If you've been to the supermarket lately you'll probably have noticed that the shelves are looking a lot more bare than usual as shoppers rush to stock up on essentials amidst coronavirus fears.
All supermarkets have been affected, and the likes of Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury's have all seen an influx of shoppers rushing to make sure their homes are fully stocked.
However, the stockpiling has now become an issue, and is leaving some of the most vulnerable members of society without the essentials they need to carry on with their every day life.
Speaking to BBC radio, Tesco boss John Allan said: "There's plenty of product in the supply chain, there's plenty of food at Tesco and other supermarkets, and I don't think anybody needs to panic buy.
"We, and I'm sure our competitors, are re-filling our supply chains as rapidly as ever we can."
He says it's unlikely that Tesco will experience anything more than 'very short term, temporary shortages of certain products.'
A supermarket source said: "People aren't buying everything and expecting the world to end, what they're doing is taking a very considered view, which is 'what are the things with long life that I can hold - pasta, UHT milk, frozen - and I'm going to buy 20-40% more of those categories.
"So the cumulative effect is it will put the factories, the depots and the shops under pressure in terms of replenishment."
If you are planning on stocking up, just remember that your purchases will leave other people without, so be kind and considered before you put things in your basket. Only take what you really need, and remember that there could be somebody a few steps behind you who is much more in need of it than you
