Radio Sales Jump 160% as Britain Heeds Government Stockpile Call

Robert Dyas reported a 160% jump in radio sales in the week after Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told Britons to stockpile essentials for emergencies. The hardware retailer's figure, obtained by Newsnight, is one of the sharpest signals that consumers acted on the government's "Be Ready" announcement within days.

Electronics chain Maplin saw the broadest spike. Its sales rose 92% in radios, 284% in torches and 106% in power banks since the government's announcement last week, compared with the same period a month earlier. Iceland, the supermarket chain, reported a 40% increase in tinned product sales over the weekend.

What did the government actually ask for?

On 22 October, Streeting said households should keep three litres of water per person per day, tinned goods, baby food, battery-powered torches and mobile phone charging packs. He framed the stockpiling as preparation for emergencies such as a cyber attack or extreme weather. Many of the items on his list match the goods whose sales have shot up, according to figures Newsnight gathered from retailers.

Ollie Marshall, managing director at Maplin, said demand moved fast: "Within hours of the Be Ready announcement we saw people reach for the basics - a torch, a wind-up radio, a power bank. Torch sales nearly quadrupled and radio sales almost doubled in three days."

"These are simple, affordable products that keep a household connected and informed when the power goes out, and it's encouraging to see people taking the advice seriously," Marshall said.

How big is the sales surge?

The numbers vary sharply by retailer:

• Robert Dyas: radios up 160% versus the prior week
• Maplin: radios up 92%, torches up 284%, power banks up 106%
• Iceland: tinned products up 40% over the weekend
• Preppers Shop UK: total sales up 650% after the announcement
• Sgt Prepper's online store: sales increased tenfold

Iceland's spokesperson said bottled water also sold strongly but supplies remain healthy. "It's clear consumers have listened to the government's message as we have seen a 40% increase in sales of tinned products over the weekend and strong sales of bottled water too," the spokesperson told the BBC programme.

Independent retailers saw the most dramatic shifts. Josh Pringle of Sgt Prepper's said his small shop went from quiet to overwhelmed almost overnight. "We were a small outfit on Wednesday. And then the government launched the Be Ready campaign and we couldn't believe what we were seeing – order after order after order. Most of them were for a wind-up radio," he said.

Lincoln Miles, founder of Preppers Shop UK, put his increase at 650%. "Everything about off grid seems to be the key of what people are buying for the minute," Miles told Newsnight.

What has the government said about the buying rush?

Streeting welcomed the consumer response in a statement to Newsnight. "It's encouraging that people are taking practical steps to be ready. Having a few everyday essentials at home, from tinned food to torches, helps households prepare for disruption, whether that's flooding, power cuts or burst pipes. We can all play our part in making Britain more resilient," the defence secretary said.

The sales data suggests the Be Ready campaign moved demand within hours, not weeks, and concentrated it in low-cost preparedness categories. Retailers now face the question of whether the surge is a one-off panic buy or the start of sustained stockpiling behaviour — and whether supply chains for tinned goods, radios and power banks can keep pace if the government repeats its message.