Emergency kit retailers experience surge in sales after Spain and Portugal power outage

Emergency kit retailers in the Netherlands have noticed an increase in demand for their products in Spain and Portugal after the major power outage that hit both countries. Since Monday, various websites have been selling more kits with food that can be stored for a lengthy period of time, water, and an emergency radio, they said to ANP.

At allprepare.com the sales of emergency rations and kits were five times higher on Monday and Tuesday than the days before, according to part-owner Wibo Lageveen. Prepshop.nl and noodrantsoen.nl have also seen an increase in orders.

Noodzaken.nl has seen a “significant sales increase” of water filters and emergency food since the first messages of the large power outage in Spain and Portugal. It was a “moment “of harsh reality, according to Remco Ahne of the webshop. "All important news moments bring extra sales", he added.

Kan de Vries, Noodrantsoen.nl’s founder, recognizes the temporary peaks when there is more interest in emergency kits or power outages. People only start preparations when they “get scared,” he said.

The website had three times as much turnover as in an average day during the last 24 hours. The webshop currently generates most of its income from its luxury emergency package, which includes a stove, water filter, first aid kit, radio, and power bank.

Camping shops also sell more products that are suited for an emergency kit. After the large-scale power failure, more customers are coming to De Wit Schijndel in the Brabant town of the same name for specific products that are needed when the electricity fails. "We see that people are now coming for power stations, batteries, and generators," a spokeswoman said. Bever also expects a revival in the coming days in the sales of items such as power banks and water filters.

The power outage affected the daily lives of millions of people in Spain and Portugal. Trains were not running, shops had to close, and traffic lights stopped working due to the outage. Telephones also had no connection.

The Dutch government said on Monday that people would be smart to prepare for a similar situation and to assemble an emergency kit.