"I wanted a kilogram of sugar and a pack of salt — couldn't buy them" - who emptied the shelves at ATB

After the introduction of temporary limits on the sale of a number of products at the ATB chain, disputes among shoppers about a possible shortage and mass buying have not died down. On September 2, 2026 a reader of “Korabelov.Info” reported that the previous evening she could not even buy a kilogram of sugar and a pack of salt. Her emotional post sparked an active discussion among Mykolaiv residents: some recalled the frenzy of the first days of the full-scale war, others explain the stockpiling by fear of another price increase.

A reader of “Korabelov.Info“ who went to ATB for sugar and salt on the evening of September 1, 2026, was outraged by the empty shelves and urged other shoppers not to create panic.

“Last night I went into ATB, I just wanted to buy a kilogram of sugar and a pack of salt, and I couldn’t buy them because they simply aren’t there. People, what’s wrong with you? They told you that there are products, there is no shortage, these products just can’t be delivered on time. You, damn it, raised the panic yourselves, you yourselves brought the store shelves to emptiness. It’s only September. How long can you store these cereals and so on before they get infested with moths and other insects? And then what? Will you just throw them away?” the reader wrote.

Recall that since August 28, 2026 ATB has temporarily limited the sale of certain social categories of goods — to 6 units per person. The company explained the decision by Russian strikes, strain on logistics and cases when resellers effectively make wholesale purchases in ordinary shops. The list of goods subject to the restrictions included, in particular, cereals, pasta products, salt, sugar, oil, vinegar, canned goods and chicken eggs. ATB stated that the introduction of limits does not mean an overall shortage of products.

Also on August 31 advisor to the President of Ukraine Serhiy Beskrestnov urged citizens not to give in to panic over possible disruptions with food supplies. According to him, producers and sellers are reorganizing logistics, and if necessary some product niches can be filled with imports.

At the same time readers described very different situations in stores:

“I was at ATB today, no panic, everything is available,” — noted Iryna Pyhar.

Another reader recalled a similar frenzy back in Soviet times. According to her, excessive stockpiles eventually ended up in the trash.

“I remember, in the early 1970s people were also grabbing everything off the shelves, I was still very young, and my mother later said that the landfills were full of bags of flour products and cereals that maggots and worms were crawling through — some people overstocked,” — noted Lyudmyla.

Elena drew a parallel with the first days of the full-scale invasion, when Ukrainians also stockpiled food en masse:

“Well, in the first days of the war people also stocked up, and then threw away flour, beans, etc.,” — wrote Elena.

Artur agreed that in the first days of the invasion the frenzy could be explained by uncertainty and the real threat to Mykolaiv, but now:

“In the first days it was understandable, there was uncertainty and chaos and the threat of a breakthrough/siege of the city, I remember empty shelves and queues at ATMs, gas stations and pharmacies, but now?” — asked Artur.

Not all commentators consider large stockpiles the result of groundless panic. Elena suggested that people are simply trying to buy up before another price increase.

“They buy in large quantities today so as not to overpay by a few hryvnias tomorrow, since the price changes every day while salaries are at the 2022 level,” — Elena added.

Svitlana O. said she also faced the absence of certain products:

“Yesterday I couldn’t buy table vinegar at ATB, there was only apple cider vinegar. Is that also a strategic product? Some cereals weren’t available and there was less meat than usual. I didn’t see any panic. As far as I understand, the older generation raised the panic. Last week pensioners were carrying out canned stew and cereals. They lived their lives ‘in shortages’. It’s not for us to judge them,” — wrote Svitlana.

From the comments of the shoppers themselves it is clear that the situation can vary depending on the specific store and time of visit. Some townspeople report missing certain products, while others already see stocked shelves and do not observe any panic.

Previously we wrote:

• Presidential advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov explained whether Ukraine faces a shortage of food products
• ATB explained the reason for limiting sales of grocery items and eggs
• UAVs damaged a supermarket, and rockets hit houses and garages in Mykolaiv
• The war hits bread: wheat prices rose to a three-year high
• “This is not chaos, but survival”: Mykolaiv residents defended an informal market in the Korabelny district