People are selling packets of Walkers crisps for £10 on eBay amid ongoing shortage

As a nation-wide shortage of Walkers crisps continues to grip the country, some people have taken matters into their own hands by flogging packets for eye watering prices on eBay.

In scenes not dissimilar to the toilet roll hoarding experienced at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, ambitious sellers have taken it upon themselves to sell on their own packets of Walkers crisps at a grossly inflated price. 

The shortage comes after a company IT glitch, which the crisp manufacturer said has since been fixed. However, its sites are still operating at a reduced scale, with a Walkers spokesman saying: “A recent IT system upgrade has disrupted the supply of some of our products. Our sites are still making crisps and snacks but at a reduced scale. 

“We’re doing everything we can to increase production and get people’s favourites back on shelves. We’re very sorry for the inconvenience caused.”

It is also believed that the shortage could be fuelled by an inability to keep up with produce demand following the UK economy reopen, with staff shortages, Brexit, Covid and wider economic conditions are also contributing factors. 

But as the majority of people wait patiently for the shelves to refill, others have taken matters into their own hands by flogging their own packets for eye watering prices. 

After a quick search on eBay, I found a single bag of Walkers Salt & Vinegar crisps being sold for £6.89 – as a self-confessed crisp addict, I can confirm that they’re good, but they’re not that good.

eBay

Another similar listing gave people the option to bid on another packet of Walkers Salt & Vinegar crisps with a starting price of £5, or to ‘buy it now’ for an outrageous £10.

For a bit of context; customers at supermarkets would usually expect to pay around 70p for a 32.5g bag of Walkers, or around £1.50 for a multipack of six slightly smaller 25g bags.

Though crisps aren’t the only things in shortage as of late; for the last couple of months, a number of different supermarkets and restaurants experienced supply issues as a result of the lack of HGV drivers in the wake of Brexit. 

Various retailers have been warning that a solution must be found to avoid ‘significant disruption’ in the run-up to Christmas.