Government “Be Ready” Campaign Fuels Rise in Tinned Goods and Bottled Water Sales

Sales of essential goods, including bottled water and canned food, rose sharply in the 10 days following the launch of the UK government’s “Be Ready” emergency preparedness campaign on 22 October, according to new research.

Data from retail research firm Worldpanel by Numerator shows hand sanitiser sales increased by 83%, bottled water sales rose by 67%, and tinned and jarred goods climbed by 37%.

The public awareness campaign encouraged households to stockpile essentials in case severe weather or cyberattacks disrupt critical services.

Worldpanel noted that while households were purchasing more essentials, the behavior did not amount to panic buying.

The government’s guidance recommends keeping at least three days’ worth of food and water at home.

Wet wipes, a torch, and cash were also included on the recommended checklist.

Following the campaign launch, an additional 400,000 people per day bought tinned meat, Worldpanel said, though the typical purchase volume remained at 500g, suggesting a gradual stocking-up trend rather than sudden hoarding.

“Shoppers clearly took notice of the ‘Be Ready’ campaign, but this was not panic buying,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator. “Less than a third of households bought bottled water in October.”

“Growth came from more people adding recommended items from the government’s checklist to their regular weekly shop, not from shoppers filling their trolleys excessively—which is very much in line with what the government wanted households to do,” he said.

Further evidence of increased stockpiling came from food firm Princes on Tuesday, which reported rising demand for tinned tuna, meat, and vegetables after the government campaign.

Princes interim chief executive Giuseppe Mastrolia said the jump in demand “further reinforces the relevance of our core categories in providing affordable, nutritious, and convenient food solutions.”

The “Be Ready” campaign warns that severe weather and cyberattacks could disrupt essential services, and advises British households to ensure they have necessary supplies, such as bottled water and long-life food that does not require refrigeration, including dried fruit and nuts.

Andy Burnham said everyone should keep “those supplies in the house to get you through those moments.”

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