Supermarkets in chaos after lockdown decision
While Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was warning the country not to panic buy yesterday, that was exactly what people started to do.
Before she even finished talking from the Beehive theatrette, the previously-quiet Willis St in Wellington’s CBD was packed.
All non-essential businesses – restaurants and bars – are to close but essential services, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, would remain open.
People were specifically warned against swarming supermarkets but many ignored that message.
Kiri Hannifin, Countdown’s corporate affairs general manager, told RNZ’s Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan that stores across the country sold enough food to feed 10 million Kiwis last week. She pleaded with New Zealanders to be kind and not buy more than was necessary.
‘‘I am asking New Zealand to please not go to the supermarket, we will be open right through this . . . we will be open every single day to look after you. There is plenty of food in our country.
‘‘Shop normally, do not stockpile . . . because it will break our supply chain.’’
She said the demand has been hammering Countdown stores and shelves have been ‘‘wiped out’’, which had resulted in a bottleneck in the supply chain.
‘‘If you shop us out, then the rest of New Zealand won’t have stuff for tomorrow and the next day . . . Be decent.’’
Foodstuffs, which owned New World, Pak’n Save, Four Square, Gilmour’s and Trent’s, said individual stores were considering
reducing operating hours, and staff were beginning to wear protective equipment such as masks.
Contactless online shopping and delivery was available for customers self-isolating or who were unwell. Customers shopping instore were asked to use contactless payment methods, as opposed to cash.
Christchurch supermarkets were packed, with some customers taking their own creative measures to prevent the virus spreading.
About 3pm at New World Stanmore in the suburb of Richmond, customers rushed round the supermarket – some with face masks on.
One woman even had a tea towel wrapped around her face. The checkout line was 40 trolleys’ long, tracking to the back of the supermarket by the dairy section.
At Durham St New World in the central city, queues were at least 10 trolleys long and toilet paper was for sale on pallets at the entrance.
Police were on the scene at Pak’n Save in Queenstown. They were only letting in small groups of shoppers at a time.
Inside Pak N Save Invercargill, queues of nine or 10 trolleys waited for each checkout and about 40 people wait to go through selfservice yesterday afternoon.
Police were monitoring shoppers.
A few people were holding their hoods over their mouths or wearing masks.
‘‘Stores across the country sold enough food to feed 10 million Kiwis last week.’’
Kiri Hannifin
Countdown’s corporate affairs general manager