Coles And Woolworths Say Stock Is Finally Returning To Normal Levels

It appears the tide is turning against customers raiding Australian supermarkets during the coronavirus pandemic.

Empty shelves have plagued places like Coles and Woolworths for weeks after many thought there wouldn't be enough supply during the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, the two massive supermarket giants have reported that attitudes have changed.

Coles chief operating officer Matt Swindells told Channel 9: "I'm pleased to report that certainly the shopping through our supermarket business has returned somewhere towards normal, and that's allowed the teams with all the hard work they're putting in to get stock back into the system.

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"Anybody that has shopped over the weekend would see the gaps on shelves are still there and so we've got to continue this process of normalised demand, pushing more stock than ever, to put the supermarkets back together.

Woolworths managing director Claire Peters added: "Clearly our supply chain, just as Matt has described, is essential to restocking of the shelves. So we are able to do that across all borders in Australia."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a blunt demand to Australians last week to stop panic buying supplies because it is leaving many around the country, including our emergency service workers and elderly, with nothing to buy.

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The decline in stockpiling can also be attributed to both brands introducing harsh measures on what people could and couldn't buy.

Woolworths issued a statement, saying: "There is now a per customer, per shop limit of two items from any single category on most packaged products across Woolworths Supermarkets and Metro stores and online.

"This means customers will only be able to buy two products from any single included category, regardless of the brand or variety. There are some exceptions where no limits remain, such as fruit and vegetables, fresh milk and baby food."

Woolies said other items that have no limit include meat (excluding mince), seafood, items from the deli and bakery, fresh milk, canned fish and drinks.

The supermarket chain will continue to uphold its limit of one packet of antibacterial wipes, baby wipes, paper towels, rice (2kg and above), serviettes and toilet paper per customer.

Coles restricted the sale of the following items to two per customer: chilled milk (which includes all sizes of white dairy milk, plant-based non-dairy & goats milk sold chilled in our dairy fridges), eggs, chilled pasta, frozen vegetables and frozen desserts, mince, pasta, flour, dry rice, paper towels, paper tissues and hand sanitisers on its list.

Toilet paper is still limited to one pack per customer.

Topics: News, Coronavirus, Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie