Supermarkets introduce extremely strict restrictions on nearly EVERY item as coronavirus panic-buying leave shelves stripped bare

Coles added buying limits on milk, including plant-based and chilled and longlife

Sugar, canned tomatoes and liquid soap are also now under two-item restriction

Woolworths introduced a two-item limit on any single category, on Wednesday

One-pack limits are still in place for toilet paper, baby wipes, antibacterial wipes

Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare as result of panic buying

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ADAM MCCLEERY and KAREN RUIZ
DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

18 March 2020

Supermarket giants are introducing even further restrictions on grocery items as they struggle to cope with a surge in demand due to coronavirus panic-buying. 

Woolworths customers will only be able to purchase two items from any single category from most packaged products, with the exception of some fresh foods. 

‘There is now a per customer, per shop limit of 2 items from any single category on most packaged products across Woolworths supermarkets and Metro stores and online,’ CEO Brad Banducci said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘This means that you’ll only be able to buy 2 products from any single category or section (such as coffee), regardless of the brand or variety.’

Items exempt from the policy include fresh food such as fruit and vegetables, seafood and meat (excluding mince) as well as deli, bakery items, canned fish, and dairy items, which have largely not been subject to hoarding due to short shelf lives.

One-pack limits are still in place for toilet paper, baby wipes, antibacterial wipes, paper towels, napkins and rice.  

‘We’ve made this change to help our suppliers and teams make as many products available to you as possible. So please respect these limits and only buy what you need to help as many Australians as possible access the products they need.

‘Our teams continue to work tirelessly under difficult circumstances, so please treat these dedicated people with the courtesy and respect they deserve.’

Meanwhile Coles added chilled white milk, including plant-based non-dairy & goats milk, sugar, UHT long-life milk, canned tomatoes, and liquid soap to its list of restricted items on Wednesday.

Customers will be limited to two lots of each item.  

It comes one day after the supermarket announced the same restrictions on eggs, chilled pasta, frozen vegetables and frozen dessert.

Coles had already introduced purchasing limits on mince meat, toilet paper and hand sanitiser.

‘As the situation around coronavirus continues to develop, we want to ensure you have the most up to date information on product availability,’ Coles said in a statement on Sunday.

‘The purchase of mince, pasta, flour, dry rice, paper towels, paper tissues and hand sanitisers is limited to 2 items per customer.’

Supermarket giants Coles, Woolworths IGA and Aldi issued a joint statement on Wednesday asking shoppers to be ‘considerate’ while they shop as they work to accommodate customers in the midst of the crisis.

‘Our suppliers and teams are doing everything possible to get as many products onto all our shelves as they can, often under very difficult circumstances,’ the statement read.

‘So we ask you to please be considerate in the way you shop.

‘We understand your concerns, but if you buy only what you need and stick to the product limits, it helps everyone, especially the elderly and people with disability.’

Coles announced it won’t offer refunds on any additional items that were purchased as a result of panic-buying.

Chief executive officer Steven Cain said staff were working ‘as hard as possible’ to ensure shelves were sufficiently stocked.

‘As the situation around coronavirus continues to develop, we believe that everyone in the community should have access to their share of grocery items, particularly the elderly,’ he said. 

A spokeswoman for Coles pleaded for customers to show ‘respect and compassion’ for its exhausted staff, with increasing reports of them being abused by frustrated customers.

‘Coles team members and suppliers have been working as hard as possible delivering more products to stores every day and stocking shelves as quickly as possible,’ a statement said.

‘We ask for customers to continue to respect, show compassion and support our team members in stores and our Customer Care and Coles Online call centres, particularly if a product is unavailable or if the checkout queues are longer than normal.

‘We have significantly increased the number of team members working in our stores to support this level of unprecedented demand and are actively recruiting for more than 5,000 more casual team members.

The supermarket has been making adjustments to operating procedures in an effort to keep up with the demand.

‘We believe all Australians deserve the right to access their share of grocery items, particularly the elderly and the vulnerable,’ Coles CEO Steven Cain said.