More than one in four UK adults (27%) are stockpiling, or considering stockpiling, food and drink in case of supply-chain issues or rising costs, according to new research from Barclays. The findings follow the launch of the government's 'Be Ready' campaign.
Campaign Encourages Three-Day Preparedness
Launched on 22 October, the campaign encourages households to prepare for three days of disruption to essential services such as power, water, phone networks and internet access. The guidance recommends taking small, affordable steps, including keeping non-perishable food, bottled water, torches, batteries and essential medicines at home.
In response, three in five UK adults (60%) have taken, or are considering taking, at least one action to prepare. This includes stockpiling food and drink (27%), buying items for power cuts (26%), and stockpiling toiletries and other household essentials (23%).
Items Being Stockpiled
Items bought, or being considered, following recent household preparedness news include tinned, dried or other non-perishable food (31%), bottled water (30%), spare batteries (23%), toiletries and bathroom products (23%), essential medicines or medical supplies (19%), and torches (18%).
The findings point to a quieter kind of stocking up than in the first weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even then, research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies found the spike was driven mainly by many more households than usual buying a little extra, rather than a small number buying in bulk – the same small-steps approach the 'Be Ready' campaign now encourages.
Comparison with Previous Stockpiling Waves
Today's picture is closer to the run-up to a possible no-deal Brexit. In February 2019, one in 10 shoppers said they had started stockpiling groceries and a further 26% were considering it, according to Kantar.
Despite the steps being considered, fewer than half (44%) say their household currently has enough food and drinking water to last at least three days. A further 22% have enough food but not enough drinking water, while 10% have enough drinking water but not enough food. One in nine (12%) say they have neither enough food nor enough drinking water for at least three days.
Steven Fergus, head of retail at Barclays, said: "A lot of people are clearly asking themselves, 'what would I do if the power went off or the taps ran dry for a few days?'
"That's a sensible question. And this feels very different to the empty shelves of 2020. It's people putting an extra tin or a pack of batteries in the trolley, just in case.
"The worry is that fewer than half of households could get through three days right now, and younger people are the least ready. You don't need to do it all in one go. Adding one or two bits to your weekly shop is an easy way to get there without a big hit to your budget."
