Coronavirus NSW: Woolworths limits toilet paper sales in sydney

Woolworths is reintroducing buying limits at around 200 of its supermarkets in the Greater Sydney area to prevent panic buying.

Woolworths is reimposing buying limits at about 200 of its supermarkets in the Greater Sydney area to prevent panic-buying in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the city’s northern beaches.

Woolworths announced on Tuesday morning it had reinstated a two-pack purchase limit both in-store and online for toilet paper and paper towels across Greater Sydney.

It said the precautionary move followed an increase in demand for toilet paper in pockets of Sydney. Woolworths said it would help ensure customers had fair access to these products over the Christmas period.

Coles moved in lock-step with Woolworths, announcing similar buying restrictions for its supermarkets across Sydney and the Central Coast.

“To help manage increased customer demand, toilet paper and paper towel has a temporary two-pack-per-customer limit at Coles supermarkets and Coles Express stores, as well as for Coles Online orders,” a Coles spokeswoman said.

“We will continue to monitor availability of these products and ask that customers only buy what they need to help ensure everyone in the community can access everyday essentials. As an added precaution, Coles is continuing to implement additional safety and hygiene measures, including enhanced cleaning and hygiene practices in high touchpoint areas.

“Face masks are compulsory for Coles team members working in supermarkets, liquor stores and Coles Express sites across the northern beaches, Greater Sydney and the central coast.”

The major supermarket chains are concerned that shoppers who can’t secure groceries in their suburbs will drive into other areas, despite pleas by the state government for Sydney residents to remain within their areas.

Woolworths said it had tripled toilet paper order volumes in NSW and was set to deliver more than 400,000 packs into its NSW stores this week.

Woolworths Supermarkets NSW general manager Michael Mackenzie said: “We’ve continued to see a steady increase in demand for toilet paper across different parts of Sydney in the past 24 hours. While demand is nowhere near the levels we saw earlier this year, we’re taking a preventive step ahead of the busy pre-Christmas trade.

“We have plenty of toilet paper stock to draw on from our suppliers and it will continue to flow into stores in large volumes.

“As an essential service, our supermarkets will remain open to support our customers’ grocery needs, so we encourage everyone to continue shopping as they usually would and only buy what they need.”

An empty toilet paper shelf at Woolworths Narrabeen. Picture: Tim Hunter

Woolworths will continue to monitor demand for toilet paper and paper towel daily and look to remove the limits as quickly as possible.

“Woolworths strongly encourages all customers entering its stores in Greater Sydney stores to wear a face mask as per the NSW government’s advice. Face masks have been readily available to Woolworths team members nationally since April 2020 and will continue to be,” the supermarket giant said.

Limits on key grocery staples such as toilet paper, paper towels, hygiene products, long-life milk, meats and frozen vegetables first appeared in March as the leading supermarket chains decided to impose buying restrictions to ease panic shopping and protect stocks from running out.

The buying limits worked to quell the panic shopping and ensure all households had enough stock, and the restrictions were also co-ordinated by all the supermarket chains who acted together under the federal government Supermarket Taskforce to stretch supplies.

Later those buying restrictions were lifted, although in Victoria they appeared a few months later, briefly, as there was a breakout of COVID-19 in a number of suburbs.

Originally published as Coronavirus NSW: Woolworths limits toilet paper sales in sydney