Supermarkets appeal for calm as shelves empty

Tue, 17 Mar 2020

Supermarkets on the Isle of Man are pleading with customers to refrain from panic buying during the coronavirus crisis, with some already rationing items and turning new customers away to cope with demand.

In a highly unusual move, all the major operators including Tesco, Shoprite and M&S signed up to a letter urging customers to shop responsibly and ensure supplies are shared out fairly.

It reads:

17 March 2020

 

To our customers,

 

We know that many of you are concerned about how Coronavirus (COVID-19) may affect the Isle of Man and in particular, how this may affect supplies of food, medicine, and household essentials.

 

As retailers, we have extensive plans in place to cover disruptions and to ensure that we can continue to supply our customers even in cases of exceptional demand. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and our logistics providers have robust plans in place to cope with any impact on sailings and to ensure freight can be carried even in a ‘worst case’ scenario. In addition, we are continuing to work with suppliers to keep shelves restocked. We would like to thank our colleagues across retail and logistics who are working around the clock to deal with this challenge.

 

With that in mind, we also require the support of our customers. We would like to reassure our customers in the strongest possible terms that there is no disruption to the supply of essential goods and shelves will be restocked as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, while we await stock, some customers may not be able to get hold of what they need. For this reason, we would ask you to be considerate in your purchases, and only buy what you really need. There is plenty of supply to go around, but we do need you to shop as close to normal as possible.

 

By shopping considerately, we can work together to ensure that everyone in the Isle of Man - including the most vulnerable members of our society - can continue to get what they need.

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