Tinned food and bottled water sales jump after UK's 'Be Ready' campaign

Did your weekly shop include an extra tin or two lately? You're not alone. Since the government launched its "Be Ready" campaign, Britain's shelves have been quietly emptying of the essentials.

What happened?

In the 10 days after the campaign launched on 22 October, sales of hand sanitiser rose 83%, bottled water 67% and tinned and jarred goods 37%, according to retail research firm Worldpanel by Numerator.

In money terms, tinned and jarred food went from £58.2m to £79.5m compared with the same period a year earlier. Bottled water climbed from £13.6m to £22.8m. Hand sanitiser rose from £497,000 to £908,000.

Food firm Princes said on Tuesday that demand for its tinned tuna, meat and vegetables had risen too. Its interim chief executive, Giuseppe Mastrolia, said the jump showed the relevance of tinned food as an affordable, convenient option.

Is this panic buying?

Not according to the researchers. Fewer than a third of households bought bottled water in October, and the equivalent of an extra 400,000 people a day bought tinned meat. The typical purchase stayed at 500g, which points to gradual stocking up rather than trolleys piled high.

"This wasn't panic buying," said Fraser McKevitt of Worldpanel. He said people were simply adding items from the government's checklist to their usual shop, which is what ministers wanted.

That checklist suggests three days' worth of food and water, plus wet wipes, a torch and cash. The campaign warns that severe weather or cyberattacks could disrupt essential services. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said everyone should have supplies at home to get them through those moments.

Why is it controversial?

Not everyone can afford to prepare. A government survey found that 29% of people in the UK couldn't afford to keep a few days' worth of food at home. More than 180 experts signed an open letter in October asking for local authorities to have a duty to prevent and respond to food supply emergencies.

Disaster recovery expert Lucy Easthope has said the UK is playing "massive catch up" with countries such as France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Prices matter here too. Supermarket prices are now 2.6% higher than a year ago, up from 2.5% last month.

What's next?

The campaign continues to encourage households to build up their supplies slowly. Whether the government takes on more responsibility for food stockpiling, as some experts want, is still an open question.