Woolworths has officially re-introduced toilet paper panic buying limits in Victoria, as the state grapples with an emerging second wave of COVID-19.
A short time ago Woolies officials confirmed that panic buying restrictions would be reinstated in Victoria stores on a raft of items, including toilet paper.
After household gathering restrictions were tightened this past Saturday by Premier Dan Andrews, a renewed surge of panic buying has seen select stores stripped bare of essentials; albeit in a wave that hasn’t come close to the absurd scenes stores experienced in March, prior to nationwide coronavirus lockdowns.
In a statement issued this afternoon, Woolworths confirmed they have “reinstated a purchase limit of two items on toilet paper, hand sanitiser, paper towel, flour, sugar, pasta, mince, long-life milk, eggs and rice across its Victorian stores this afternoon.”
“The preventative move is in response to significantly elevated demand seen over the past 24 hours in certain parts of Melbourne. It will support social distancing in stores and ensure more customers have access to the products they need,” the statement asserted.
Over the past 24 hours, photos of stripped bare shelves have begun emerging once again on social media, with supermarkets in select areas of Melbourne once again being subject to panic buying practices.
Victorian supermarkets are reintroducing buying limits in an effort to curb panic buying. This pic of a bare toilet paper aisle taken last night in Taylors Hill @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/nVSGYs3XHs
— Tom Kelly (@tpwkelly) June 24, 2020
Seriously Melbourne? Is toilet paper stockpiling back? This is a Woolworths at Craigieburn Plaza right now (Wednesday morning). pic.twitter.com/Ogbifw89Nk
— Paul Dowsley (@paul_dowsley) June 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/Joshwahxc/status/1275623026126536705
https://twitter.com/richardmelb05/status/1275639193973252097
https://twitter.com/BelindaI/status/1275391053554565120
@3AW693 – @woolworths #sunbury Here we go again ???? Staff abused & told “mind your own f*ing business” this morning when advising customers the panic buying wasn’t necessary. Well done to woolies as well for not putting restrictions on items sooner ???????? #toiletpapergate pic.twitter.com/OleKtQAqeR
— Pete Buchanan (@_OutInTheBlack_) June 24, 2020
Coles has yet to issue a formal statement confirming they will be following suit in Victorian stores at this stage.
