It’s rare to witness racks of supermarket shelves lie empty— not because of the growing demand for a particular product but because of the unpredictable demand for products in general. From no ketchup to no tea, supermarket shelves in the Middle East and Europe are lying empty. Read on to know why this is actually happening.
Supermarket Shelves In Middle East & Europe Are Empty
According to a report by Reuters, supermarkets in Europe and the Middle East are struggling to predict the demand. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, consumers’ shopping habits have significantly changed. From toothpaste to ketchup to beer, there are gaps in supermarket shelves. This has been going on since the start of this year across British supermarkets. It’s called a “salad crisis”.
This is what the same supermarket looked like today as things continue to deteriorate:
'fresh produce retailer of the year' says the sign above the completely empty shelf: pic.twitter.com/kEkkt8KBkn
— Chris Turnbull (@EnemyInAState) March 11, 2023
The prices of goods, especially Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) are too high. This coupled with supply chain issues is leading to shelves remaining empty in supermarkets. The Ukraine war and poor weather are also other factors leading to this. Luke Jensen, the Executive Director of Ocado, a British online supermarket stated that due to inflation, many people are unpredictably cutting down on certain products. This is done more brutally than ever, historically.
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Ketchup, Pet Food, Pasta In Short Supply
When it comes to the Middle East, despite using artificial intelligence to monitor stocks, Majid Al Futtaim Retail still witnesses 8% to 12% of items missing on its supermarket shelves. The Reuters report states that the Ukraine War has significantly impacted supplies for the Middle East retailer. Also, COVID-19 lockdowns and the advent of online grocery shopping have changed customers’ shopping patterns. The result? The demand for certain products is unpredictable.
Products that are scarce in supermarkets include ketchup, pet food, pasta, tea, toothpaste and potato chips as per Nielsen IQ’s Data Impact. Tomatoes are in short supply in Spain due to extreme weather conditions. So, this is obviously why ketchup is in short supply.
Meanwhile, have you ever witnessed this shopping trend closely? What do you think about this, let us know?
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva
First Published: May 03, 2023 5:20 PM