Sales of hand sanitiser, bottled water and batteries surge after Government warns people about potential cyber attack

Sales of household essentials have risen since the Government launched its Be Ready campaign, which advises people to prepare for up to three days of disruption. The campaign cites risks including cyber attacks that could affect supply chains and essential services.

In the ten days after the 22 October launch, hand sanitiser sales were up 83 per cent year on year, bottled water 67 per cent and batteries 63 per cent, according to Worldpanel by Numerator. Tinned meat purchases rose 43 per cent, but typical pack sizes stayed around 500g; the data suggested more shoppers were adding supplies to regular shops rather than panic buying. Grocery price inflation reached 2.6 per cent in October.