Coles reintroduces product limits to curb panic buying as Covid causes staff shortages

Thousands of Coles supermarkets will reintroduce product limits as staff shortages due to Covid-19 outbreaks interrupt supply chains across Australia. 

The supermarket giant announced its decision to bring back buyer limits on some meat products and rapid antigen tests on Wednesday afternoon.

Customers will be limited to two packs of chicken breasts, chicken thighs, mince and sausages, while Covid antigen tests are limited to one pack per transaction. 

The product limits will be implemented in-store and online across the country except for Western Australia. 

‘Due to high demand, we have introduced temporary pack limits per transaction/per customer on a range of products in store and online,’ Coles said in a statement.

‘Thank you for your patience. We ask that customers continue to respect and support our team members, particularly in these busier times.’

Bare meat shelves have become the new norm at this Coles store on the Sunshine Coast, according to shopper Jett

Coles has been forced to reintroduce buyer limits as products are stripped from shelves due to high demand (pictured, a Coles product limit notice in a Sydney store from March 2020)

The announcement comes as supermarket shelves are stripped bare as store’s struggle to refill shelves in time with workers forced into Covid-19 isolation. 

Hundreds of meat workers in abattoirs have been sent into isolation in a matter of days as the Omicron strain sweeps across Australia.  

Coles Chief Operating Officer Matthew Swindells said shoppers were in for a ‘couple of difficult weeks’ as Omicron worsens existing labour shortages. 

Shortages of meat on supermarket shelves haven’t gone unnoticed by disappointed customers (pictured, a Coles on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast)

‘We were facing a number of supply chain challenges already – a shortage of pallets and a shortage of truck drivers,’ he told the Today show.

‘(After the Christmas rush) we’re somewhat on the back foot trying to make sure that we can keep the food supply lines going.

‘We’ve got probably another couple difficult weeks.’

The supermarket executive warned shoppers they may need to change brand to find their favourite products.

‘It will take us a few weeks to fully recover from this and importantly, we need to get those team member numbers that are isolating back into the workforce to recover all of those food supplies.’