January 6, 201016 yr Panic buying at supermarkets as Britain braces itself for the big freeze By James Tozer Last updated at 9:21 AM on 06th January 2010 Comments (1) Add to My Stories Hot food and warm clothing were flying off supermarket shelves yesterday as shivering shoppers braced themselves for the deepening big freeze. Where roads were not already impassable with snow, buyers seized the chance to stock up on vital supplies to see them and their families through in case they end up trapped at home. And alongside the tinned soup, thermal underwear and bags of salt, there was a surprise best-seller - cat litter. Shelves were emptied of food at Spar in Stockport as worried shoppers prepare for snow Following an article in the Daily Mail revealing how people are using it in place of grit to clear paths and driveways, demand has been soaring, with Asda reporting sales up by 55 per cent in just two days. However, those who have put cat litter to the test report that while it makes surfaces less slippery, it does little to help melt snow and ice, and can make a mess when trodden into floors and carpets. Bags of salt are also being snapped up, with sales of 1.5kg bags of cooking salt up five-fold at Morrisons and rock salt sales up 150 per cent at B&Q. Conditions could worsen tonight as 40cm of snow is expected Hot, hearty food was much in demand, with Asda selling 50 per cent more porridge and other oat cereals as this time last year and 20 per cent more ready-made hotpots and casseroles. Stodgy puddings were also up, while Tesco said soup sales were up 80 per cent on two weeks ago. The deepening winter chill was encouraging shoppers to stock up on cold weather gear, with thermal underwear sales up ten-fold at Asda and wellington boots also sought after. More... Extreme weather warning as Met Office forecasts 16 INCHES of snow across southern England tonightMother shocked as local pub gives her the cold shoulder for wearing woolly hatSome parts of the country have just ONE day's supply of grit left Meanwhile, travel mug sales increased by more than 160 per cent at Sainsbury's and motorists worried about getting stranded boosted demand for sleeping bags by a fifth at Halfords. Drivers were also buying extra screen wash, de-icer and ice scrapers for the worsening conditions. Halfords spokeswoman Diane Perry said: 'A lot of people were caught out before Christmas, so now they're preparing much more with things like snow chains, heat-proof travel mugs and emergency blankets.' Supermarkets said they were working to ensure shelves remained full, but acknowledged that with more snow forecast, many shoppers were buying more than they needed in case they found themselves trapped at home. 'The last snowfall two weeks ago caught many people out and made shopping trips quite hazardous especially in more open areas, so it appears that this time round shoppers are being more canny and are stocking up just in case,' said Simon Williams, Tesco's senior convenience foods buyer. 'This is one of those occasions where normal January diets go out of the window and heart and body warming foods such as roast dinners and hot puddings makes better sense.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1240851/Panic-buying-supermarkets-Britain-braces-big-freeze.html#ixzz0bp4LheM4
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