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In the ten days following the government’s launch of the “Be Ready” emergency preparedness campaign on 22 October, research has shown a significant increase in the purchase of essential items such as bottled water and canned food. Data from retail analytics firm Worldpanel by Numerator reveals that hand sanitiser sales surged by 83%, bottled water sales increased by 67%, and tinned and jarred goods rose by 37% during this period.
The government’s initiative aimed to motivate the public to prepare for potential disruptions to vital services caused by severe weather or cyberattacks. The campaign emphasized the importance of keeping at least three days’ worth of food and water available at home, alongside other essential items like wet wipes, a torch, and cash. Despite the rise in sales, Worldpanel noted that this behavior did not amount to panic buying.
According to Worldpanel, the boost in purchases mostly came from more households gradually adding the recommended products to their usual shopping lists rather than stockpiling large quantities all at once. Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator, commented, “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.” He added, “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.”
Financially, sales figures underline this trend. The value of tinned and jarred goods climbed from £58.2 million in the ten days leading up to 2 November 2025 to £79.5 million in the same timeframe in 2026. Bottled water sales rose sharply from £13.6 million to £22.8 million year-on-year, while hand sanitiser sales nearly doubled, increasing from £497,000 to £908,000. This data confirms a notable shift toward emergency preparedness among consumers following the campaign rollout
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