UK shoppers moved quickly to stock up after the Be Ready campaign, sending sales of radios, torches, power banks and tinned food sharply higher. Iceland said it saw a 40% rise in tinned product sales over the weekend, while other retailers reported even steeper jumps in emergency items.
Robert Dyas reported a 160% increase in radio sales compared with last week. Maplin said sales were up 92% for radios, 284% for torches and 106% for power banks, with its figures covering the period since the government's announcement last week compared with the same period last month.
Wes Streeting's emergency list
On 22 October, Wes Streeting said people should ensure they have three litres of water per person per day, tinned goods in the cupboard, baby food, battery powered torches and mobile phone charging packs. He said households should keep a few everyday essentials at home to prepare for disruption such as flooding, power cuts or burst pipes. The Be Ready campaign later turned that advice into shopping behaviour.
Ollie Marshall, managing director at Maplin, said, “Within hours of the Be Ready announcement we saw people reach for the basics - a torch, a wind-up radio, a power bank. Torch sales nearly quadrupled and radio sales almost doubled in three days,” and added, “These are simple, affordable products that keep a household connected and informed when the power goes out, and it's encouraging to see people taking the advice seriously.”
Retailers see fast demand
Josh Pringle, from Sgt Prepper's online store, said, “We were a small outfit on Wednesday. And then the government launched the Be Ready campaign and we couldn't believe what we were seeing – order after order after order. Most of them were for a wind-up radio.” He said his sales increased tenfold after the campaign, showing how quickly a preparedness message can move demand toward one item rather than a broad basket of goods.
Lincoln Miles, founder of Preppers Shop UK, said, “Everything about off grid seems to be the key of what people are buying for the minute.” He said the retailer saw a 650% increase in sales after the government announcement.
Iceland's stock remains healthy
The surge did not translate into a shortage at every chain. Iceland said, “It's clear consumers have listened to the government's message as we have seen a 40% increase in sales of tinned products over the weekend and strong sales of bottled water too. Our supplies of these products remain healthy.” That leaves the immediate pressure on shoppers concentrated in demand, not in empty shelves.
Dame Angela Eagle urges UK households to Stock Up On Food with 3 staples tracks the same preparedness message, but the newest signal is practical: people are buying the items most likely to matter first. The open question is how long that surge lasts after the Be Ready announcement, and whether the current stock levels stay comfortable if the buying continues.
