Omroep Flevoland – News – Supermarket shelves empty: ‘I have never seen this before’

Due to the spread of the corona virus, supermarket shelves quickly run out. Several stores report that there are sometimes heavy purchases. Things are also going fast at the PLUS at the Botter in Lelystad. “People are really hoarding,” says supermarket owner Jan Postma. “We’re not used to that.”

Long-life products such as rice, pasta and soup are becoming scarce. The shelves with hygienic products such as soap pumps and disinfectant wipes are often empty.

“It’s almost pre-war,” Postma describes the sudden run on products. “Actually, there are never circumstances when people have to hoard.”

However, Postma does not expect any problems. A new cargo arrives on Friday evening and he does not expect chronic shortages to arise in the coming weeks. “For the time being, our supplier can deliver enough, except for a few articles such as soap pumps,” says Postma. “I understand, but hoarding is not really necessary.”

Mall
Entrepreneurs in the shopping center of Lelystad, on the other hand, see that their business remains empty. “As the Thursday afternoon press conference progressed, I noticed that the audience was slowly moving out of the center,” says Mark Dekker of furniture store Meubels en Zo. “I have never seen those people again.”

His fellow entrepreneurs also see sharply declining sales because customers no longer go out. “If you speak to a restaurant owner nearby, he says that three tables were occupied when it is normally crowded,” says Dekker. “Everyone will notice this in their wallets.”

Dekker understands that the audience stays at home, but also thinks the reaction is a bit exaggerated. “Older people are of course a risk group, but the chance that the rest of the population will really get sick from the virus is small.”

Saturday
Despite the call not to be hoarded by Prime Minister Rutte, reports are again coming from Almere, Lelystad and Dronten on Saturday about empty shelves in the supermarkets.

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