Aussies left baffled by Chemist Warehouse move

A popular retailer’s website has been flooded with eager shoppers looking to snag a discount — forcing the brand to put in a queue.

A popular retailer’s website has been flooded with eager shoppers looking to snag a discount — forcing the brand to put in a queue system.

Chemist Warehouse was offering huge discounts on selected products in-store and online. The Black Friday sale started on Wednesday.

But, many eager shoppers jumped onto the brand’s website on Friday to find they’d been placed in a queue. At the time of writing, it was a 46-minute wait.

There are queues on the Chemist Warehouse website

“We are experiencing a high volume of traffic and using a virtual queue to limit the amount of users on the website at the same time,” a statement on the brand’s website read.

“This will ensure you have the best possible online experience.”

Customers, who had wait times varying between 15 minutes and an hour, expressed their annoyance.

“Since when does Chemist Warehouse have a high volume of traffic and a virtual queue?” one shopped asked. “I know it’s Black Friday but the sales are not revolutionary.”

“Need to get an asthma spacer and I went to check the Chemist Warehouse website and it told me I was in a 46 minute queue to view their website,” another added.

One said: “Wtf, Chemist Warehouse doing a Ticketek. Cheap Taylor Swift perfume?”

news.com.au contacted Chemist Warehouse for comment.

The sale is set to end on December 1.

It comes after the ACCC said it will allow Chemist Warehouse to merge with Sigma Healthcare. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

It comes after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it will allow the proposed $8.8 billion merger Chemist Warehouse and Sigma Healthcare.

Initially, the ACCC expressed concerns. Stephen Ridgeway, the ACCC’s commissioner, said it would create “major structural changed” for the sector. This is because Sigma Healthcare is a wholesaler that provides to thousands of independent pharmacies.

These pharmacies, in turn, compete against the pharmacy giant that is Chemist Warehouse.

But in a fresh statement on November 7, the watchdog said it supported the deal. This is because it accepted a “court enforceable rule” from Sigma Healthcare.

The business pledged to put restrictions on the collection, use and disclosure of confidential data and information from it’s customers and franchisees for three years.

It also promised to remain a participating pharmaceutical wholesaler under the Commonwealth Government’s Community Service Obligation arrangements for at least five years. This also included not hindering franchisees who entered into their franchising arrangements prior to July 1 2024, from terminating their franchise agreements with Sigma for three years.