Woolworths lifts restrictions on more shopping staples as the supermarket chain’s shelves begin to return to normal levels after weeks of coronavirus panic-buying

  • Woolworths has lifted buying restrictions on in-demand grocery products 
  • Limits were first introduced in response to coronavirus panic-buying hysteria 
  • But the coronavirus panic buying is finally beginning to stabilise in stores
  • Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

By Brittany Chain For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 04:18 BST, 16 April 2020 | Updated: 08:00 BST, 16 April 2020

Woolworths has lifted buying restrictions on in-demand products as coronavirus panic-buying finally begins to slow down.

Customers will no longer be restricted to only buying two serves of certain pasta, long life milk, canned vegetables and legumes.

‘With shopping habits beginning to return to more regular levels and product availability getting better and better every day, limits were lifted on the products yesterday,’ a spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. 

CEO Brad Banducci was forced to introduce buying limits on basically every in-store item on March 18 as hysteria surrounding COVID-19 encouraged people to buy up certain products in bulk.

Shelves were stripped bare across the nation as people stocked up in fear of a coronavirus lockdown

Shelves were stripped bare across the nation as people stocked up in fear of a coronavirus lockdown

Stores were forced to introduce customer limits and buying limits to keep shelves stocked

Stores were forced to introduce customer limits and buying limits to keep shelves stocked

Stores were forced to introduce customer limits and buying limits to keep shelves stocked

But he said last week spending habits finally appeared to be stabilising.

‘Demand for toilet paper finally appears to be tapering, with this week’s sales expected to be around 15-16 million rolls,’ Mr Banducci said.

‘That’s still 45 per cent up on last year, but with supply up 70 per cent on last year, there is increasingly more on-shelf.’

Supermarkets throughout the nation have been scrambling to increase supply from manufacturers to keep up with the demand.

And while Woolworths is starting to get on top of the frenzy, Mr Banducci discouraged people from using it as an opportunity to begin stockpiling again.

Pictured: One man took extra precautions before shopping in Woolworths amid the coronavirus pandemic by wearing full protective gear

Pictured: One man took extra precautions before shopping in Woolworths amid the coronavirus pandemic by wearing full protective gear

Pictured: One man took extra precautions before shopping in Woolworths amid the coronavirus pandemic by wearing full protective gear

People are seen queued up outside a Woolworths in Melbourne before it even opened hoping to get their hands on supplies

People are seen queued up outside a Woolworths in Melbourne before it even opened hoping to get their hands on supplies

People are seen queued up outside a Woolworths in Melbourne before it even opened hoping to get their hands on supplies

‘Like every week so far, I’d still ask you to only buy what you need,’ he said.

Baby care items, excluding wet wipes, are also no longer restricted.

Buying limits remain in place for flour, dried pasta, rice, pasta sauce and toilet paper for the foreseeable future.

On April 3, Coles lifted restrictions on all meat products and fresh milk.

Coles Meat General Manager Charlotte Gilbert said the supermarket had worked with farmers to double meat supplies in the two weeks prior to lifting restrictions as Australians continue to stock up at unprecedented rates.

A man wears a face mask at a checkout in a Woolworths supermarket in Coburg, Melbourne to slow the spread of COVID-19

A man wears a face mask at a checkout in a Woolworths supermarket in Coburg, Melbourne to slow the spread of COVID-19

A man wears a face mask at a checkout in a Woolworths supermarket in Coburg, Melbourne to slow the spread of COVID-19

People are seen queued up outside an Aldi store before it even opened hoping to get their hands on supplies

People are seen queued up outside an Aldi store before it even opened hoping to get their hands on supplies

People are seen queued up outside an Aldi store before it even opened hoping to get their hands on supplies

‘We have seen demand for meat increase astronomically as customers need to cook at home more often, with over 5 million packs sold over the past four weeks,’ Ms Gilbert said.

The Australian government has indicated it will look at slowly loosening restrictive social distancing measures in some parts of the nation if the curve continues to flatten.

But the government wants a sustained period of low transmission and has made clear the hard border closures will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

There are current 6,449 known cases of coronavirus in Australia, including 63 deaths.  

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