unfortunately we have to put up with idiots like this.

tobsey wrote: »

I think people are being hard on others over panic buying. I don’t think most people stocked up because they thought the shops would run dry. I think they did it in case someone in their house caught it and needed to self isolate. People are actively reducing going out and about so instead of popping to the shops for a few things? They want to get them all in one go. It makes sense to do it that way. There was a mad rush on Thursday and Friday because of the new measures but that will ease. I still think most people will try to do one big shop a week instead of multiple trips.

I think the school shutdown coming with less than a day's notice shocked a lot of people. It wasn't surprising at all that people went straight to the shops, and if most people decided to buy an extra bag of pasta and rice, that would clear out the shelves on its own. The toilet roll thing is bizarre though.

tobsey wrote: »

I agree completely. As soon as it was announced I rang my wife and said get to the shops. We’re a family of 6 and she was planning on doing the weekly shop on Thursday evening. I said go now because everyone else would. Of course she added to the madness then. She had a full trolley of shopping but bought very little extra than she usually would. It probably looked to others like panic buying though.

Yep, it's herd behavior but there is nothing irrational about it. I just hope the government is mindful of it when they announce further restrictions.

I've been to the shops a few times in the school closures and the Aldi and Lidl's are putting stock up as quick as its coming down. The hysteria is ridiculous.