UK retailers have recorded sharp increases in sales of bottled water, tinned food and hand sanitiser following the launch of the government’s ‘Be Ready’ emergency preparedness campaign, according to new grocery market data.
Figures published by retail research firm Worldpanel by Numerator on 10 November show that hand sanitiser sales rose by 83% in the 10 days after the campaign launched on 22 October, compared with the same period a year earlier. Bottled water sales increased by 67%, while sales of tinned and jarred goods climbed by 37%.
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The findings indicate that more households are adding emergency supplies to their regular grocery shopping. However, Worldpanel said the increase was driven by more people purchasing recommended products rather than widespread panic buying.
The shift highlights how government preparedness advice can influence demand across several grocery categories, with implications for supermarkets, wholesalers and packaged food manufacturers.
Emergency preparedness campaign boosts grocery sales
The UK government’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign encourages households to keep enough essential supplies to cope with up to three days of disruption to services such as electricity, water, telephone networks and internet access.
Launched on 22 October as the first stage of a three-year public awareness programme, the initiative aims to help households prepare for emergencies, including severe weather and interruptions to essential services.
Government guidance recommends keeping non-perishable food and bottled water at home, alongside torches, spare batteries, first aid supplies and portable phone chargers. Hygiene products, including hand sanitiser and wet wipes, also feature on the emergency supplies checklist.
The advice recommends approximately three litres of drinking water per person per day, with additional water needed for cooking and washing.
Households are encouraged to build their emergency supplies gradually, rather than buying everything at once, while taking account of their individual needs and budgets.
Tinned food sales rise as more shoppers stock up
Worldpanel’s findings suggest that the increase in demand has come mainly from more households purchasing emergency essentials, rather than individual shoppers buying unusually large quantities.
The number of people buying tinned meat each day rose by 43% following the campaign’s launch, equivalent to approximately 400,000 additional shoppers daily.
Despite the increase, the typical quantity purchased remained around 500g, indicating that consumers were adding canned products to their usual grocery baskets rather than stockpiling large amounts.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel, said: “Shoppers clearly took notice of the Be Ready campaign, but this wasn’t panic buying.”
He noted that fewer than a third of households bought bottled water during October, despite the sharp rise in sales.
“Growth came from more people adding the recommended items on the government’s checklist to their weekly shop, not from shoppers piling their trolleys high,” McKevitt said.
For grocery retailers, the distinction matters because broader household participation can increase category sales without the sudden spikes in purchase volumes typically associated with panic buying.
Canned food manufacturers see stronger demand
The increase in purchases has also been reflected in the packaged food sector.
Princes Group, which manufactures tinned fish, meat and vegetables, has reported stronger demand for canned products following the government’s emergency preparedness advice.
The reported increase points to wider interest in shelf-stable foods, which can be stored for long periods without refrigeration and are among the products recommended for household emergency supplies.
For manufacturers and wholesalers, the trend highlights the need to monitor demand for canned food and other long-life grocery products as the campaign continues.
Supermarket buyers may also need to track purchasing patterns across bottled water, canned goods and hygiene products to understand whether the initial increase in sales continues.
However, Worldpanel’s findings cover only the first 10 days after the campaign launched. It remains unclear whether the increase will translate into sustained demand or prove to be a short-term response to government advice.
Grocery inflation increases pressure on UK households
The rise in emergency supply purchases comes as UK consumers face renewed pressure from grocery prices and household energy bills.
Worldpanel reported that grocery price inflation reached 2.6% in the four weeks to 1 November, compared with 2.5% in the previous four-week period.
Take-home grocery sales increased by 2.2% year on year over the same period.
Although grocery inflation remains below levels recorded earlier in 2026, the latest increase follows a period of easing during the summer.
McKevitt said grocery inflation had begun rising again after slowing in previous months. He also pointed to higher household energy costs following the October increase in the energy price cap.
The figures underline the financial pressures facing households as they consider purchasing additional food, water and hygiene products for emergencies.
For retailers, the increase in demand comes against a backdrop of price-sensitive shopping, with consumers balancing routine grocery spending against the cost of building emergency supplies.
The government’s advice to purchase items gradually could help households spread these costs over several shopping trips.
Retailers monitor demand for emergency essentials
The ‘Be Ready’ campaign is planned to run for three years, with further public information activity expected through government channels, social media, radio and more than 500 participating organisations.
Its initial impact on grocery sales illustrates how public information campaigns can influence purchasing decisions across everyday product categories.
For supermarkets, the increase in demand makes bottled water, canned food and hygiene products important categories to monitor as households respond to emergency preparedness advice.
Manufacturers and wholesalers may also need to assess whether changing purchasing patterns affect demand forecasts and stock requirements for long-life food and household essentials.
However, the available figures do not yet establish whether emergency preparedness will become a lasting influence on grocery shopping.
For now, Worldpanel’s research shows a clear short-term increase in sales following the government’s campaign, driven largely by more households adding recommended emergency supplies to their regular shopping rather than purchasing unusually large quantities.
