Government launches emergency prep campaign

The UK government launched the Be Ready campaign last week, advising households to prepare for emergencies such as extreme weather or cyber-attacks by stockpiling supplies for 72 hours.

Maplin reports dramatic surge in emergency gadgets

Specialist technology retailer Maplin said sales of torches almost quadrupled and sales of power banks and radios doubled. One brand of emergency wind-up radio sold out on Friday.

Maplin managing director on the response

Ollie Marshall, managing director of Maplin, said within hours of the announcement people bought torches, wind-up radios and power banks. These products keep households connected and informed when power goes out.

“Within hours of the Be Ready announcement we saw people reach for the basics, a torch, a wind-up radio, a power bank.”

Iceland reports 40 percent jump in tinned sales

Grocery chain Iceland said sales of tinned products were up 40 percent over the weekend and saw strong sales of bottled water. The chain said supplies of these products remain healthy.

“It's clear consumers have listened to the government's message. Our supplies of these products remain healthy.”

Specialist prepper sites report record demand

Survival kit seller EvaQ8 sold out of wind-up radios and water purification tablets over the weekend, selling about 300 radios compared with the usual 15. Long-life dried food was also in high demand.

Online prepper store sees tenfold surge

Josh Pringle, co-founder of online store Sgt Prepper, said business was 10 to 15 times busier than usual last weekend, focused on wind-up radios and long-life food including tins lasting 25 years.

“I have never seen it like this before.”

Supermarkets well stocked despite social media

Retail industry insiders said supermarkets were well prepared for a surge in food and drink sales and have good supplies of long-life groceries. Pictures of empty shelves online may not reflect actual availability.