Revealed: How long supermarkets, bottleos, chemists will remain open

Some major supermarkets have begun to close and won’t reopen until at least Saturday – if it is safe – as Tropical Cyclone Alfred barrels towards South East Queensland. SEE WHAT’S OPEN

Andy and Jenny Andrews, and Jenny Boyd, at Coles in The Gap shopping centre ahead of Alfred’s arrival. Photo Steve Pohlner

Some major supermarkets have begun to close their doors on Thursday as Tropical Cyclone Alfred looms off the Queensland coast.

It comes just a day after supermarkets, hardware stores and bottle shops said they would will be “trading as per usual” in the lead up to Cyclone Alfred, as Queenslanders rush to stock up on last-minute supplies.

Coles and Bunnings confirmed on Wednesday they would remain operating in the lead-up to the extreme weather event, choosing to play opening hours by ear rather than closing.

On Thursday morning Woolworths confirmed it will be closing stores at 2pm.

But on Thursday morning Coles announced it had started to close some stores.

“The safety of our team and customers is our priority. We have asked our team to stay safe and follow the guidance provided by the state and federal government,” a statement read.

“As Cyclone Alfred approaches, and we are operating our stores with fewer team members than normal we just ask our customers to be patient and kind to our team – who are working hard to continue to restock our shelves after a busy few days with the community preparing for the cyclone.”

Coles have announced most stores will remain open despite Cyclone Alfred expected to arrive in the coming days.It is recommended residents check opening hours of their local store as times may vary.

Empty shelves in Coles Supermarket in Newmarket were people have been panic buying ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Picture: John Gass

Eight stores across South East Queensland have closed, including stores in Petrie Terrace, Loganholme and Runaway Bay.

A Coles spokesman said closure of stores on the Gold Coast is in line with shopping centres closing.

“All other stores in South East Queensland remain open at this stage,” he said.

“The safety of our team and customers is our priority.”

Stores will be operating with fewer team members than normal, and some locations across South East Queensland have revised trading hours on Thursday.

Coles at Petrie Terrace, Loganholme, Runaway Bay, Benowa, Arundel, Pacific Pines, Robina and The Pines were confirmed to be closing on Wednesday.

“These store closures are in line with the shopping centres closing. All other stores in South East Queensland remain open at this stage,” a spokesman said.

On the Gold Coast, a large number of Woolworths stores have closed for Thursday and Friday, while others were trading until 2pm Thursday.

Major shopping centres Pacific Fair and Robina Town Centre were both closed.

A statement from Pinelands Shopping centre also confirmed on Thursday it would close at 6pm and remain closed until it was safe to reopen.

A Coles spokesman said the supermarket’s automated distribution centre in Redbank, which supplies the 130 stores between the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, as well as the rest of Queensland and northern NSW, was handling the increase in demand for stock easily, with team members working to restock stripped shelves as quickly as possible.

“We are well prepared to ensure we can continue serving communities affected by these wild weather events,” he said.

“We have extra deliveries on the roads already, with a focus on boosting our supply of meat, milk, bread, water, canned goods, baby formula and toilet paper.”

However, limits have been put in place for water, with customers restricted to two bottles per transaction.

Aldi supermarkets are currently monitoring the situation and have closed stores in the City of Gold Coast LGA from 5pm Wednesday until Saturday, March 8.

Stores in the NSW Northern Rivers will also be closed from 8pm Wednesday until Saturday; while branches in Brisbane, Redlands City, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay, Scenic Rim, Pine Rivers, Noosa and Sunshine Coast LGAs will close at 2pm Thursday until Saturday.

Bunnings will also continue to operate as per usual, allowing customers to stock up on items to protect their homes from damage.

However, a spokeswoman said some stores may need to close temporarily if it became unsafe to operate, with updates posted to the company’s website about opening hours.

Bottle shops Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, Dan Murphy’s and BWS will open as usual, although some store hours may vary dependent on staff availability.

Chemists will continue to be open while it is safe to do so, with opening hours varying based on location and risk of operating, but the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Queensland President Chris Owen warned Queenslanders to ensure they had all their medications before the cyclone hit.

“I encourage everyone to check their medication supply now and, if needed, contact their community pharmacist as soon as possible,” he said.

Those in southeast Queensland are being advised to fill the fuel tank now, with service stations to close from as early as Thursday afternoon as supplies begin to run dry.

As of Wednesday night, the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association said fuel deliveries to service stations in southeast Queensland and the NSW Far North Coast will be suspended from 4pm on Thursday until destructive winds have eased.

That means fuel stations won’t be able to be restocked until at least Friday, with supplies to then be patchy as trucks negotiate road closures and flooding, but Alfred has since slowed down, meaning these times could be pushed back.

Service stations will also close from Thursday evening for the safety of staff.

It’s predicted some will reopen on Friday afternoon – although this would also depend on Alfred’s arrival – with ACAPMA advising Queenslanders to use fuel apps such as MotorMouth and Petrol Spy to see which outlets have supplies.

Coles – Stores in major shopping centres starting to close – other stores trading as usual

Woolworths – Stores closing at 2pm on Thursday

Aldi – Gold Coast and NSW Northern Rivers stores closed until Saturday; stores in Brisbane, Redlands City, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay, Scenic Rim, Pine Rivers, Noosa and Sunshine Coast LGAs will close at 2pm Thursday until Saturday

Bunnings – Stores trading as usual

Liquorland – Stores trading as usual

Vintage Cellars – Stores trading as usual

Dan Murphy’s – Most stores trading as per usual

BWS – Most stores trading as per usual

Originally published as Revealed: How long supermarkets, bottleos, chemists will remain open