Today’s social media users mocked supermarkets that used cardboard cutouts of fruits and vegetables to hide food shortages.
Customers from Boots and Sainsbury’s stores laughed at the shop by posting photos of fake food on empty shelves.
Many retailers have been affected by supply chain issues, from food shops to petrol stations to toy shops.
One Twitter user wrote: “Mmmmm, delicious photos asparagus,” while another commented on a larger picture of the vegetable piled high, “I love that asparagus grows this big in the UK.” It’s our climate, I’m certain.
To supposedly conceal empty shelves, supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Boots have used cardboard cutouts for food.
To bolster their sandwich aisle, Boots at Croydon Whitgift Centre used triangular cardboard boxes made of empty triangular cardboard.
Tesco used photographs of grapes and oranges printed on cardboard panels to show its customers the real thing, rather than offering it to them.
Boots at Croydon Whitgift centre used empty triangular cardboard boxes as sandwich shelves.
Shoppers saw cardboard asparagus in London and pictures of oranges, grapes, and fake carrots in Fakenham. They also saw 2D bottles of washing fluid bottles in Cambridge.
Social media users poke fun at shops using photographs from produce to compensate for empty shelves
Twitter user Cait McLaughlin joked “Mmmmm delicious photo asparagus” as a picture of the vegetable was pasted onto a cardboard cutout
Sainsbury’s also used outline drawings to create packaging to fill empty shelves.
Low wages and shortages in workers are partly due to Brexit and Covid. This has left Britain without HGV drivers, fruit pickers on farms, and food processing staff at factories.
Experts hope that this will lead to higher wages for British workers over the long-term. However, short-term consequences of the shortages include bare aisles in supermarkets.
Some supermarkets in Britain gave two-dimensional treatment to more than just food.
Stocks empty in a Sainsburys supermarket, London Colney, Hertfordshire. In the last weeks, millions of shoppers have been unable buy essential food.
But Ian Wright, Food and Drink Federation chief, stated that supply chain problems will continue to be a problem in Britain.
He stated, “It’s going get worse, and it won’t get any better after getting worse anytime soon.”
Speaking to listeners at an event organised by the Institute for Government, he added: ‘The result of the labour shortages is that the just-in-time system that has sustained supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants – so the food has arrived on a shelf or in the kitchen, just when you need it – is no longer working.
The Grocer conducted a survey of 1,000 shoppers and found that two-thirds were worried or very worried about possible shortages of food and drinks ahead of the holiday season.
Picture of Costco’s early shoppers in Manchester Britain has been in turmoil lately, with high gas prices and HGV shortages leading to chaos.
Outside Costco in Manchester, a shopper is seen pushing a trolley filled with water bottles and toilet roll.
“And I don’t believe it will work again, but I think we will see that we are now in permanent shortages.”
Half a million people are not employed in the farm-to-fork sector, which is a significant problem.
Wright stated that the UK’s staff shortage does not mean there will be a shortage of food, but that retailers would prioritize higher-margin products.
Two thirds of shoppers were worried or’very concerned’ about possible shortages of food and drinks ahead of the festive season. Pictured: A supermarket in London with empty shelves
“That’s a first world problem.” He said that nobody will be completely without water if they can’t get it.
“But what is changing now? The UK shopper and the consumer could have previously expected just about any product they wanted to be on a shelf, or in a restaurant. It’s gone, and I don’t believe it’s coming back.
MailOnline was told by a Tesco spokesperson that images containing fresh food are available for large stores when they have more space.
“These products have been in use for many month and are not affected by the recent supply chain challenges. Overall, availability is strong.
A spokeswoman for Sainsbury’s stated that: “Our suppliers and colleagues are working hard to ensure customers find everything they need when shopping with us.
“Availability in some product types may vary, but alternative products are available and stores continue receive deliveries daily.”
We have reached out to Boots for comment.