British food retailers address coronavirus panic buying

British food retailers have written a letter to their customers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

This will be published in adverts in national newspapers on Sunday and Monday. Signed by the likes of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Lidl, Asda, Iceland, Morrisons and Ocado, it calls on shoppers to stop panic buying and support one another during challenging times.

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“We understand your concerns but buying more than is needed can sometimes mean that others will be left without. There is enough for everyone if we all work together,” the letter states.

“Together we can make sure we are looking out for family, friends, neighbours. Together we will care for those around us and those who are elderly, vulnerable or choosing to remain at home.”

Various food retailers have put buying restrictions in place over the past week. Tesco, for instance, began restricting both in-store and online sales of essential food and household items as a result of coronavirus stockpiling. And Waitrose has introduced a temporary cap on some items on its website, including some anti-bacterial soaps and wipes.

The letter in full

To our customers,

We know that many of you are worried about the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19). We want to let you know that we are doing everything we can so that you and your families have the food and essentials you need.

We are working closely with government and our suppliers to keep food moving quickly through the system and making more deliveries to our stores to ensure our shelves are stocked. Those of us with online delivery and Click and Collect services are running them at full capacity to help you get the products you need when you need them.

We thank all our colleagues in stores and supply chains who are working day and night to keep the nation fed. But we need your help too.

We would ask everyone to be considerate in the way they shop. We understand your concerns but buying more than is needed can sometimes mean that others will be left without. There is enough for everyone if we all work together.

Together we can make sure we are looking out for family, friends, neighbours. Together we will care for those around us and those who are elderly, vulnerable or choosing to remain at home.

We are doing all we can to rise to this challenge. Serving you and keeping you and everyone who works with us safe will always be our priority.