Christmas Is Rationed And You’re All Invited To The Riot
UK television viewers have probably all seen the supermarket giant Tesco’s Christmas ad campaign featuring X Factor’s Amanda Holden joining the existing duo Fay Ripley and Mark Addy.
The latest ad shows Amanda’s power failure party disaster as Fay and Mark come to the rescue of the Yule party by inviting everyone along to their place. Christmas catering is made to look easy as the party-goers pop into a Tesco’s to restock the party on the way to Fay’s.
Life has a way of playing cruel tricks. While the ad is happily running in all its scheduled tv slots the truth is very different. The wintry condition in the North of the UK means supermarkets – and that means ALL northern supermarkets – are already rationing staples and essentials such as bread, eggs and milk. Shoppers are being restricted in the amount they can buy and are being asked to empty excess amounts at the check outs.
Panic buying can not be far off.
Glasgow City Centre gridlocked last week. Further east drivers were trapped for up 24 hours as the M8 stood at a standstill.
A return to the severe Arctic Conditions of the past three weeks is expected to return to the North of Britain in the next two days and supermarket logistics staff – who are among the best in the world in delivering on time – know it may be impossible to re-stock their stores in time for next week’s holiday rush.
This should be the bonanza time for supermarket but already the bad weather across the UK means most main on-line stores and supermarkets have halted all new orders. The word is this is temporary but severe weather is being forecast for this weekend only a week before the holiday.
The retailers huge massive backlogs of goods waiting to be delivered because the heavy snowfalls stopped distribution. Some have suspended deliveries altogether.
It’s enough to make a judge spit
Among the giants of the retailing world which have been affected by the weather are Asda, Tesco, M&S, Boots and Sainsbury’s.
The economic downturn already means lean pickings for all retailers and the harsh winter conditions are hitting hard at a hoped for multi £ billion shopping spree.
Similar delivery problems have hit the on-line shopping sites of Firebox and Amazon. Amazon is already under fire for laying-off temporary contract workers at a second’s notice during night-shifts in the bad weather chaos of last week.
It doesn’t end there. Fuel prices are rocketing and the needed domestic heating oils for the remoter rural areas of Scotland are hitting all-time record highs of over 70p a litre. A standard tank of home-burning fuel needed to heat already icy homes is costing thousands.
All this and just 16 days away the UK Chancellor will see the introduction of a two and a half per cent increase in Value Added Tax….applied to almost everything in the UK except books, children’s clothing and food.
If you think the student riots in London were bad, wait till you see what the UK Army has (allegedly) been secretly told to prepare for and deal with.
Poll Tax rioters spring to mind. Wasn’t that Tommy Sheridan one of them?
Happy New Year – AW
Posted: 15th, December 2010 | In: The Consumer Comments (3) | TrackBack | Permalink
