Business

In Pics: Supermarkets are coming up with ingenious ways of hiding empty shelves

Supermarkets are coming up with ingenious ways of hiding empty shelves – including single lines of products and removing aisles all together.

Shelf spacers in use at Sainsbury’s on Mere Green Road in Sutton Coldfield, Credit;SWNS

Shoppers have been left angered at the lack of food available in supermarkets across Britain, blamed on Brexit, a shortage of workers and ‘pinged’ workers.

Empty seafood freezers at Sainsbury’s In Craigleith, Edinburgh August 2021. Credit;SWNS

In an attempt to distract from the glaring gaps on the shelves, supermarket staff have become creative in hiding the lack of stock.

A Tesco in Camborne, Cornwall where whole aisles are being removed in supermarkets . Credit;SWNS

Tesco in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, pulled a single line of squash bottles to the front of the shelves to give the appearance of being fully stocked.

Boxes of Coca Cola are used to fill an otherwise empty shelf at a Tesco in Birmingham, August 2021. Credit;SWNS

They were also spotted lining up bottles of Persil and Ariel at the front of shelves, but couldn’t disguise their glaringly empty stock of flavoured water.

Shelves at a Co-op in St Helier, Jersey where Chrunchy Nut cereal boxes are being used to fill up empty spaces. Credit;SWNS

Sainsburys in Sutton Coldfield, West Mids., filled the empty shelves with cardboard boxes featuring pictures of the missing items.

Shelf spacers in use at Sainsbury’s on Mere Green Road in Sutton Coldfield, August 2021. Credit;SWNS

One disgruntled Tesco shopper in Camborne, Cornwall, revealed entire aisles had been removed to eliminate the sight of empty shelves.

Blackcurrent squash is pushed forwards to give the appearance of full shelves. Low stock in Tesco, Mansfield, Oak Tree Lane, Nottinghamshire, August 2021. Credit;SWNS

Tesco in South Queensferry, Edinburgh, used large Coke bottles to form a barrier stopping shoppers from glimpsing the desolate shelves behind.

Shelf spacers in use at Sainsbury’s on Mere Green Road in Sutton Coldfield, August 2021. Credit;SWNS

Shopper Dionne Reed snapped the sight of the cereal shelves filled entirely with Crunchy Nut boxes at Jersey’s Co-op Grand Marché in St Helier.

Flavoured water missing from supermarket shelves in Tesco, Mansfield, Oak Tree Lane, Nottinghamshire, August 2021. Credit;SWNS

Sharing the photo on her Facebook page, she said she was sad because she “just wanted Cheerios”.

Stock pushed to the front of shelves to make them look full at Tesco, South Queensferry, August 2021. Credit;SWNS

There was no hiding the rows of empty freezers inside Morrisons in Pilton, Edinburgh, where all ‘Free From’ frozen products were completely sold out.

Related: Tory MP and self-styled ‘hardman of Brexit’ now says Brexit is a fiasco

Joe Mellor

Head of Content

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