UK supermarkets have seen a sharp rise in sales of bottled water, tinned food and other essentials after the government’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign urged households to prepare for emergencies.

Sales of hand sanitiser jumped 83 per cent, bottled water rose 67 per cent and tinned and jarred goods increased 37 per cent in the 10 days following the campaign’s launch on 22 October, according to new data from Worldpanel by Numerator.

The number of shoppers buying tinned meat rose 43 per cent, equivalent to an additional 400,000 customers a day, although the average quantity purchased remained at around 500g.

The data suggest shoppers are gradually building up emergency supplies rather than panic buying.

Worldpanel by Numerator head of retail and consumer insight Fraser McKevitt said shoppers had clearly responded to the government’s advice, but stressed that the increase in sales was not driven by panic buying.

He noted that fewer than a third of households bought bottled water during October, with consumers instead adding recommended products to their regular grocery shops.

The government’s Be Ready campaign encourages households to keep three days’ worth of essentials, including nine litres of water per person, non-perishable food, batteries, torches and first aid supplies, in case of disruption caused by extreme weather, cyberattacks or other emergencies.

Food manufacturer Princes has also reported increased demand for canned products, including fish, meat and vegetables, since the campaign launched.

Separate Barclays research found that 27 per cent of consumers were either stockpiling or considering building up emergency food and drink supplies.

The findings come as grocery inflation edged up to 2.6 per cent in the four weeks to 1 November, compared with 2.5 per cent the previous month.

Overall grocery sales rose 2.2 per cent year on year in October, according to Worldpanel.

As Retail Gazette reported earlier this week, IGD chief executive Sarah Bradbury suggested the government’s Be Ready campaign may have contributed to stronger food sales during October.

However, she warned that shoppers remained pessimistic about their finances as they headed into the crucial Christmas trading period.

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