Panic buying hits Victorian stores as Acting Premier James Merlino urges calm

Panic buying has returned, and even regional Victorians are joining in on the craze, but the supermarket giants have a plan to meet demand.

Panicked shoppers are stripping supermarket shelves across Melbourne and regional Victoria as people stock up on supplies hours before the state heads into its fourth major lockdown in 12 months.

Shoppers observed bare shelves in some stores moments after Acting Premier James Merlino on Thursday morning declared a seven day lockdown for Victoria starting from 11.59pm on Thursday.

Debbie Brewer said she noticed a lack of toilet paper, tissues and long-life milk at Woolworths in Eltham.

Just before noon, a shopper had just left Cranbourne Woolworths when the “panic buying had already commenced”.

“If we shop as normal there is enough for everyone. We have been through this before,” they said.

Bare shelves spotted at Cranbourne Woolworths.

The panic buying was also hitting supermarkets in regional Victoria, with shoppers snapping photos of bare shelves and queues of people waiting to check out.

Kathy Voyer described the scenes in Traralgon as a “joke”.

“I was at the plaza at 11.30 and people walking out with trolleys full of toilet paper,” she said.

Queues of shoppers waiting to checkout at Traralgon moments after the lockdown was announced. Picture: TRFM/Facebook

From 11.59pm on Thursday, Victorians can only leave home for five reasons.

These include for shopping for necessary goods and services, authorised work or permitted education, exercise, caregiving and medical reasons and to get vaccinated.

Earlier, Mr Merlino warned people against panic buying, saying there was “absolutely no reason” for it to happen.

“Look at our experiences as a community through the circuit-breaker lockdown in summer – everything we need, in terms of our goods and services on the supermarket shelves is there,” he said.

The toilet paper aisle almost cleaned out at Woolworths Sale.

Coles distributed 800 pallets of toilet paper to Victorian supermarkets on Thursday in anticipation of a surge in demand, while additional cartons of mince, roast meat and sausages were also dispatched.

A Coles spokesperson said at this stage buying limits would not be reintroduced.

“However, we will monitor stock levels closely to ensure shelves are stocked with the items customers need,” they said.

Woolworths was also “closely monitoring” the situation.

“We have plenty of supply available across our store network and will continue to replenish stock as needed,” a spokesperson said.

“As always, we ask customers to be mindful of others in their community and buy only what they need.”