Panic buying clears shelves at Coulsdon supermarket during snow fall (From Surrey Comet)

Panic buying clears shelves at Coulsdon supermarket during snow fall

11:00am Sunday 17th January 2010 in

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Panic buying struck a suburban supermarket last week, as worried residents prepared for days trapped in their homes by snow.

Waitrose in Coulsdon was stripped of essentials including bread and milk on Friday, while a chiller cabinet was also left completely bare as shoppers stocked up on foodstuffs.

Shopper Tamasin Coates found entire shelves bare when she popped in at 6pm for a few items for the weekend.

She said: “You don’t really expect people in the suburbs reacting as if they are going to be snowed in for months.

“It looked like everyone had been in that day and taken what they could grab.

“I went up to a member of staff and he said there had been no delivery for the day as a lorry had been stuck in snow, but people had also been panic buying.

“Luckily for me I already had milk and at home and bread in the freezer.”

A Waitrose spokeswoman said: "Our branches in the area are receiving regular deliveries and there is plenty of food on the shelves.

“We've seen some interesting sales trends including customers stocking up on cat litter - as pets are staying indoors and it can be used as an alternative de-icer to salt.

“Shoppers have also been buying warming and comfort foods including soups and ready meals, and long-life goods such as tinned custard, baked beans and Spam.”