Woolworths limit amount of toilet paper shoppers can buy to curb coronavirus panic buying

Woolworths will limit the amount of toilet paper shoppers can purchase to curb coronavirus panic buying.

There was a scramble for toilet paper at Costco Casula. Picture: Facebook

Woolworths has moved to limit sales of toilet paper after panic buyers emptied shelves in recent days around Australia amid the escalating coronavirus crisis.

Shoppers will be restricted to four packets per transaction both in store and online, the supermarket giant announced on Wednesday morning.

“It will help shore up stock levels as suppliers ramp up local production and deliveries in response to higher than usual demand,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.

“Our teams are continuing to work hard on restocking stores with long-life food and groceries from our distribution centres.”

Scott Morrison has told Australians to adopt a “common sense approach” to coronavirus panic buying after US warehouse retailer Costco sold out of toilet paper in two of its big-box stores and shoppers stripped shelves of staples including rice and flour.

The Prime Minister spoke with supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths on Tuesday about their coronavirus ­responses.

Shelves emptying in this north shore #sydney supermarket. Rice, flour and toilet paper first to go. Staff say people stockpiling. “We can’t keep up with it.”#coronavirus @australian pic.twitter.com/raPsMT0N7a

— Christine Middap (@ChristineMiddap) February 29, 2020

Mr Morrison also confirmed the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission would allow the supermarket chains to work together in combating supply chain line pressures.

“What they were able to feed back to me was very positive. And I’m pleased with the plans that they have in place. The prolific nature of this is by being presented on social media and things like that is not as widespread as those images suggest,” Mr Morrison said.

“And they’ve got measures in place to deal with that. There are obviously some lines which will be more tested in the short term, but they’re working on those.”

Mr Morrison confirmed Kimberly-Clark, which produces toilet paper, has increased manufacturing in South Australia in response to demand.

A spokesman for Woolworths confirmed the nation’s biggest retailer had briefed the Prime Minister on its efforts to respond to higher than usual demand for long-life pantry items and household staples.

Costco stores in Auburn, NSW, and Canberra, had completely sold out of toilet paper as its customers leave its shelves empty. Picture: Facebook

“The vast majority of products in our range remain available for our customers as normal,’’ the spokesman said.

“We apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused by temporary stock shortages and thank them for their patience.”

Costco Australia managing director Patrick Noone told The Australian that its stores in Auburn, NSW, and Canberra, had sold out of toilet paper as its customers leave its shelves empty.

Costco is completely sold out of toilet paper in Australia. Picture: AP

“We are in Auburn today and we have sold out of toilet paper in about three hours, so it is happening,” Mr Noone said. “It is happening in a few Costco buildings.”

He said Costco was seeking further supplies of key grocery items from its own suppliers to build up its stock again. “We are restocking everyday, the factories and vendors are shipping as much as they can as quickly as they can. We are restocking each Costco warehouse everyday of the week.”

Customers have reported that Costco in Auburn was restricting the number of items shoppers were able to purchase.

One picture posted to social media shows that tissues, eggs and A2 3.5L light and full cream milk were all limited to two “per member, per transaction”.

#panicbuying #coronavirusaustralia #CostcoPanicBuying #Costco #COVID19 Costco restricted purchases pic.twitter.com/3wjmPzNUzL

— BIllythekids (@illythekids) March 3, 2020

Costco sources its toilet paper supplies from Kimberly-Clark but is also seeking supplies from other vendors to plug the gaps in its warehouse stores.

Mr Noone said sanitisers, disinfectants, oils, rice and flour were also “selling very well”.

Costco has proved especially popular among shoppers fearing a coronavirus pandemic with the US retailer’s outlets in America and Canada mobbed by shoppers as long lines of customers out the front line up to strip the shelves of toilet paper, hand towels, disinfectants and other grocery staples.

A Coles spokesman said the supermarket giant had increased deliveries to stores this week to improve availability on popular products, such as long-life pantry staples and healthcare items such as antibacterial handwashes, and its teams were working hard to fill the shelves as quickly as possible.