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Melbourne Woolworths, Coles meat shelves stripped bare as panic buying sets in

Victorians are stripping supermarket shelves as hotspots enter stage 4 lockdown rules – but there’s one item shoppers don’t want.

Hannah PaineHannah Paine
3 min read
August 4, 2020 - 1:41PM
Coronavirus Melbourne: Panic buying as supermarkets announce purchasing limits

It seems many Victorians are ignoring pleas not to panic buy, with continuing reports of bare supermarket shelves – particularly in the meat section.

On Sunday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced Melbourne would be entering a stage 4 lockdown in an attempt to curb rising numbers of COVID-19 cases. The new restrictions include a curfew of 8pm to 5am and all non-essential businesses closed.

The rest of Victoria is now in stage 3 lockdown, with masks mandatory in public spaces and cafes and restaurants closed except for takeaway.

And as residents get used to life under one of the world’s strictest lockdowns, this morning ABC journalist Marty McCarthy tweeted a photo of a meat display at Woolworths in Abbotsford, Melbourne that was “looking lean”.

But there’s one section in the chiller shoppers have neglected, snubbing local meats such as kangaroo.

It seems many of might not have the time for roast chicken either, with one Coles meat section looking depressingly bare apart from an offering of whole roast chickens and parts.

RELATED: Follow the latest Victoria coronavirus updates

A shelf in a Coles supermarket in the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds after recent panic buying. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie.
A shelf in a Coles supermarket in the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds after recent panic buying. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie.

Similar reports were shared on Facebook and Twitter of bare meat sections after it was revealed Melbourne would be entering stage 4 lockdown.

One Melbourne shopper posted this photo on Facebook of an empty looking meat section at their supermarket.
One Melbourne shopper posted this photo on Facebook of an empty looking meat section at their supermarket.

But while staples like chicken and mince were sparse, some shoppers observed that there was plenty of kangaroo and wallaby meat at their supermarket.

In response, Coles has imposed a two pack per customer limit in Metro Melbourne on mince, chicken breast and chicken thighs.

In Woolworths there are even stricter restrictions, with two pack per customer limits on pork, lamb, beef and chicken, as well as a 1kg limit on meat, small goods and poultry from the butcher and deli sections across all of Victoria.

Industry experts have warned that Victoria’s new restrictions, which currently allow meatworks to remain open but with reduced staff, will see meat become more scarce for the state.

Panic buying will also contribute to the issue, Edith Cowan University supply chain management expert Flavio Macau told the ABC.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Ian Currie/NCA NewsWire
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Ian Currie/NCA NewsWire

“People will rush to the supermarket and even if they don’t need that meat right now people will go because they will be scared and afraid about the fear of missing out,” Dr Macau said.

“Later on, things should get back to normal in the medium term.

“It will have an impact on people’s everyday lives but it shouldn’t be that big of an impact.”

Coles chief operating officer Matt Swindells told the Today show on Monday morning the meat limit is to help support the replenishment of all of those categories in Victorian stores.

“It is also to make sure that everyone gets the food they need through the next six weeks of this lockdown,” Mr Swindells said.

The decision comes after an influx of meat buying with Mr Swindells telling the program the category has been “impacted” the most.

He said there hasn’t been a rush on toilet paper, nor have they seen the same level of anxiety from the previous lockdown.

“There was a definite level of calmness and an approach to it that was a bit more of Victorians are going to get through this and get this done, and a lot less of we are now panicking and buying toilet paper,” Mr Swindells said.

“I can absolutely tell you that we are doing everything that we can and we have been leading the way with the Department of Health in Victoria on new standards for distribution centre hygiene.”

A Coles spokeswoman told news.com.au on Tuesday: “We are continuing to work with our suppliers and where necessary, we have made alternative sourcing arrangements so we can continue to provide the food and groceries our customers need.”

Woolworths said they were “confident” they would be able to maintain their supply of meat to Victorian stores.

“We’re working through the implications of the Victorian Government’s announcements with our key suppliers,” a spokesman told news.com.au.

“We’re confident we’ll be able to maintain a good supply of fresh meat for our Victorian customers.

“We’ll monitor the impact closely as the new restrictions come into effect later this week.”

Yesterday Mr Andrews told reporters that Victorians did not need to buy “four trolleys’ worth of groceries and enough chicken or beef to last you until Christmas”.

“You may not be able to buy every single item that you want in the quantities you normally would, but people will have everything they need,” he said.

“Supermarkets as well as grocery stores, the local fruit and veg, the local butcher, the baker, all of those shops, they will remain open.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/melbourne-woolworths-coles-meat-shelves-stripped-bare-as-panic-buying-sets-in/news-story/185229accb4ae33b2d2d2f510ebcf0dc