Grocery giants act as panic buying spreads
WOOLWORTHS and Coles have reinstated purchasing limits on toilet paper and paper towels across the nation, extending them from Victoria.
It comes after a spike in coronavirus infections in some Melbourne suburbs triggered some panic buying, calling to mind the stripping of supermarket shelves first seen in March.
Woolworths acted on Wednesday to impose buying limits on toilet paper, paper towels and other groceries such as rice and mince in Victoria after COVID-19 flared up again in Melbourne and some consumers resumed stockpiling.
Coles followed suit and yesterday, following discussions with the governmentled supermarket task force – set up to co-ordinate supplies in the health crisis, the nation’s biggest chains extended the buying limits beyond Victoria to the whole country.
Nationally, Coles has imposed a limit of one pack of toilet paper and one pack of paper towels per purchase, while Woolworths is setting a limit of two packs of toilet paper and paper towels.
A Coles spokeswoman said: “We ask that customers continue to shop normally so that everyone can have access to the food and groceries they need”.
Woolworths supermarkets managing director Claire Peters said the grocer had seen elevated demand for toilet rolls extend outside Victoria in the past 24 hours.
“While the demand is not at the same level as Victoria, we’re taking preventive action now to get ahead of any excessive buying this weekend and help maintain social distancing in our stores,” Ms Peters said.
“We have ordered more than 650,000 additional packs of toilet roll into our network, which is an increase of more than 30 per cent on our usual volumes.
“We have plenty of stock for all of us, so we encourage our customers to buy only what they need and think of others in the community.
“If customers already have enough toilet roll at home, there is no need to buy more.
“The sooner we see buying patterns return to normal levels, as was the case throughout May and most of June, the quicker we’ll be able to wind back limits.”
The supermarkets fear a return to the scenes in March when panicked consumers rushed stores and stripped the shelves of toilet paper as well as other groceries and essentials. There were scenes of fighting in the aisles as shoppers wrestled for stock.
Poor behaviour by shoppers in March prompted a rebuke from Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who said: “It is not sensible, it is not helpful and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.”