Supermarkets have been caught off guard by the government’s “shambolic” campaign to urge Brits to stock up on supplies of food and water, industry sources told City AM. 

Retailers were not told the details of the government’s “Be Ready” campaign until days before it was announced and expected it to be a more “low key” affair, the people said.

On Thursday, defence secretary Wes Streeting urged Brits to prepare three days’ worth of non-perishable food and bottled water, an FM radio and blankets in case of hybrid attacks by “hostile state actors or terrorists”. 

The defence secretary’s intervention headlined a three-year campaign designed to prepare Brits for the risks posed by technological dependency, hostile state threats and the impact of extreme weather on global supply chains.

Government officials briefed retailers on the date of this announcement only last week, the people said, telling bosses the campaign would be “low key” and fronted by security minister Dan Jarvis. 

One senior industry figure said they were surprised to see Streeting leading the news of the new campaign. “It became a big deal because it’s Wes,” they said. 

Though retailers were caught off guard by Streeting’s involvement, the defence secretary was not directly involved in the campaign’s launch and made his comments in response to media questions on the topic. 

The government’s attempts to ensure that retailers and suppliers could keep up with increased demand for products like bottled water were “shambolic,” a retail industry source said.

During early discussions about the campaign last month, government officials said they had only spoken to Thames Water to ensure that supplies of water could meet demand, understands. 

Retailers then told officials that they should speak to bottled water suppliers, not utility firms, about their ability to provide the necessary stock. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is regularly in contact with the water industry, it is understood.

One major supermarket is holding talks with its suppliers to work out whether the campaign will cause a rush in demand for essentials. 

The grocer stressed that Brits have been told to gradually build up their supplies of essentials rather than immediately assemble significant stockpiles. 

A corporate affairs official at another top supermarket said this “wouldn’t be the first time” the defence secretary has “overcommunicated”. Grocers are confident they can meet demand for essentials, it is understood.

Food shortage fears

During the Covid-19 pandemic, a rush of panic-buying forced supermarkets like Aldi, Tesco and Waitrose to impose temporary caps on the sale of some products to prevent shortages. 

Ged Futter, a former Asda buyer who now advises suppliers on how to negotiate with retailers, said the government’s new campaign is “done with the right intentions, but what you never know is how everybody will interpret it.

“Some will take it seriously and think: ‘Whatever the government says, that’s not going to be enough so I’m going to go for more’. Others will completely ignore it, and that’s the difficulty that a retailer has.”

The British Retail Consortium, which represents top supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, has been in talks with the government about the new campaign.

Jim Bligh, the trade body’s director of food policy, said: “It is sensible for households to be prepared for extreme events, particularly given that people in the UK are less prepared for emergencies than their European neighbours. 

“This advice brings the UK more in line with other countries and encourages people to build up a small supply of essentials gradually by simply adding an extra tin or other long-life item to their usual shop from time to time.”

Security minister Dan Jarvis said: “This is just the sort of community-focused campaign the UK needs to improve our resilience as a nation. It will bring us into line with European counterparts, where advice like this is a normal part of everyday life.”