Shoppers should stop stockpiling goods and think of others
The empty shelves at stores around the country are not only hurting older Australians, writes Sophie Elsworth. This is no time to be spending hundreds of dollars needlessly stockpiling.
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Pensioners Jim and Doreen Kennelly summed it up beautifully when they were strolling the empty supermarket aisles looking for essentials.
“People are just out for themselves. The young ones couldn’t care less,” Mrs Kennelly, 91, said.
And that’s how it feels – young or not – many people have raided the supermarket shelves to the point they think the world is ending.
They haven’t thought of others, they’ve thought of themselves.
Especially those who are suffering most including the elderly and vulnerable, for whom it’s not as easy to go to the supermarket and stock up any hour of the day.
Retiree David Lewis, 86, was baffled as people were rushing to stock up on water.
“We see people (panic) buying bottled water – haven’t they heard of turning on the tap? Most houses I know have a tap and if you turn it on there’s water.”
Yep, and that’s free.
If everyone calmed down and shopped as normal – despite abnormal situations – we wouldn’t have this insane situation.
And Prime Minister Scott Morrison put it perfectly.
He urged people to stop hoarding supplies, saying he was disappointed with the “un-Australian” panic buying being driven by fears of the coronavirus pandemic.
“On bulk purchasing of supplies: Stop hoarding. I can’t be more blunt about it. Stop it,” Mr Morrison said.
“It is not sensible, it is not helpful and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.
“That is not who we are as a people. It is not necessary. It is not something that people should be doing.”
Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci said: “If everyone just buys what they need … if we just do that we will get through this together”.
As to what lies ahead in the coming weeks and months, there’s no doubt our finances are going to be under increased strain as many people get laid off work or are told there’s no need for them to do their job.
Spending hundreds of dollars at supermarkets, stockpiling as if the world is ending, makes zero sense.
Now is not the time for greed – in the grocery sense – it’s for people to be compassionate and understanding of others.
I’ve been hitting the supermarkets speaking to many shoppers including our older and vulnerable who are just trying to get what they can to survive.
But when you can’t even buy essentials like toilet paper, you know something is wrong with society.
While many of us have seen bad behaviour of late, I hope this changes and we start to think of each other.
It’s times like this that if we all show a little care and compassion we can get through this.
@sophieelsworth
Originally published as Shoppers should stop stockpiling goods and think of others