German supermarkets report coronavirus panic buying
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As Germans are slowly coming to realize that they could soon be facing a coronavirus epidemic, some residents are now stockpiling food out of fear they could be placed under quarantine.
Italy, the center of the outbreak on the continent, has a total of 1,694 confirmed cases and 34 deaths. France has reported 100 cases and two deaths. And Germany said on Sunday that cases there had risen to 117, including 66 in North Rhine-Westphalia, its most populous state.
Discount chain Lidl has recorded a spike in purchases, with a spokesperson confirming that “we are noticing a rise in sales in certain regions and stores.” According to the chains, Germans are stockpiling long-lasting and canned food, pasta as well as toilet paper and disinfectants.
A spokeswoman for one of the country’s largest supermarket groups, REWE, told DW that while they didn’t register any panic at the start of the week, the situation quickly changed.
“We have noticed rising foodstuff and canned goods purchases across the entire country to which we are adapting accordingly,” said Kristina Schütz from REWE Group, which is headquartered in Cologne and runs the Penny, REWE and Nahkauf grocery chains.
Germany has long been prepared for similar situations. Four years ago, the Bonn-based Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) published a checklist of long-lasting foods it recommends stockpiling for emergencies.
The BBK, which is staffed by some 300 civil servants, educates the general population on how to prepare for crises. It advises Germans to stockpile food and drink for about ten days.
Even so, the BBK warns against panic buying, advising Germans to stockpile only foods and drinks “that you and your family would consume anyway.”
