Wild scenes as kids storm Woolworths to buy Prime drink

Dozens of teenage boys can be seen crawling under the half-open doors of a Woolies in order to get their hands on a new, celebrity-endorsed drink.

There have been chaotic scenes at supermarkets across the country as teenagers flock to get their hands on, of all things, a drink.

Prime Hydration has been slowly rolled out at Woolworths stores nationally over the past week, with social media a hive of activity as people try to track down stores with stock remaining.

Video posted on TikTok shows the extent of the demand, with dozens of kids shown crawling beneath a Woolworths door as it opens to try and be the first to grab the five bottles they’re allowed to purchase.

@clarence_claymore#perth#prime#primehydration♬ Not Over Yet (feat. Tom Grennan) - KSI

A huge crowd gathered outside a Woolies in a desperate bid to get their hands on an energy drink. Picture: TikTok

One boy was seen ducking under the door as it opened, before dozens more followed suit. Picture: TikTok

The video, posted on Sunday by user @clarence_claymore, shows throngs of teens at a Perth store pushing to make it to the drinks aisle before the bottles of Prime Hydration sold out.

The drink has become popular due to promotion by YouTube sensations Logan Paul and KSI, both of whom are also partial owners of the company which produces Prime.

Similar scenes could be seen at the northern suburbs Karrinyup Shopping Centre Woolworths supermarket.

People are using social media to track down which Woolworths stores have stock, while some stores have been inundated with calls to check stock.

The drink quickly ran out, with limits of five bottles of Prime per customer brought in to manage demand.

Josh Woods, 19, was among the throng of teens waiting for the shop to open at 11am on Sunday.

“I was there an hour early … when the centre doors opened you could hear the rush of kids flow through the centre,” said Mr Woods.

“There was no official lines and what was an initially 15 grew to 150 would be my best estimate.

“Once doors opened kids pushed and crawled to get under the doors before charging through the store, staff looked helpless and watched on as the store got flooded within seconds.

“I was surprised the number of parents … parents spoke about how they even got grandparents to split and go across stores to better their chances.

“It was chaos but no one got aggressive.”

Some people have been reselling bottles of Prime for $15 or more per bottle online through portals like Facebook Marketplace.

Many of those buying Prime aren’t even planning on drinking it; some use the bottles in order to show them off on social media.

Other more enterprising individuals are reselling Prime on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, asking for $15 per bottle, and in some cases asking much more, even for empty bottles.

That’s a far cry from the $4.50 retail price Woolworths charges, where a purchase limit of five per transaction is enforced.

“It’s been in the UK and the US for months and videos appear weekly of store stampedes and rushes, so it set the expectation that it sells fast, so I’m not surprised at what I saw,” said Mr Woods.

The company that makes Prime is partially owned and promoted by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI, making it incredibly popular among kids.

Adding to the drink’s popularity is sponsorship deals with English Premier League side Arsenal, and the UFC.

“We know demand will vary store to store, and in the event that it is sold out, please be patient as we have plenty of supply to restock but we do ask customers to only purchase what they need,” said a Woolworths spokesperson.

“The drinks can only be purchased in store (not online) and are priced at $4.50 a bottle.”

It should be noted Woolworths only sells Prime Hydration, which is different to Prime Energy, a version of the beverage which contains six times more caffeine than a can of Coca-Cola.

Prime Hydration is sold in Australia in five flavours, and is made up of about 10 per cent coconut water.