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Comment by squidbeak | Hacker News Reader

How full are supermarket shelves in the US? Whole product lines are missing in supermarkets in the UK.

> Whole product lines are missing in supermarkets in the UK.

where does this rumour keep coming from?

bar during covid I haven't observed this in any supermarket (unless you go at 9pm on a Saturday night or something, where they haven't restocked yet)

Likewise: full shelves at Morrisons, a large Tesco and a city centre large Marks & Spencers as checked visually in the last few days in a city of 1 million.

Prices are rising for some lines though.

I think it partly depends on what you buy. I haven’t seen it much. E.g. sometimes there are few eggs, which I guess is due to the bird flu situation. And sometimes I can’t find generic ibuprofen. Minor stuff. But some people I know have things they used to buy weekly and now sometimes can’t find for weeks at a time.

Rumour? I'm reporting what I see at my local Tesco. Items that have been incredibly difficult to get hold of recently include eggs, bananas, many types of biscuit, some varieties of crisps and lettuces.

There are effectively zero shortages of critical goods, and food price inflation in the parts of the US I live and spend significant time in (TX, CA, NY) is certainly not at the levels seen in the UK (where I am from), though there is some which is undoubtedly painful for those on fixed or low incomes even at the levels seen here.

The idea that this is a "global problem" is convenient for the UK government and Brexit supporters, but not based in reality.

> but not based in reality.

I don't know about reality, but what you've done is delivered anecdotes when we know that prices in the US have gone up about 10% and prices in the UK have gone up 15%. There's no need for anecdotes, especially for another round of calling Brexiteers deluded.

Certainly more spotty than pre-covid, but mostly back to normal. The only thing I can’t find is English imports, like Wensleydale cheese.

Eggs got expensive here but it’s generally been in stock.

Supermarket shelves in the Bay Area are full enough, but many full product lines are missing.

Are they? I can’t say I’ve noticed it at all.

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