SUPPLIES:SUPERMARKETS ARE struggling to keep salt on their shelves as people use it to clear their driveways and footpaths near their homes. Hot water bottles, firelighters and warm hats have also been in strong demand since the cold spell began.
A Superquinn spokeswoman said sales of salt had almost tripled in the past seven days compared with the same period last year.
Almost 40 per cent more firelogs and firelighters had been sold in the same period, she said.
Tesco communications manager Séamus Banim said salt sales had increased by 90 per cent in the past two weeks, compared with the first two weeks of December.
“We have noticed a very significant increase in the past two weeks,” Mr Banim said. “Sales of hats, scarves and gloves are showing a combined increase in sales of 70 per cent again when compared to the start of December.”
The demand for hot water bottles had increased by 20 per cent while the demand for thermal underwear had risen by 17 per cent, he added.
“We have also seen a 150 per cent increase in the sales of firelogs and fire lighters.”
RGdata, which represents independent family grocers, said its members were finding it “nearly impossible” to keep salt on their shelves.
Its director general Tara Buckley said the demand for salt had started just before Christmas. She said one retailer had told her he had never seen such a demand for salt in 30 years of shopkeeping.
When table salt ran out, they were buying up the more expensive forms of salt such as sea salt and rock salt.
Ms Buckley said grocers were also noticing a tendency among customers to stock up on items such as bread and milk because they were worried that they might not be able to get to a shop in the following days.
“They are stocking up on fuel too,” she said.
Shop owners would usually be able to accurately gauge demand for particular products but they had found it difficult to predict customers’ buying habits in recent weeks, Ms Buckley said.
The hazardous driving conditions had also provided an unexpected boost to shops in Border areas as people decided against travelling to the North for their provisions, she said.
They were also more likely to shop locally than to go to supermarket chains in larger towns and cities.
However, she said shop owners were concerned by the lack of gritting in some areas as supply trucks were finding it difficult to make their deliveries.
