Sales of tinned food and bottled water jump after 'Be Ready' campaign launch

Sales of essential goods such as bottled water and canned food soared in the 10 days following the launch of the government's "Be Ready" emergency preparedness campaign on 22 October, research indicates. Hand sanitiser sales were up 83%, sales of bottled water rose 67% and tinned and jarred goods climbed 37%, according to data from retail research firm Worldpanel by Numerator.

The government's public awareness campaign encouraged people to stock up in case of disruption to essential services by severe weather or cyberattacks. After the campaign launch, the equivalent of an extra 400,000 people per day bought tinned meat, Worldpanel said, although the typical amount remained at 500g, which suggests a gradual stocking-up.

"Shoppers clearly took notice of the 'Be Ready' campaign, but this wasn't panic buying, with less than a third of households buying bottled water in October," said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator.