London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 11, 2026

Tesco puts buying caps on several products

Tesco puts buying caps on several products

Tesco has introduced purchasing limits on some products including eggs, rice, soap and toilet roll.

The move is to make sure everyone has access to the products, it said in an email to customers.

Customers are allowed to buy up to three of each item.

The move comes as almost 3,000 lorries remain stranded in Kent after restrictions on travel and freight between the UK and France were introduced.

The supermarket giant also encouraged customers to shop alone to ensure social distancing in stores.

Tesco said it has "good stock levels" and customers should "shop as you normally would".

Tesco introduced limits on some products in September in a bid to prevent a repeat of the panic-buying that led to shortages in March.

France shut its UK border for 48 hours on Sunday amid fears of a new coronavirus variant.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has since announcedthat some travel can resume, although lorry drivers are still advised not to travel to Kent after days of disruption.

Dozens of other countries have banned UK arrivals, including India, Iran and Canada.

'Drop travel bans'


Any solution would probably include testing for lorry drivers, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield said.

French authorities say some journeys will be allowed for residents and nationals with a recent negative test. Hauliers are expected to be updated later on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the EU Commission has urged other countries to drop their travel bans.

In a recommendation to all member states, it said flight and train bans should be discontinued to avoid supply chain disruption.

People should be allowed to travel to their country of residence, provided they take a Covid-19 test or self-isolate, it said.

But the commission added that non-essential travel should still be discouraged.

On Monday, Tesco and Sainsbury's warned that some fresh items could run short if no way is found to get freight moving again.

Much of the UK's fresh vegetable stock comes from continental Europe in the winter, including tomatoes and cabbages.

Tesco anticipated that produce such as lettuces and citrus fruit could be hit.

Sainsbury's told the BBC that it did not currently have any product caps in place, and said it had "good availability".

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, pointed out that retailers have stocked up on goods ahead of Christmas, which should prevent immediate problems.

However, he said that if testing is required to reopen borders "we need to ensure it is quick to avoid adding friction to the supply chain.

"We have stressed to government there is no alternative to reopening the channel ports, given that it is a key supply route for fresh produce at this time of year."

The Channel is a vital trade route, with about 10,000 lorries a day travelling between Dover and Calais at Christmas, often bringing in the freshest produce.



Many drivers are stuck in Kent as France remains closed


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
English Councils to Gain Power to Introduce Tourist Taxes by 2028
Kemi Badenoch Reshuffles Conservative Shadow Cabinet
Firefighters Make Progress Containing Major Wildfires in South Wales
John Lewis Partnership Reports £124 Million Loss
Study Says UK AI Data Centres Will Create Only a Quarter of Forecast Jobs
UK Government Considers Higher Industrial Water Prices Amid Supply Pressures
Andy Burnham Holds First Call With Donald Trump as UK Prime Minister
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record as Heatwaves Drive Hospital Admissions
Home Secretary Orders Police Crackdown on Far-Right Anti-Migrant Vigilantes
UK Supreme Court Rules Northern Ireland Religious Education Curriculum Breaches Human Rights Standards
Markets Price in Four Bank of England Rate Rises by Next Summer
House of Commons Prepares Free Vote on Assisted Dying Bill
UK Government Bans Trade With Israeli Settlements in Occupied Territories
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Artificial Intelligence Investment Supports Expansion
Andy Burnham Becomes UK Prime Minister After Keir Starmer Resigns
John Lewis Partnership Loss Widens to £124 Million
UK Government to Put White Working-Class Social Mobility at Centre of Equality Policy
McLaren Plans £450 Million Technology Investment Creating 1,000 UK Jobs
UK Chancellor Faces Calls for Wealth Taxes and Public Ownership in Autumn Budget
English Mayors to Gain Powers to Impose Uncapped Overnight Tourist Taxes
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Government Against Bank Windfall Taxes
UK Air Traffic Control Outage Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
UK Imposes Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements in the West Bank
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as Middle East Tensions Push Long-Term Gilt Yields to Highest Since 1998
Buckingham Palace Says Prince Harry and Meghan Will Not Resume Official Royal Duties
UK Treasury Faces Calls to Scrap £100,000 Childcare Support Threshold
Trades Union Congress Urges Labour Government to Rewrite Migration Policy
Riot Police Deployed After Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent in Portsmouth
UK Considers Replacing Some Disability Cash Payments With Direct Services
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Chancellor Against Higher Banking Taxes
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Metropolitan Police Investigate Alleged Illegal Donations to Reform UK
UK Charges Wiltshire Man With Assisting Russian Intelligence
UK Orders Urgent Review After Air Traffic Failure Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
Merz Rebukes AfD Expansion in Saxony-Anhalt
King Charles Confirms Prince Harry and Meghan Will Remain Private Citizens
Labour Selects Former Child Refugee for By-Election in Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Foreign Private Equity Accelerates Takeovers of London-Listed Industrial Companies
NHS Maternity Care Faces Scrutiny Over Support for Mothers After Caesarean Births
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Likely Amid Job Cuts and Programme Cancellations
English Housing Affordability Improves to Best Level in More Than a Decade
UK Health Commission Proposes Framework for Wider AI Adoption Across NHS
Labour Faces Pressure for Wealth Tax Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Open Criminal Investigation Into Alleged Foreign Donations to Reform UK
UK Police Deploy Riot Officers After Anti-Immigration Unrest in Portsmouth and Dover
UK Defends Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Despite Diplomatic Retaliation
UK Air Traffic Control Failure Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights and Disrupts 65,000 Passengers
Compass Urges £10 Million Wealth Tax and Public Ownership Ahead of UK Autumn Budget
UK Government’s Devolution Plans Face House of Lords Scrutiny
Maldives Seeks New Chagos Sovereignty Talks With UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham
×