Coronavirus (COVID-19) Panic Buying?

[lovetravellingoz]

Indeed, I get the impression Aussies are too busy emptying supermarket shelves to go on holiday!
cheers skip

Not at the supermarkets I frequent. And at Costco, when don't shoppers here have full trollies?

I think it is more that hand sanitiser has a run on.

 

[Denali]

Good grief, people are dumb.

Although I do admit to buying 2.5kgs of Chorizo from Woolies today (home delivery) as it was half price so I always grab extra because Chorizo can be used from breakfast to dinner inc soup.

 

[Pushka]

Coles introduced a limit today of one pack of toilet rolls for Victorians

"Ensuring everyone has access to what they need
Following discussion with the Federal and Victoria Governments, we're temporarily introducing measures in all our Victorian supermarkets and Coles Express convenience stores* to ensure everyone can access the everyday products they need. From today, there is a limit of one pack per customer on toilet paper and paper towel, and a two pack limit per customer on the following items:
Hand sanitiser
Flour
Eggs
Sugar
Mince
UHT milk
Rice
Pasta"

I was in Coles SA yesterday and shelves were normally stocked but I thought after the ridiculous shortage a few weeks ago that pack sizes had been reduced to allow more availability. But who needs the mega size packets on sale? They fill the whole trolley!

 

[Denali]

Friend in WA said her store shelves were very bare... but then again shes vegan so maybe they havent replaced from March

 

[Himeno]

2 staff in the Coles Laverton DC have tested positive. They've been linked to the 19 case family outbreak in Keilor Downs.

 

[DC3]

Woolworths has limits of 2 per person/shop on

• Toilet Paper, Hand Sanitiser & Paper Towels
• Pasta, Rice & Longlife Milk
• Flour, Sugar & Eggs
• Mince .........

Oh, no. Not again.

 

[Denali]

My Coles order this morning was out of stock on:

Eggs
Canned Tomatoes
Mouthwash

I didnt order wipes, toilet paper, pasta, mince ect so no idea what their status is

 

[Himeno]

Woolworths is adding limits of 2 to toilet paper and paper towel nationally from 2pm.

 

[Pushka]

I despair for humanity.

So, SA has not had (identified through testing positive) community transmission since mid March. The only two cases since then were overseas travellers.

I go to Burnside Shopping Centre, my old area, where the best chicken supply store in Adelaide is located. Check into Coles to get some bread. And there is a freakin surge on toilet paper again. At least they’ve introduced one pack limits. FFS! As of Monday our restrictions are very liberal, schools never closed, Crowds at football yada yada. And the numpties of the world are at it again.

 

[p--and--t]

My sister in country NSW texted yesterday flabbergasted saying there was panic buying in a country supermarket in a region where there are no cases and not in lock-down.

 

[jakeseven7]

I despair for humanity.

So, SA has not had (identified through testing positive) community transmission since mid March. The only two cases since then were overseas travellers.

I go to Burnside Shopping Centre, my old area, where the best chicken supply store in Adelaide is located. Check into Coles to get some bread. And there is a freakin surge on toilet paper again. At least they’ve introduced one pack limits. FFS! As of Monday our restrictions are very liberal, schools never closed, Crowds at football yada yada. And the numpties of the world are at it again.

I despair that our leaders and media are just whipping this up to levels that scare people to this sort of action

 

[Pushka]

I despair that our leaders and media are just whipping this up to levels that scare people to this sort of action

State of Fear. Control. Keep em scared.

 

[Himeno]

It is busier then normal for a Friday lunchtime, but hard to say if it is a new round of panic buying at this stage. Appears to mostly be people after promos.
School holidays are also starting in a week.

 

[Melburnian1]

My Coles order this morning was out of stock on:

Eggs
Canned Tomatoes
Mouthwash

I didnt order wipes, toilet paper, pasta, mince ect so no idea what their status is

While I prefer Woolworths and IGA to Coles, this is one reason why I rarely have items home delivered. The major one though is how staff 'substitute' items with their pick not always being a brand I like. So it's personal shopping where if an item is out of stock I can travel 1.5km further to the next, larger Woolworths.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I despair for humanity.

So, SA has not had (identified through testing positive) community transmission since mid March. The only two cases since then were overseas travellers.

I go to Burnside Shopping Centre, my old area, where the best chicken supply store in Adelaide is located. Check into Coles to get some bread. And there is a freakin surge on toilet paper again. At least they’ve introduced one pack limits. FFS! As of Monday our restrictions are very liberal, schools never closed, Crowds at football yada yada. And the numpties of the world are at it again.

You really do have to wonder about some people.

PS Toilet paper runs out quickly if there is a surge in demand because it is bulky and cheap and so many supermarkets only stock on their shelves a day or so demand and restock it daily. People see this and then then panic (thereby increasing demand further) as they just do not understand logistics.

Whereas many other items might only get restocked weekly and so sudden surges often will not show much.

 

[jakeseven7]

State of Fear. Control. Keep em scared.

Bankrupt us....

 

[Pushka]

Bankrupt us....

That doesn't work well with a Lib Government.

 

[Toula92122]

And the sad thing is seeing these reports of panic buying and empty shelves makes me think I need to get to the shops and stock up out of fear if I let my shelves get empty when I need products they will not be available. However, then I remind myself one of the benefits of being able to cook from scratch is last time around there was always plenty of fresh produce available.

 

[Pushka]

And the sad thing is seeing these reports of panic buying and empty shelves makes me think I need to get to the shops and stock up out of fear if I let my shelves get empty when I need products they will not be available. However, then I remind myself one of the benefits of being able to cook from scratch is last time around there was always plenty of fresh produce available.

At my smaller local supermarket there was always plenty of meat, fresh vegetables, bread and all manner of fresh dairy. They did a run on things like canned vegetables, pastas, and cleaning items and of course TP. I had worked through all the frozen meals I'd cooked just last week and which saved me cooking for a bit. Mince etc had to be used within 3 months so that's all gone. I'm just not doing this next time. We have enough TP for several weeks, normal supply for us.

It has taught me to go back to basics. I'd always used frozen packaged broccoli but the quality was becoming worse. Now I buy a larger fresh stalk, par boil and then freeze my own. So much better.

 

[jakeseven7]

At my smaller local supermarket there was always plenty of meat, fresh vegetables, bread and all manner of fresh dairy. They did a run on things like canned vegetables, pastas, and cleaning items and of course TP. I had worked through all the frozen meals I'd cooked just last week and which saved me cooking for a bit. Mince etc had to be used within 3 months so that's all gone. I'm just not doing this next time. We have enough TP for several weeks, normal supply for us.

It has taught me to go back to basics. I'd always used frozen packaged broccoli but the quality was becoming worse. Now I buy a larger fresh stalk, par boil and then freeze my own. So much better.

Having worked in frozen supply chain a tip - always always check where the frozen veg / fruit / food has come from.

A lot of WW and Coles home brand and supplied brand frozen supply STILL comes from overseas (they are slowly responding to demand for Australian produce).

Overseas producers by in large have more ‘relaxed’ approaches to food safety and hygiene that Australian food producers have to adhere to.

There have been several large scale food contamination from imported frozen food that have made it to the media and many many more that haven’t.... Frozen food from overseas has poisoned people here and made them very ill, with things like Hepatitis A.

So best bet is as you say - buy fresh locally grown produce it is safer, supports local jobs (if possible don’t buy at WW and Coles) and if you do have to buy frozen make sure you only buy Australian produced frozen foods.

It’s mandatory to label where things are made/sourced from now, we should all be buying Australian as much as possible anyway, especially during this time

 

[Pushka]

So best bet is as you say - buy fresh locally grown produce it is safer, supports local jobs (if possible don’t buy at WW and Coles) and if you do have to buy frozen make sure you only buy Australian produced frozen foods.

All wise words. And yes, 95% of the shopping is done at Foodland or Drakes. It used to be Coles but there isn't one near me now so not tempted. The only vegetables I buy frozen now are chopped onions! I'll check where they come from. But even then I prefer to use the nice red onions but sometimes I go easy.

Id never buy frozen berries even if it means I have to go without off season.