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Coles and Woolworths reinstate toilet paper limits after NSW, Victoria panic buying surge

A new wave of hoarders have forced major supermarkets to reinstate limits nationally on toilet paper purchases and other essential items after a spike of new coronavirus cases in Victoria.

Adella BeainiAdella Beaini
@adellabeaini
2 min read
June 26, 2020 - 3:27PM
Purchase limits reinstated in Vic after resurgence of panic buying

Supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles will reinstate a purchase limit on toilet paper at all stores across the country, after panic buyers stripped the bathroom essential from shelves amid fears of a second wave of coronavirus.

The “precautionary” move follows a recent surge in demand and will see the previously axed limit on toilet paper and paper towel at all stores return, with shoppers only allowed to purchase two packs per customer.

Toilet paper is once again being hoarded in Sydney. Supplied
Toilet paper is once again being hoarded in Sydney. Supplied

Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director Claire Peters said they had to “regrettably” start to see an “elevated demand” for toilet roll move 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 as they shop this weekend. If customers already have enough toilet roll at home, there is no need to buy more.”

Shoppers at all Coles supermarkets and Coles Express stores as well as the retailer’s online store will only be able to purchase one pack of toilet paper and paper towel.

The additional two per customer limits on hand sanitiser, flour, sugar, pasta, mince, UHT milk, eggs and rice in Victoria still apply.

Sydney shoppers have begun sharing snaps of empty toilet paper shelves, hot on the heels of similar sights appearing in Melbourne earlier this week.

A Coles store in Green Point on the state’s Central Coast had their shelves stripped bare while other customers shared similar stories.

“FYI Winston Hills Woolworths is nearly out of toilet paper. One of the workers told me that people are starting to panic buy again. The fear is kicking in again,” another said.

“I popped into Coles earlier (in a suburb in Sydney) and I did notice a disproportionate number of customers buying packs of toilet paper …” someone else wrote.

“In my part of NSW both @woolworths & @Coles have run out of toilet paper this evening,” another said.

Despite the bold move, both Coles and Woolworths have urged customers to “shop normally so that everyone can have access to the food and groceries they need”.

“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,” Ms Peters said.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/coronavirus/coles-and-woolworths-reinstate-toilet-paper-limits-after-nsw-victoria-panic-buying-surge/news-story/fe7ef25819910f49e248b6cd9f271d1a