Worried shoppers stock up on supplies

SNOW and ice in the south caused some panic buying of milk, bread and fuel in supermarkets but many people just decided to stay at home on what is normally the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

Chief executive of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association, Mark Fielding, said it would be devastating for businesses in the south if the Arctic weather conditions persisted.

“There are a number of retailers who, after a bad year, are depending on Christmas to boost their sales for the year,” said Mr Fielding.

“Kerry seems to be getting an awful wallop of the snow at the moment and there are fears that some businesses in the region will not have enough staff turning up for work tomorrow to stay in operation,” he said.

“It is a kind of perfect storm in that retailers had come through a bad year and had been hoping to do better until the weather hit them.”

Denis Tucker, duty manager at SuperValu in Killarney, Co Kerry, said some people started panic buying when snow and freezing weather hit the region.

“On Friday it was like a second famine was coming. People were buying three and four sliced pans and stocking up on their milk,” said Mr Tucker.

“People are just afraid they won’t be able to get out but they will have to come out before Christmas and get their shopping one way or another,” he said.

“We got our delivery of turkeys this morning so people will not have to go without their Christmas dinner,” he added.

Tom Higgins, manager of SuperValu in Glanmire, Co Cork, said people were coming out to shop as the main routes in the area had been gritted.

“People are buying more fuel and staple foods but they are not in any way stocking up for the next two weeks because of the weather,” he said.

“We are busy but we are also working harder to get money through the tills. That’s just the way it is,” he said.

“Thanks be to God we escaped the worst of the weather. There is also a great sense of community here with neighbours in estates helping each other to grit the roads and clearing the pathways. It’s like the way things used to be,” he said.