Woolies joins Coles with new national limits on toilet paper, paracetamol

Woolies has followed Coles’ lead in introducing buying limits on essential items as shelves are left empty and supply issues take a toll.

Supermarket chain Woolworths has joined Coles in introducing buying limits on toilet paper and painkillers across the country as stock supply shortages from the Covid-19 pandemic continue to bite.

Woolworths’ announcement of product limits on Thursday comes only days after Coles made the same move on Tuesday night.

At Woolworths shoppers will now only be allowed to buy two packs of toilet paper and two packs of analgesic products.

At Coles it is also two packs of painkillers (applying to paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin), but only one pack of toilet paper.

For West Australian customers, Woolworths introduced further product limits on Thursday due to “signs of excessive buying” – a limit of two packs per customer across mince, sausages and chicken.

Coles introduced these limits on meat last week in all states except Western Australia.

Both supermarkets have a one-pack limit on rapid antigen test kits.

Coles further added to its restrictions Thursday afternoon, introducing a host of meat and deli purchase limits for Western Australian stores.

Customers will be allowed to purchase a maximum of six chicken breast fillets and six chicken thigh fillets from the deli.

From the meat department, each shopper can buy just two packs of chicken breast, two packs of chicken thighs, two mince packs, and two sausages packs at a time.

Empty toilet paper shelves are a reminder of how things looked at the start of the pandemic in 2020.

An shelf for Panadol left empty at a Woolworths in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Robinson

The following meat & deli purchase limits will now apply in our WA stores:
6 x Chicken Breast Fillets from the Deli
6 x Chicken Thigh Fillets from the Deli
2 x Chicken Breast packs from the Meat dept
2 x Chicken Thigh packs from the Meat dept
2 x Mince packs
2 x Sausages packs

— Coles Supermarkets (@Coles) January 13, 2022

Woolworths director of stores Jeanette Fenske said the company was closely monitoring product availability.

“Customers will notice some gaps on shelves but we’re doing all that we can to meet demand,” she said.

“We encourage everyone to be mindful of others in the community and to continue shopping in reasonable quantities.”

Woolworths attributed high rates of worker absenteeism in the supply chain due to Covid for impacted stock levels across the country.

In a statement on Facebook on Tuesday, Coles said the situation was “rapidly changing”.

“Product availability in our stores has been impacted due to pandemic related supply chain disruptions,” it said.

Hours earlier, painkillers such as Panadol and Nurofen had disappeared from shelves as panic buying reached new heights.

Coles told customers “there is no need to panic buy” and to “please purchase only what you need.

“Our team are working hard during this trying time – please remember to show them the kindness and respect they very much deserve.”

To maintain availability & make it fair for everyone we've introduced national purchase limits: toilet paper (1 pack) and select medicinal items (paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin) (2 packs). Please continue to treat our team with kindness & respect and only purchase what you need

— Coles Supermarkets (@Coles) January 11, 2022

It came just two days after deputy chief medical officer Michael Kidd urged Aussies to buy paracetamol and ibuprofen as many to test positive to Covid in “coming days”.

“The first thing to do is to be prepared,” he said.

“My advice is that you make sure you have some paracetamol or ibuprofen at home in case you’re diagnosed with Covid-19.

“Paracetamol or ibuprofen can be used to manage fever and aches and pains.

“It’s important to be prepared because you won’t be able to go to your supermarket or pharmacy if you are diagnosed with Covid-19.”

Coles are still experiencing major shortages of meat, fresh vegetables, eggs, and of course toilet paper. Picture: Glenn Hampson

A spokesperson for GSK Consumer Healthcare, the company responsible for the production of Panadol, said on Thursday it was “redeploying stock from other markets” to meet demand.

“There is currently an extremely high demand for Panadol, resulting in some stores and pharmacies temporarily having a limited supply,” the company said.

“In an effort to ensure equitable access to pain relief for all Australians, some retailers have placed buying limits on pain relief products, which we fully support.

“We urge Australians to purchase responsibly for their immediate needs. We are working to address the supply by advancing orders and redeploying stock from other markets. We are also working with our business partners to ensure that stock is distributed widely.”