Latest news with #stockpiling
Japan Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Japan to release extra 200,000 tons of stockpiled rice as prices fall
Japan will release an additional 200,000 metric tons of stockpiled rice harvested in 2021 and 2020 through no-bid contracts to all retailers and rice shops, the farm ministry said Tuesday, as the grain's price fell for the second consecutive week. Major retailers, midsize and small supermarkets, and rice shops with their own rice millers are eligible to apply for 120,000 tons of rice harvested in 2021, including 20,000 tons of rice left unsold from the previous sale, from Wednesday. When those are sold out, the ministry will start selling 100,000 tons of rice from the 2020 harvest. It will be the first time stockpiled rice produced in 2020 will hit stores. 'Right now, nationwide convenience stores and supermarkets are selling them (the rice) at considerable speed,' farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi said in a regular news conference Tuesday. 'As the rice becomes available at an increasing number of stores, it has been sold out at some of them, so I'd like to release additional stockpiled rice.' The retail price for the 2021 rice is expected to be around ¥1,800 ($12.43) per 5-kilogram bag while the 2020 rice is expected to cost ¥1,700. There will be no limit to the amount of rice retailers can purchase. The average price of a 5 kg bag at supermarkets in the week through June 1 was ¥4,223, down ¥37 from the previous week –– the second consecutive weekly decline, according to agriculture ministry data released Monday. The figure didn't include data from stockpiled rice sold through the no-bidding contracts, which went for around ¥2,000 per bag. Still, Koizumi voiced discontent at the slow pace at which prices are falling. 'It didn't even go down ¥100 in two weeks,' Koizumi said, adding that he will implement strategies to lower prices to the ¥3,000-range target as soon as possible. So far, the farm ministry has released or plans to release 810,000 tons of rice in total through auctions and no-bid contracts, reducing the remaining stockpile to about 100,000 tons –– a fraction of the 1 million tons the government has in any given year to use in times of emergency, such as natural disasters or extremely poor harvests. Koizumi downplayed concerns over the reduced amount, citing the government's release of 40,000 tons in response to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and 90 tons for the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake –– both well under the current stock. If the stockpile does run out, Koizumi said Japan may import foreign rice for the first time since 1993, when a severe rice shortage hit the nation due to an unusually cold summer. As prices cooled, public support for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet rose to 39% in June, up from 33% in May, according to an NHK poll released Monday, while 74% approved of the government's release of stockpiled rice through the no-bid contracts.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are Pandemic-Era Shopping Shortages Returning? 3 Reasons To Stock Up Now (And 3 Not To)
As tariffs impact global trade routes, some consumers worry that store shelves could soon resemble the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — bare and unpredictable, and possibly hard on the budget. Learn More: Find Out: Earlier this year, a growing number of U.S. consumers said they were stockpiling goods in anticipation of rising prices. 'I'm buying double of whatever — beans, canned goods, flour, you name it,' Thomas Jennings, a shopper in New Jersey, told a Reuters reporter as he prepared for potential price hikes and shortages. While prices have dominated recent headlines, delays in shipping and customs backlogs are quietly creating stock shortages in key sectors. And, although President Donald Trump's tariffs were recently declared unlawful by the Court of International Trade, they were quickly temporarily reinstated. The Trump administration is also pushing back in an attempt to implement the tariffs, leaving their fate unknown for now. Are pandemic-era shopping shortages returning? Here are three reasons to stock up now and three reasons not to. If the tariffs do stick around, here are the reasons you might want to start stocking up. Read Next: Shane Lucado, founder and CEO of InPerSuit Inc., a legal technology company, said consumers should watch for signals in logistics contracts and freight indexes. 'When companies start renegotiating delivery terms mid-year, something big is shifting,' Lucado said. 'Freight delays plus tariff spikes mean manufacturers hedge risk by cutting supply. That ripples into job cuts, stock adjustments and vendor shakeups.' Josh Fischer, vice president of product strategy at Cin7, an inventory management platform, said Chinese imports will be hit the hardest. 'This is going to impact several specific industries, such as electronics, apparel, footwear, auto parts, toys, and sporting goods,' Fischer said. 'The good news is that these aren't the types of products consumers are buying every day. But this will impact seasonal spikes in purchases.' Baby furniture and European goods are current examples of accessible but vulnerable inventory. 'Purchasing baby furniture is the smartest move right now,' said Johanna Bialkin, CEO of Aldea Home & Baby. 'Gliders, cribs and dressers, especially from Europe, are still in stock and still at a good value right now. We are expecting the tariffs in the EU to drive up demand and pricing.' Panic won't do you any favors, so make sure you consider the reasons not to stock up before you hit the store. Acting out of urgency rather than need may leave consumers with items that don't suit their lifestyle or, worse, that they can't return. 'Sometimes people make decisions they regret, like buying a full-size stroller when you actually realize you want something lightweight,' Bialkin said. 'We love the process of education and will continue to leverage our 20 years of expertise to help our consumers buy when it is the right moment.' Unlike the pandemic, when supply disruptions unfolded gradually and predictably, today's potential trade-related shortages are harder to anticipate. Factors such as small business closures, volatile pricing and inconsistent trade policies make inventory gaps unpredictable and category-specific. Stockpiling everything 'just in case' could strain household budgets and storage space with little payoff. 'We saw a 44.8% spike in apparel sales during the week of March 31,' said Raj De Datta, CEO and founder of Bloomreach, an AI-driven personalization platform. 'That's consumers trying to get ahead of price hikes due to China-focused tariffs.' De Datta added, 'When tariffs hit basics, like a $100 shoe line suddenly costing $300, some retailers may pause entire product lines.' In times of uncertainty, it's natural to consider stocking up on essentials. However, financial experts caution against excessive spending that could jeopardize personal finances and encourage the use of credit cards for everyday purchases. 'Make sure you know where every dollar is going right now, because it's more important than ever to do so,' Thomas Nitzsche, a financial educator at the nonprofit Money Management International (MMI), told NBC10 Boston. He explained, 'When you see $10 for a dozen eggs, it is really a wake-up call. If it is something you know you'll need, you want to buy now, feel free. But just use caution, because if you finance it, you really got to do the long-term math on that to see, is this really going to make sense? Am I going to end up paying more in interest than I would have saved if I just waited?' Editor's note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on More From GOBankingRates Surprising Items People Are Stocking Up On Before Tariff Pains Hit: Is It Smart? 3 Reasons Retired Boomers Shouldn't Give Their Kids a Living Inheritance (And 2 Reasons They Should) This article originally appeared on Are Pandemic-Era Shopping Shortages Returning? 3 Reasons To Stock Up Now (And 3 Not To)
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
I'm a single mother-of-four living on a budget - my big supermarket shop costs £300 but it lasts me a whole YEAR
A mother-of-four has shared her secret for saving thousands of pounds on food and household goods every year. Charlene Woracker, from the UK, took to TikTok to reveal the hack, telling her 29,000 followers that she manages to save shed loads of cash by doing just one stockpile shop a year. The mother, who regularly shares her budgeting tips on social media, shared a list of 31 budget buys she swears by. In the clip, she shared a series of pictures showcasing an array of stockpiled goods 0 including tinned tomatoes, bin bags, cereal and a whole year's worth of toiletries. Charlene said she keeps costs down by doing big shops at the beginning of the year, bulk buying products that are on offer an stowing them away at home. Sharing her impressive yield, the frugal mother said she had spent a whopping £300 on the haul from Sainsbury's. First on the list, Charlene stocked up on multipacks of toilet rolls, with each pack having cost £1.44 using a Nectar card. Next was an armful of multigrain hoops, each costing 85p, and offering 12 servings per box. Penny-pinching Charlene also secured a barrel of bargain dinners with a tray of 20 tins of baked beans. The savvy shopper didn't just stock up on canned goods, but made sure the bathroom and cleaning cupboards would be well supplied, purchasing several Nature Source shower gels on offer at two for £2 as well as Colgate toothpaste for £1, shampoo for 79p, conditioner, hand soap for 59p and panty liners for £1.60. Piling the pantry with plenty of non-perishables, Charlene also stocked up on condiments and seasonings. She also bagged several bags of basmati rice, each priced at £1.79, posh Maldon Sea Salt, a handful of bottles of tomato ketchup for 90p, BBQ sauce for £1.15, and a dozen dinners' worth of spaghetti, each packet coming to just 29p. Charlene maximised her budget by buying very few branded products, including taking home a dozen packets of store-branded pasta which she insisted 'tastes just as good as branded packs of spaghetti'. The mother took home four litres of Greek extra virgin olive oil for just over £30 using her Nectar card. She also filled her pantry shelves with several packets of digestive biscuits for 59p each, real mayonnaise for 99p a jar, Fairtrade light brown soft sugar for £3.50 a kilo, and tinned tomatoes costing £1.88 for a four pack. Making sure she is prepared or any event, Charlene also stocked up on a few cartons of UHT whole milk, should she ever run out and need some in a pinch. Charlene maximised her budget by buying no branded products, including taking home a dozen packs of pasta which she insisted 'tastes just as good as branded packs of spaghetti' She bought unbranded sponges in a pack of six for 65p each, bin liners for £1.25 a pack, Sainsbury's own nappies for £3.59, and cotton wool pads for 99p for 200. At the end of the haul, Charlene said: 'Everything will last three to 12 months. It saves me thousands by shopping like this and brings down my weekly shop to about £50 a week.' The mother regularly posts cash-saving tips to her TikTok page, showing her followers how to prepare cheap meals, plan parties, and even go on holiday with a tight budget. The clip, which has since racked up 257,000 views, attracted attention from hundreds of budget shoppers looking for tips and tricks on saving their pennies. One wrote: 'Love the stockpile, will definitely look at the olive oil! Have you considered a cup over sanitary towels? They last for years so saves money and much better for the environment. And you get the benefits you would from tampons ie. swimming etc but without the health risks.' 'It may sound silly but how do you get started with doing this? I need to do this,' a second said. 'I can completely get behind this. I bulk buy essential items like loo roll/fabric softener and detergent from Costco and it saves me so much money every week/month in my usual food/household shops!', a third commented. Others though, were more sceptical about the benefits of Charlene's alternative shopping methods. 'Curious, what is the benefit of stockpiling opposed to buying weekly/monthly? Surely you're just shelling out loads in one go and have to find somewhere to store it. Do you not spend exactly the same,' one commenter questioned. Answering curious queries, Charlene left one comment explaining that the way she managed to save was by buying in bulk items that were on offer.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
I'm a single mum-of-4 & only do the ‘big shop' once a year to save THOUSANDS – here's 31 bargains I stock up on
A SINGLE mum has shared how she saves thousands of pounds by stockpiling. The mum-of-four took to social media sharing her yearly shop that saves her cash and the 31 budget buys she swears by. 2 2 In the clip she said: "Doing a one-year household stockpile as a single mum-of-four on a budget." Her preferred shop seemed to be Sainsbury's. "I buy things mainly on offer," the mum revealed adding that the total cost of her haul was £300. The first thing she bought was their own-beand toilet roll for just £1.44 a pack with her Nectar card. To keep the kids fed in the morning she bought several boxes of the Multigrain Hoops cereal for 85p each. Next was a shelf of their 40p baked beans for easy sides to dinners and lunches. The mum bought the own-brand washing-up liquid for 85p, which she also used as antibacterial spray. The savvy shopper stocked up on toiletries including Nature Source shower gel as it was on offer for 2 for £2 as well as Colgate toothpaste for £1, panty liners for £1.60, shampoo for 79p, conditioner and hand soap for 59p. But she wasn't done there, she also made sure her pantry was fully stocked up too. She bulk-bought black beans, rice, salt, ketchup, BBQ sauce, spaghetti, chopped tomatoes, olive oil, sugar, biscuits, mayonnaise, coconut oil, and long-life milk. I'm an Irish mum & I feed my family of six for three days with €26 shop Black bags, washing up sponges, cotton wool, dishwasher tablets and some bottled water were also stocked up on. She also purchased baby wipes and nappy pants which the mum said were better than branded ones for just £3.59. Finishing the video, the mum said: "Everything will last 3 to 12 months. It saves me thousands by shopping like this and brings down my weekly shop to about £50 a week." The clip has gone viral on her TikTok account @ mummybudgets with over 253k views and people were quick to praise the mum for her budgeting skills. How to save money on your food shop Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year: Odd boxes - plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price. Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30. Sainsbury's also sells £2 "Taste Me, Don't Waste Me" fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash. Food waste apps - food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public. Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio. Too Good to Go's app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount. Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses. Yellow sticker bargains - yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap. But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here. Super cheap bargains - sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they've found on the cheap, including food finds. "Downshift" - you will almost always save money going for a supermarket's own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands. The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as "downshifting" and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop. One person wrote: "This is amazing if you have the space to do it!" Another commented: 'Covid taught me that I should have had a stockpile. Well done for planning ahead." "I second the Sainsbury's nappies. Tried all the supermarket ones & pampers, none compare to them," penned a third. Meanwhile, a fourth said: "I did my first ever stockpile just on cleaning products back in October as Tesco had 3 for 2 cross cleaning. Still stocked on washing up liquid and laundry. Makes my food shop feel cheaper." "I do similar to this a month and it honestly saves so much. I should try and do like you for the year,' claimed a fifth.
CNA
12-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Japan supermarket rice prices fall for first time in 18 weeks
TOKYO :Japanese supermarket rice prices fell for the first time in 18 weeks, the agriculture ministry said on Monday, though they were still double the price from the same period a year earlier. In the week to May 4, prices fell 19 yen from the previous week to average 4,214 yen ($28.52) per 5 kg, the data showed. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government in March took the unprecedented step of releasing stockpiled rice into the market for the purpose of reining in costs. That will continue every month through July. ($1 = 147.7400 yen)
