Coronavirus: Coles extends exclusive shopping hour to emergency workers

Supermarket giant Coles has announced it is extending its exclusive shopping hour to other worthy Australians.

Supermarket giant Coles has announced it is extending its dedicated “community” hour for the elderly and disabled to emergency service workers.

Starting Thursday, from 7am the first hour of trade on Tuesdays and Thursdays will now be available to emergency services and healthcare workers who hold an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) card, have a workplace ID or are wearing their work uniform.

That means doctors, nurses, paramedics, hospital and ambulance staff, police and firefighters can all access the exclusive shopping hour.

Coles Group chief executive officer Steven Cain said the move would help even more Australians access the essential groceries they need.

“In the past week we have seen the Community Hour help vulnerable and elderly Australians access essential grocery items during this challenging time,” Mr Cain said.

“We are now extending this opportunity to those Australians who are protecting our community and keeping us safe.”

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Coles will extend its exclusive shopping hour to emergency services workers twice a week. Picture: Toby Zerna

“We know these workers are incredibly busy and hope that providing them with a dedicated hour at the beginning of the day to shop will make their lives a little easier and support the vital work they are doing every day,” Mr Cain said.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday Coles community hours will continue to be dedicated to vulnerable and elderly customers who hold a government-issued Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, Companion Card, Seniors Card, Disability Card and Health Care Card.

The shopping hour was originally introduced to ensure older people and those living with disabilities were able to shop in less-crowded aisles and access the essentials they needed during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We believe all Australians deserve the right to access their share of grocery items, particularly the elderly and the vulnerable,” Mr Cain said at the time.

The move came after scenes of panic-buying, clashes between shoppers and scuffles over toilet paper, with Australians stripping shelves bare of toilet paper, pasta and tinned goods in fear there would be shortages due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Coles introduced a community hour for the elderly and disabled after panic-buying saw shelves stripped bare. Picture: Danny Casey/AFP

The supermarket giant has had to put a number of buying limits in place to stop people from hoarding supplies. Picture: News Corp Australia

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told people to “stop hoarding” supplies last week, calling the behaviour “un-Australian” and “ridiculous”.

“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.”

Mr Morrison said there was no reason for people to be clearing the shelves of supermarkets in fear of a lockdown.

Coles chief operating officer Matt Swindells said over the weekend most people had heeded the Prime Minister’s advice to stop hoarding.

“I’m please to report that certainly the shopping through our supermarket business has returned somewhere towards normal, and that’s allowed the teams with all the hard work they’re putting in to get stock back into the system,” Mr Swindells told the Today show on Monday morning.

However, he said, “there is still a long way to go”.

“Anybody that has shopped over the weekend would see the gaps on shelves are still there and so we’ve got to continue the process of normalised demand, pushing more stock than ever, to put the supermarkets back together,” he said.

The behaviour has seen Coles, as well as Australia’s other major supermarket chains Woolworths, Aldi and IGA, introduce increasingly strict measures to ensure no shopper misses out.

Stores have closed early so that workers are able restock shelves; and Coles suspended online shopping to anyone other than the vulnerable and isolated.

A number of product purchase limits have also been put in place, and change-of-mind policies temporarily suspended.

Mr Cain said he was “incredibly proud” of Coles’ team members, “who are working hard to get stock on to shelves as fast as possible, create a safe place to shop, and provide our customers with great service”, and asked that Australians continue to show workers kindness and patience.