Tinned goods up 40%, torches 284%: UK shoppers stockpile essentials after government warning

Some UK retailers have reported sharp rises in sales of essential items after the government encouraged people to stockpile supplies in case of an emergency, according to figures obtained by BBC Newsnight. On 22 October, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said households should prepare for emergencies such as a cyberattack or an extreme weather event. He advised keeping three litres of water per person per day, tinned goods, baby food, battery-powered torches and mobile phone charging packs. Many of these items appear among the goods whose sales Newsnight found have risen.

Supermarket chain Iceland told the BBC programme that sales of tinned products rose 40% over the weekend, with strong sales of bottled water too. A spokesperson said it was "clear" consumers had listened to the government's message, adding that supplies of these products remain healthy. Robert Dyas reported a 160% rise in radio sales compared with last week. Maplin said radio sales were up 92%, torch sales up 284% and power bank sales up 106%. Its figures compare the period since last week's announcement with the same period a month earlier.

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Maplin managing director Ollie Marshall said that within hours of the "Be Ready" announcement, customers were buying basics such as torches, wind-up radios and power banks. He said torch sales nearly quadrupled and radio sales almost doubled in three days. Marshall described them as simple, affordable products that keep households connected and informed during a power cut, and said it was encouraging to see people taking the advice seriously.

BBC Newsnight also spoke to independent retailers who reported spikes in the goods highlighted by the defence secretary.

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Sales of emergency supplies have surged following the launch of the government's 'Be Ready' campaign. Josh Pringle of online store Sgt Prepper's reported a tenfold increase in orders, primarily for wind-up radios, while Lincoln Miles, founder of Preppers Shop UK, saw sales jump by 650%, driven largely by demand for off-grid products. Responding to the surge on Newsnight, Wes Streeting welcomed the public's proactive measures, noting that stocking basic essentials like tinned food and torches strengthens household resilience against power outages, floods, or burst pipes.