Is It Me. Are shelves Bare?

[OLDMAN]

I wouldn’t normally use a basket in Aldi unless only 2-3 items too big to safely carry, so have only done it once
I use the smallest trolleys they have (about twice the size of the basket) and can load straight into my bags laid out in the trolley as stuff gets scanned – been told a few times I am faster than they are so no need to use the packing area

And I always get my card out and in my pocket ready so no fumbling around once I’m told the cost

Sorry to say I do get annoyed at people that make a fuss when packing in any shop, as for the ones that get told how much, then ask again how much, then start digging in pockets / handbags for wallets or purses then fumbling about for their money or cards

[piwacket]

No Pi, not even in local chemists, McColls or Co op.

I know you don’t use Amazon.but they have some from Morrisons - very short stock! But if you’ve got a store near you …. or I could get them and post them on

[lizwing]

Thanks Pi, my neighbour shops in Morrisons I’ll ask her to have a look. I still have a couple of boxes.

[mikejee]

I wouldn’t normally use a basket in Aldi unless only 2-3 items too big to safely carry, so have only done it once
I use the smallest trolleys they have (about twice the size of the basket) and can load straight into my bags laid out in the trolley as stuff gets scanned – been told a few times I am faster than they are so no need to use the packing area

And I always get my card out and in my pocket ready so no fumbling around once I’m told the cost

Sorry to say I do get annoyed at people that make a fuss when packing in any shop, as for the ones that get told how much, then ask again how much, then start digging in pockets / handbags for wallets or purses then fumbling about for their money or cards

Thoroughly agree. Even worse are those who pay on a bus using a phone - do no bother to get their phone out (or often don a mask) till they are on the bus, then get it out of their pocket, fiddle with it for 30 secs, it does not work, then fiddle for another 30 secs, after which, if they are lucky and haven't been strangled by the person behind them, finally manage to get a ticket

[piwacket]

Thanks Pi, my neighbour shops in Morrisons I’ll ask her to have a look. I still have a couple of boxes.

OK - I won’t get them then.

[maggieaitch]

I've just checked the Ocado website and they seem to be out of stock of all Kleenex too.

[lizwing]

Thank you for your very kind offer Pi, but it’s too much trouble and expense, I’ll have to manage with any own brand ones I can find, it’s mostly to take off my make up, at the moment I’m not bothering with make up much because we don’t go out a lot. I’d just like to know why they’re not available.

[Mayfield]

I would have like Balsam tissues today but the only Kleenex to be had were the ‘man’ size and anti viral…very scant supply…

[lizwing]

But no explanation as to why.

[Mayfield]

No, none….. even their own brand were just the cube boxes …

[OLDMAN]

But no explanation as to why.

Quote from 'The Grocer' (online news site for shops)

Matt Stone, marketing director at Kimberly-Clark, which owns the category’s biggest brand, Kleenex, confirmed to The Grocer that supermarkets had been experiencing “some availability challenges recently in the facial tissue category, including our Kleenex tissues”.

“This has been mainly driven by ongoing Covid, transportation and other supply chain disruptions, including a global shortage of cardboard.

“All of these short-term impacts affected operations at a period when category demand is at its highest, leading to some availability challenges.”

The tissue industry was also “struggling with high input costs such as energy, natural gas, pulp, chemical products, and logistics”, Mintec analyst Zanna Aleksahhina told The Grocer.

The wood-free paper market had “faced a drop of more than 25% in deliveries in the UK in 2021 compared with two years ago”, she said.

[C.A.Versham]

How is there a global shortage of cardboard? Perhaps it's because of all the home delivery parcels in cardboard boxes which seem to stack up outside people's houses.

On a different matter M&S in Reading have reduced some Christmas cards from £4.00 to 20p each. Some of the designs are not to my taste but others are fine. You need to search them out though. They are tucked away in the ladies' underwear section.

[Pooneil]

Cardboard shortage apparently caused by everybody getting packages from Amazon etc, but it not all being recycled - some is burned and they think a lot us in people's garages etc, awaiting recycling.

[ChipbuttyG]

I wouldn’t normally use a basket in Aldi unless only 2-3 items too big to safely carry, so have only done it once
I use the smallest trolleys they have (about twice the size of the basket) and can load straight into my bags laid out in the trolley as stuff gets scanned – been told a few times I am faster than they are so no need to use the packing area

And I always get my card out and in my pocket ready so no fumbling around once I’m told the cost

Sorry to say I do get annoyed at people that make a fuss when packing in any shop, as for the ones that get told how much, then ask again how much, then start digging in pockets / handbags for wallets or purses then fumbling about for their money or cards

Thoroughly agree. Even worse are those who pay on a bus using a phone - do no bother to get their phone out (or often don a mask) till they are on the bus, then get it out of their pocket, fiddle with it for 30 secs, it does not work, then fiddle for another 30 secs, after which, if they are lucky and haven't been strangled by the person behind them, finally manage to get a ticket

Surely for most of us blokes, it's just a case of getting your wallet out your pocket and taking your cash card out. Takes 5 seconds. I've rarely seen a bloke mess about paying. It's primarily women routing around in their handbags. (oooh sexist).

[lizwing]

Interesting, so it’s not simply the tissues it’s the boxes they come in.

[KeithW]

On a different matter M&S in Reading have reduced some Christmas cards from £4.00 to 20p each. Some of the designs are not to my taste but others are fine. You need to search them out though. They are tucked away in the ladies' underwear section.

"No, seriously, officer, I was just looking for Christmas cards - I read it on Reading Forum!"

[Voiceoftreason?]

On a different matter M&S in Reading have reduced some Christmas cards from £4.00 to 20p each. Some of the designs are not to my taste but others are fine. You need to search them out though. They are tucked away in the ladies' underwear section.

"No, seriously, officer, I was just looking for Christmas cards - I read it on Reading Forum!"

Despite myself......

[ChipbuttyG]

It was very confusing. It said DD and EE were 20p reduced from £4, but when I got to the till those bra's cost me £15.00

[lizwing]

[OLDMAN]

I wouldn’t normally use a basket in Aldi unless only 2-3 items too big to safely carry, so have only done it once
I use the smallest trolleys they have (about twice the size of the basket) and can load straight into my bags laid out in the trolley as stuff gets scanned – been told a few times I am faster than they are so no need to use the packing area

And I always get my card out and in my pocket ready so no fumbling around once I’m told the cost

Sorry to say I do get annoyed at people that make a fuss when packing in any shop, as for the ones that get told how much, then ask again how much, then start digging in pockets / handbags for wallets or purses then fumbling about for their money or cards

Thoroughly agree. Even worse are those who pay on a bus using a phone - do no bother to get their phone out (or often don a mask) till they are on the bus, then get it out of their pocket, fiddle with it for 30 secs, it does not work, then fiddle for another 30 secs, after which, if they are lucky and haven't been strangled by the person behind them, finally manage to get a ticket

Surely for most of us blokes, it's just a case of getting your wallet out your pocket and taking your cash card out. Takes 5 seconds. I've rarely seen a bloke mess about paying. It's primarily women routing around in their handbags. (oooh sexist).

It’s not just women - I’ve seen a few blokes fuss about looking for their wallet, then in it for the card they want to use or the paper money they are going to spend

[OLDMAN]

On a different matter M&S in Reading have reduced some Christmas cards from £4.00 to 20p each. Some of the designs are not to my taste but others are fine. You need to search them out though. They are tucked away in the ladies' underwear section.

"No, seriously, officer, I was just looking for Christmas cards - I read it on Reading Forum!"

Despite myself......

Reminiscences of the Father Ted sketch!

[windrush]

Cardboard shortage apparently caused by everybody getting packages from Amazon etc, but it not all being recycled - some is burned and they think a lot us in people's garages etc, awaiting recycling.

Guilty as charged, I have a shed full of Amazon boxes I have saved 'just incase' and a few more due to arrive today. Coincidently the Postie has just delivered them while writing this!

Pete.

[ChipbuttyG]

Thoroughly agree. Even worse are those who pay on a bus using a phone - do no bother to get their phone out (or often don a mask) till they are on the bus, then get it out of their pocket, fiddle with it for 30 secs, it does not work, then fiddle for another 30 secs, after which, if they are lucky and haven't been strangled by the person behind them, finally manage to get a ticket

Surely for most of us blokes, it's just a case of getting your wallet out your pocket and taking your cash card out. Takes 5 seconds. I've rarely seen a bloke mess about paying. It's primarily women routing around in their handbags. (oooh sexist).

It’s not just women - I’ve seen a few blokes fuss about looking for their wallet, then in it for the card they want to use or the paper money they are going to spend

I know OM but I did say primarily women.

I always seem to get behind someone who is buying shopping for someone else as well as their own, then faff with paying. I look at the other queue I could have got in and everyone behind me has been served. I'm like unlucky Alf in that respect. But I shouldn't grumble. First world problems eh!

[chris_j_wood]

I always seem to get behind someone who is buying shopping for someone else as well as their own, then faff with paying. I look at the other queue I could have got in and everyone behind me has been served. I'm like unlucky Alf in that respect. But I shouldn't grumble. First world problems eh!

I get quite frustrated at the time people spend being served in queues in front of me. It always seems that they take much longer than me. It doesn't really matter what I'm queuing for, I've had the same experience at airport check-in, supermarket check-out and, my current bête noire, coffee shops. I've had doctor's consultations shorter than the time it takes some people to order and pay for their coffees.

Is it me, or is it them. I dunno.

[lizwing]

My husband just got back from the shop and presented me with 2 BOXES OF KLEENEX MAN SIZE TISSUES !! I couldn’t have been more thrilled with a bouquet of flowers

[mikejee]

Much more useful than flowers

[lizwing]

It’s hard to blow your nose with a daffodil.

[mikejee]

It’s hard to blow your nose with a daffodil.

The pollen would probably make you sneeze !

[windrush]

I can't comment on tissues as we don't use them but apart from certain biscuits and crisps that we like and have seemed unobtainable for a year or more we don't really have a problem.

Pete.

[ChipbuttyG]

I always seem to get behind someone who is buying shopping for someone else as well as their own, then faff with paying. I look at the other queue I could have got in and everyone behind me has been served. I'm like unlucky Alf in that respect. But I shouldn't grumble. First world problems eh!

I get quite frustrated at the time people spend being served in queues in front of me. It always seems that they take much longer than me. It doesn't really matter what I'm queuing for, I've had the same experience at airport check-in, supermarket check-out and, my current bête noire, coffee shops. I've had doctor's consultations shorter than the time it takes some people to order and pay for their coffees.

Is it me, or is it them. I dunno.

One thing I can't stand when getting a flight is.....You're in the departure lounge for quite a while and what do most people do? When they get on the plane they mess about in their bags getting the things out such as books they want for the flight. Couldn't they have done that before getting on the plane! Arggh!

[Stargazer]

I get quite frustrated at the time people spend being served in queues in front of me. It always seems that they take much longer than me. It doesn't really matter what I'm queuing for, I've had the same experience at airport check-in, supermarket check-out and, my current bête noire, coffee shops. I've had doctor's consultations shorter than the time it takes some people to order and pay for their coffees.

Is it me, or is it them. I dunno.

One thing I can't stand when getting a flight is.....You're in the departure lounge for quite a while and what do most people do? When they get on the plane they mess about in their bags getting the things out such as books they want for the flight. Couldn't they have done that before getting on the plane! Arggh!

I agree, everyone else seems to take longer than I do (or is our sense of time different when we're being served?) As for the carry-on stuff with airlines, don't forget that some of the cheaper ones frown on you carrying anything apart from your main bag (I remember assiduously getting stuff ready and an attendant at the Easyjet check-in counter telling me to put it all back in my bag). They don't exactly encourage you...

[lizwing]

We’re looking at a shortage of flour now, caused by the war in Ukraine, not unexpected.

[piwacket]

We’re looking at a shortage of flour now, caused by the war in Ukraine, not unexpected.

Flour - from Ukraine?

[windrush]

We’re looking at a shortage of flour now, caused by the war in Ukraine, not unexpected.

Flour - from Ukraine?

A lot of wheat comes from the Ukraine Pi.

Pete.

[C.A.Versham]

Not noticed any major shortages yet but it will only be a matter of time I suppose before the panic buying starts. I have noticed a few cardboard shelf fillers in supermarkets with an apology for the lack of stock but these are fairly rare now and I have not seen them at all in M&S.

What is clearly apparent is the price inflation of basics such a butter. Items used to increase in price by 5 or ten pence, now it's 20 or 30 or more. Will just have to spread it more thinly.