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Britons stock up on tinned food and bottled water after Be Ready campaign
Sales of tinned food, bottled water and hand sanitiser reportedly jumped after the government launched its Be Ready emergency-preparedness campaign, with grocery prices also rising as households stockpile.
By George Kensington · 2 min read
Household stockpiling of tinned food and bottled water has risen sharply in Britain following the launch of the government's Be Ready emergency-preparedness campaign, which urged households to prepare for emergencies. Sales of both products reportedly jumped after the launch, and hand sanitiser sales are also reported to have soared.
Reporting on the trend, the BBC published its account on 10 November 2026, noting the surge in purchases of basic supplies. The Times reported that rising grocery price inflation was linked to the stockpiling, with Britons buying water and tins in larger quantities. The Guardian, while describing the same stockpiling behaviour, said the figures did not show signs of panic buying.
The sources do not confirm the exact percentage increases or total sales figures for the products involved, so the scale of the rise cannot be precisely measured from the reporting available. Retailer-level data and any response from supermarkets have also not been confirmed in the material available.
It is also unclear how long the stockpiling surge will last. The reporting ties the demand to food and grocery prices, but does not establish whether the increase in purchases will continue or fade as the campaign's initial attention passes. Details of the official Be Ready campaign, including its costings, have not been confirmed in the sources.
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