Woolworths, Coles reimpose national toilet paper limits

Woolworths and Coles extend revived buying curbs on toilet paper and paper towels from just Victoria to across Australia.

A Woolworths supermarket runs low on toilet paper this week. Picture: Peter Ristevski

Woolworths and Coles have been forced to extend new purchasing limits on toilet paper and paper towels from Victoria to across the entire country.

It comes after a spike in coronavirus infections in some Melbourne suburbs triggered some panic buying, recalling the stripping of supermarket shelves first seen in March.

Woolworths acted on Wednesday to impose buying limits on toilet paper, paper towels and other groceries such as rice and mince in Victoria after COVID-19 flared up again in Melbourne and some consumers began stockpiling again.

Coles followed suit but on Friday, following discussions with the government-led supermarket taskforce - set up to co-ordinate supplies in the health crisis - the nation’s biggest chains extended the buying limits beyond Victoria to the whole country.

Nationally, Coles has imposed a limit of one pack of toilet paper and one pack of paper towels per purchase, while Woolworths is setting a limit of two packs of toilet paper and paper towels.

A Coles spokeswoman said: “We ask that customers continue to shop normally so that everyone can have access to the food and groceries they need.”

Woolworths supermarkets managing director Claire Peters said the supermarket had seen elevated demand for toilet rolls extend outside Victoria in the past 24 hours.

“While the demand is not at the same level as Victoria, we’re taking preventive action now to get ahead of any excessive buying this weekend and help maintain social distancing in our stores.

“We have ordered more than 650,000 additional packs of toilet roll into our network, which is an increase of more than 30 per cent on our usual volumes.

“We have plenty of stock for all of us, so we encourage our customers to buy only what they need and think of others in the community as they shop this weekend. If customers already have enough toilet roll at home, there is no need to buy more.

“The sooner we see buying patterns return to normal levels, as was the case throughout May and most of June, the quicker we’ll be able to wind back limits.”

Shelves stripped of toilet paper in a Woolworth supermarket in early April. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The supermarkets fear a return to the scenes in March when panicked consumers rushed stores and stripped the shelves of toilet paper as well as other groceries and essentials. There were scenes of fighting in the aisles as shoppers wrestled for stock.

Poor behaviour by shoppers in March prompted a rebuke from Scott Morrison, who 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.”