Shops attempt to control panic buying
As the stockpiling of foodstuffs continued due to the coronavirus outbreak, some Wexford supermarkets and other retail outlets introduced a limit on the number of items purchased.
Aldi was among those advising customers that ‘as we have seen an unprecedented demand across our range, we will be limiting customer purchases to four units on all products to ensure all of our customers have an opportunity to purchase them.’
Dealz imposed a three-unit limit on certain products and like Aldi, assured customers that they are getting constant and regular deliveries.
Eggs have joined a growing list of in-demand items including toilet rolls, bread, flour, rice, pasta and canned goods which are often difficult to obtain due to panic-buying.
Dunnes Stores and Aldi and Lidl stores in Enniscorthy ran out of egg stocks over the weekend, with a staff representative in Dunnes saying they had been unable to get them for the previous few days.
‘Flour is also in high demand. It may be because people are doing a lot of home-baking now that they’re at home with the children’, she said.
Most outlets have introduced social distancing measures, placing tape on the ground to separate people as they are queueing and some are limiting the number of customers on the premises at any one time, to prevent over-crowding.
A long queue formed outside Tesco in Wexford last Saturday afternoon, as people waited to get into the store, during a peak shopping time.
Everywhere, there are signs asking people to pay by card, where possible, to avoid staff having to handle cash.
There are also notices in shops asking people not to handle items that they do not intend to buy.
The sight of people wearing gloves in supermarkets, has become the norm, and some outlets, including garages, are supplying them to customers, to protect people while handling petrol pumps.
Supermarkets including Pettitt’s SuperValu have erected glass screens to protect staff at some check-outs and even smaller outlets, such as corner and service station shops, have improvised barriers, by placing a table in front of the counter, with a scanner for people to check out their own items.
Mask-wearing is not yet prevalent but some people are wearing scarves wrapped around their faces when they go shopping.
A number of outlets including SuperValu and Aldi have are setting aside specific hours in the day to facilitate elderly people to do their shopping without risking close contact with others.