The UK government's "Be Ready" emergency preparedness campaign triggered sharp sales spikes in survival supplies over the past weekend. Maplin reported torch sales nearly quadrupled and power bank and radio sales doubled, with one wind-up radio brand selling out on Friday. Home security camera sales rose 130%. Iceland saw tinned product sales jump 40% and reported strong bottled water demand. Ocado noted increased demand for some items.
Several major supermarkets reported no material change in tinned goods demand, attributing weekend activity to cooler weather driving soup and bean purchases. Jim Bligh, food policy director at the British Retail Consortium, said some retailers saw "a small uptick" but that "food availability remains strong and retailers remain well stocked with all essential products."
Specialist prepper retailers experienced larger surges. EvaQ8 sold around 300 wind-up radios over the weekend versus its usual 15, and sold out of water purification tablets. Sgt Prepper reported business 10 to 15 times busier than normal, with larger wind-up radios and long-life tinned food selling out. Founder Josh Pringle said he had "never seen it like this before."
Zaid Al-Mufti of EvaQ8 cautioned that past demand spikes for emergency supplies have been short-lived, with exceptions during the Covid pandemic and after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He said he did not expect the current surge to last.
Retail sources noted that while some empty shelf pictures circulated on social media, supermarkets held adequate stock with alternative brands typically available.