Shop demand soars after snow warning

Buy photos » The scene in Sainsbury's earlier on Thursday as shoppers stripped shelves of essentials like bread, milk and eggs. Picture by Ian Dipple (s)

ESSENTIALS are flying off supermarket shelves as shoppers stock up ahead of the expected snowfall.

Shops across the borough are reporting unusually high numbers of customers, with some likening the rush to pre-Christmas levels.

Sainsbury's store manager Sharon Neal said nearly four times the normal amount of shoppers had been through the doors on Thursday morning.

"We have been extremely busy since 9am, it's been like December 23. Most customers who shop on a Friday are telling us they are coming in today in case they can't get out tomorrow.

"At around 5pm we are expecting it to start to really quieten down. We are not in danger of running out of stock but it has been difficult to actually get it out on the shelves in time."

Spar sales assistant Dale Picton from the Batchley Road store said more customers than average had come through the doors, with many topping up their gas and electric cards to ensure they were ready for the weekend.

But Manray Mann from Woodrow's Costcutters said, while they had not seen a massive increase in the number of shoppers, those buying had been spending more money than they usually would.

More milk, bread and other essentials had been ordered ahead of an expected increase in demand. Due to its location within the district centre, staff are expecting residents may find it easier to reach them rather than getting in their cars and travelling further afield.

It was a similar story over the Warwickshire border, with duty manager Christine Lewis at Studley's Co-Op saying double the average amount of customers had come through the doors. Customers had reported they were choosing to stock up rather than waiting until the weekend.

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