Supermarkets impose buying limits

MAJOR supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths have announced purchasing limits on some products in the wake of increased shopping following the announcement of a statewide five-day lockdown.

Coles has placed a one pack cap on toilet paper and paper towel, while Woolies is limiting those products to two units at a time.

Woolworths Victoria assistant state manager John Di Tirro urged shoppers not to panic buy.

“We encourage Victorian to be mindful of others in the community and to continue shopping as they usually would,” he said.

“We have plenty of stock to draw on from our suppliers and distribution centres and our team will be hard at work making sure it flows into our stores in large volumes over the coming days.

“We understand this is an anxious time for Victorians, but we want to reassure customers we will remain open as an essential service.”

Coles chief operations officer Matt Swindells said in addition to the purchasing limits the chain had added more staff and reintroduced extra cleaning protocols.

“We have… increased the number of team members in stores and expanded our Coles Online capacity to help serve customers quickly and safely during this busy time,” he said.

“We have well-established safety protocols in Victoria based on what we have learned from COVID restrictions implemented in other states.

“Taking these immediate and additional safety measures will protect and ensure our customers and team members can feel safe in our stores.”

Woolworths limits include a maximum two packs of antibacterial wipes, canned fish, canned tomatoes, canned legumes, canned vegetables, flour, frozen chips, including gems and wedges, frozen desserts, frozen fruit, frozen vegetables, long-life milk, long-life specialty milk, liquid handwash, noodles, pasta, paper towels, rice, sugar, tissues, toilet paper, bread loaves (including in-store), chilled pasta, eggs, fresh milk (excluding flavoured), meat including burgers, rissoles, meatballs, mince (fixed weight only), sausages, two packs beef, two packs chicken, two packs lamb, two packs pork. There are also two-kilogram limits on meat from the butcher and poultry and small goods from the deli.

Coles limits include one pack of toilet paper and paper towel with two pack limits on fresh white milk, chilled pasta, poultry thighs, tissues, burgers, sausages, long-life milk, pasta, flour, rice, sugar, eggs, hand sanitiser, liquid soaps, poultry breasts, mince, frozen vegetables, frozen chips, canned meals, canned fish, canned vegetables, pre-packed seafood, noodles and face masks.