New figures show just what items households are stockpiling after government's Be Ready advice

The government’s advice for households to stockpile is changing the nation’s shopping habits, research suggests. Latest data has added to existing evidence that families have heeded the official guidance to be better prepared for emergencies, from severe weather to cyber attacks. The Be Ready campaign suggests having three days’ of food, water, and other essentials. New figures from industry experts Worldpanel by Numerator found sales of essential supplies have jumped in the 10 days from the October 22 launch.

To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed. Sales of hand sanitiser have rocketed 83% year-on-year, bottled water is up third-thirds, and jarred goods 37%. The number of people buying tinned meat each day after the launch of the campaign rose by 43%, equivalent to an extra 400,000 shoppers a day.

Data from NielsenIQ (NIQ), another provider, showed sales of canned goods have surged 27%. Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator, said: “Shoppers clearly took notice of the ‘Be Ready’ campaign, but this wasn’t panic buying, with less than a third of households buying bottled water in October. “Growth came from more people adding the recommended items on the government’s checklist to their weekly shop, not from shoppers piling their trolleys high, which is very much in line with what the government wanted households to do.”

Its research found grocery price inflation remains relatively subdued but rose slightly to 2.6%, up from 2.5% in the previous four weeks. NIQ, meanwhile, said that households are shopping just over 2% more often for groceries than a year ago, and that average spend per time is 1.5% higher at an average £18.96. It recorded food inflation at 2.9% in October, up from 2.4% in September. Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NIQ, said: “There was improved growth in supermarket sales in October, helped by the half-term holidays and Halloween, which encouraged shoppers to spend more on special treats for the family.

“This is despite consumer confidence falling, suggesting shoppers are still willing to loosen the purse strings when there’s an occasion to celebrate “Looking ahead, the industry needs to get shoppers in the mood to spend, so the launch of Christmas advertising campaigns will be important in showcasing what’s new, different, and, crucially, affordable. “With Black Friday providing another focus for shoppers in November, we expect the acceleration in supermarket sales to begin in early December.”