People urged to stop panic buying
(CNS): The Chamber of Commerce and local retailers are urging people to stop panic buying as containers are arriving as usual. This unnecessary panic is leading to some people buying huge quantities of cleaning products that they won’t need, clearing shelves and leaving other people unable to make normal purchases. As a result, stores have begun limiting the numbers of these items per customer in order to ensure that all shoppers get what they need.
Fear of an outbreak of COVID-19 in Cayman has led to a rush on various household goods and groceries. Hand sanitizer and other cleaning products, toilet paper and canned foods have been hardest hit, leading to a temporary shortage of some items.
But cargo ships carrying food supplies and household products continue to arrive on island as normal. Port Authority Acting Director Joseph Woods has confirmed that four cargo ships are due to arrive as scheduled in the next few days.
All Cayman Islands supermarkets and their suppliers have confirmed that goods are continuing to be delivered to them as usual, the Chamber said in response to CNS enquiries.
Chamber President Woody Foster, who is also the managing director of the Foster’s Supermarket chain, said its stores were “fully stocked on food items“. He added, “We have been assured that our suppliers, both locally and overseas, have products on hand to ship.”
Furthermore, Foster said that with the exception of those items that have run out as a result of panic buying, there are plenty of goods already here.
“Our warehouse is fully stocked, and while we may still see temporary out of stocks on products, we’ve increased orders where we need to on critical, shelf stable products,” Foster stated.
“While the uncertainty around COVID-19 remains, customers can rest assured that both Foster’s Supermarkets and Priced Right locations are taking action to keep shelves stocked and stores clean for customers,” he said. “Foster’s is committed to providing the best service possible, and is in regular contact with local police, port and government authorities as we all work through this dynamic and unique period. We ask that the community remain calm, think rationally and use proper hygiene practices throughout the day,” he added.
Julian Foster, the supermarket’s marketing manager, said that Foster’s was also working with suppliers to bump-up orders on what is available and is also searching for new sources and product alternatives where needed.
“Our purchasing team is working to increase orders on high-demand products and get them on island as quickly as possible,” he said, adding that there are still temporary shortages on health and sanitation products as they are in high demand all over the world.
“During these unprecedented times, manufacturers and suppliers are working to ramp up production and ordering to ensure product is available,” Julian Foster said. He explained the limits at Foster’s on certain products range from one to four items per person. While these are clearly marked in store, more details are available on line here.
Meanwhile, all the other major supermarkets are reporting to the Chamber that they, too, are not running out of goods. The message from all major local grocery retailers is that goods are on their way as usual.
Hazard Management Cayman Islands has also been keeping watch on the panic buying and it has confirmed two cargo ships arrived in port last night. Officials there also urged people to stop panic buying as the supply of goods remains steady.
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Category: Local News
What next, toilet paper burglars?
There is a positive side to this anxiety fuelled behaviour.
With hurricane season only 2.5 months away, residents will be the most prepared they have ever been. Smiling.
I was in cost you very slightly less yesterday and one woman was clutching a whole box of bottles of alcohol babbling in Spanglish “they’re mine, all mine!”. To their credit the CYL staff made her put most of them back.
Sadly these halfwits don’t read CNS they get their ‘news’ from other idiots on facebook.
eBay should keep those on their site from profiting from this situation. I’ve never seen toilets paper being sold there and for how highmuch it’s going for should be criminal!
l think all this toilet paper buying is great for business, I just bought all the toilet plungers on Island. If you need a plunger. Call me on ( 917 Need plunger ). NOTE: Limited two per house hold. 😂🤣😂🤣
My granny still uses tracing paper. Go to the office supply store and you’ll be fine.
If you feel you are high risk or you are ultra paranoid, please self quarantine and let healthy and sane people live their lives. There is no way the government can stop this virus. Never could. The best the government can is slow down the inevitable and maybe meter the burden on health providers, but this flu will run it’s course until a vaccine is available.
When it’s all said and done, and real numbers come it we’re going to see that it’s no more deadly than a myriad of other sicknesses that we don’t lose our minds over on a daily basis.
Common sense on this forum…. will not be tolerated.
If you want to see the true nature of people, look in the carpark outside of the supermarkets. Cost-u-Less supplied steri-wipes at their entrance and exits, and their carpark was littered with these last night. It was disgusting. It is so easy to throw your wipe in a bin, or carry it home in your car, but so many people behave like pigs in a panic.
Everyone panic-buying now, please commit to keeping a stock of emergency supplies in your home going forwards. (You know for hurricanes, and anything else.) Stockpiling isn’t the problem, panic is.
I understand the urge to panic buy and won’t shame anyone for that but please keep in mind that there are immunocompromised people who need cleaning supplies and disinfectants to live, and us hoarding them is keeping those people from having the supplies they need for this pandemic. Consider donating extra supplies you have to those who really need it (the elderly and immunocompromised people)
Not only that but if you deprive a section of the population of sanitizing products, you are increasing the risk to yourself from people who get infected and become contagious. There needs to be security or police presence at retail outlets to confiscate and return to the shelves excessive goods purchased.
What I want to know is what is government doing about the price gouging? I saw small bottles of hand sanitizer being sold at Walkers Esso for almost $18 a bottle and it was expired.
It is NOT expired date….get your facts correct! Alcohol based don’t expires.
Er, it does actually. Check the product data sheets.
And salt does too!
If that is true, you should remember who owns that station.
If you don’t like it, don’t buy ANYTHING there!
Was sold recently.
Ill bring everyone hand sanitizers down from the U.S. if you please don’t close the borders and let me enjoy my spring holiday that I’ve been waiting a year to take. Keeping my fingers crossed…
It is incumbent on the supermarkets to limit purchases at check out, a simple way to control hoarding even if it does reduce their profits. Use the cctv cameras to identify repeat buyers.
The stores need to put purchase limits on EVERYTHING!! That will at least give everyone else a chance to buy some food!!
Nonsense, plenty of food available.
Easy solution to resolve this all this those stockpile buying sent back to home country immediatel! locals banned from stores and picture and name circulated to other retailers.Sad what these little islands have unfortunately come to all because of our greedy politicians and their foreign sponsors and their agenda.
At this point nearly everyone is going to get it, no matter how much cleaner you buy.
Just use hurricane supplies for food if needed and avoid unnecessary contact with older people.
The Pines should be restricting access already, maybe use a skype system for relatives to communicate. If COVID gets into the Pines it will be a major issue.
I’ll stop panic buying when people stop calling “Smith Cove” “Smith Barcardere.”
You are an idiot.
Lol
Ok this is hilarious lol
I’m 40 years old from South Sound and we always called it Smith Cove and will always call is Smith Cove … just like Turtle Farm
Correct . Priorities. Barcadere……stupid name.
Why does anyone think they’ll need three years of toilet paper, or 36 bars of Irish Spring? Meanwhile, China’s quarantines are winding down and their people are again allowed to leave their homes in some areas. It has sparked a wave of “revenge buying” among wealthy buying up luxury western retail goods to stick it to their gov’t. Kind of the opposite of what we’re doing right now. This is not Ebola.
Silly sheep following social media trends and they don’t know why. I asked one lady why she was stocking up on toilet paper, as the coronavirus is not a stomach virus (bowel mover). She said “they said there will be a shortage of toilet paper”.
The problem it causes is that persons who need t.p. and paper towels, per their normal needs, are forced to panic-buy out of concern of shortages – if they can still find any!!
Curiously the same thing is happening in parts of US at the same time! What else but social media??
B’aaaaaaah
Wish I had nothing else going on in my life. Get a grip people.
The shops are allowing people to stock pile. They don’t care as long as they are selling it. Shops should restrict certain items to normal quantities of purchase by each individual.
It is completely absurd, totally selfish, and shows lack of common sense.
The only way the world (and Cayman) will get through this is to work together and have respect for one another.
Fat chance. This island is run by selfish, every man and woman for themselves greed
There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy. ..
well done to fosters and kirks for bringing in limited purchases….should have been done by cig a week ago.
goes to show the private sector is more proactive than this lame duck administration….
in jon-jon we trust?????
Goodluck with that!! The rabble here now on this island due or no use politicians inviting them here are beyond control now and i hope you don’t think that their comrades in law enforcement are going to stop them looting and pillaging if it comes to that??? Bad decisions always lead to terrible consequences Cayman.
Are you serious??? So are you saying Caymanians are not doing this too? Boi I tell ya….narrow minded people like you is the problem!!!!
Can someone explain what is the reason for stockpiling toiler paper? Diarrhea is not even one of the symtoms!!
Self-isolation. They’re afraid of running out and not being able to get to the store to-stock.
The reason for stockpiling it is that everyone else is stockpiling it and you don’t want to be the one without any because you didn’t buy any on principle
If people would just start using both sides of their toilet paper, it would last twice as long!
12:37 Back in the days when the BA flights came here from Gatwick there used to be graffiti to that effect in one of the male toilets :-{
I m putting toilet paper by the sheet on ecay
Well the government and the press sold it to us.
Stupid?? You really want us to trust the same government and doctors who said 2 weeks ago that there were no truth to the rumors?
How much toilet paper did you buy to prepare for the virus? Be honest..lol
The problem comes when you have to go the store and everyone is infected. I would prefer to not to have to visit the store for a good while.
Crazy this evening trying to buy a Lysol in price right.
People ripping packaging open to get to it then trying to buy 4 when it clearly says 2 only and cussing out the poor girl on the till.
These two for me dem two a fi my Ada fren dem in car…. lie lie lie.
Stop it folks
I could only watch in horror.
Not saying that I agree!
These persons are actually quite smart.
Perhaps you are the stupid.
Speculation for local resale later at inflated prices and for shipping to Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, etc
😂😂😂😂
I am down to my last 2 rolls of toilet paper and couldn’t even get my household’s supply under normal circumstances. Goodness! 🙄
Use the telephone book.
Recycling!
Repurposing too!
Use the Compass
With the exception of the strange run on toilet paper, there is nothing crazy about this. Preparing for uncertain times ahead is not “panic buying”. If you are a rational, sane person living on a literal islands, you only have to consider the quality of people leading key governments right now.
Are you going to trust Tony Eden, Dwayne Seymour, Al Suckoo, Juliana Occonor-Connelly-Conor-O’conner, McKeeva Bush, etc. to have a firm grasp of the situation? Those people don’t know the difference between bacteria and viruses, they believe evolution is one of Satan’s lies (no, really, they do). The UK and US are both led by buffoons right now which does not bode well for those with ties to those countries. The US will surely enter a phase of turmoil very soon because of incompetent leadership–and that will directly impact our shipments to Cayman.
The thing about exponential growth is that everything can seem fine one day and radically different the next. It happens fast. Additionally, a pandemic like this doesn’t need to have a massive death toll to cause major economic turmoil and disrupt normal routines. It’s almost certain at this point that shipments from the US will be delayed/impacted in the near future. Hopefully not, but I wouldn’t trust it.
#buymoretoiletpaper!
Pure selfishness going on.
Sheer idiocy. Once you have bought enough sanitizing products for your immediate need (i.e. at most 2 weeks worth), anything more is depriving someone else of product they may need – i.e. increasing their risk both of infection and being contagious. In other words, anyone panic buying sanitation goods is actually endangering not just others but themself.
The ideal situation both for individuals and for the community is that everyone has enough, at the right time, for their needs. So DO NOT, repeat DO NOT, repeat DO NOT STOCKPILE.
You cant help stupid…
Especially here.
Stupid is as stupid does.