Culture

Here’s Which Supermarkets Have Introduced A Cap On Toilet Paper In Response To Hoarding

"I’m so glad that we have toilet paper at home because if we ran out I would legitimately be too embarrassed to go and buy some right now."

by Rachael Conaghan  9 March 2020
toilet paper

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Congratulations Australia, you’re acting so ridiculous that you can’t be trusted to manage your own grocery shopping.

Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi and Costco have all been forced to limit the amount of toilet paper people are allowed to buy in one transaction, presumably because of people like this:

The two women seen hoarding the toilet paper have been charged with “affray” — as a result even the NSW Police acting inspector Andrew New had to call out the panic buying that has seen toilet paper fly off shelves across the country.

“There is no need for it. It isn’t the Thunderdome, it isn’t Mad Max, we don’t need to do that,” he said.

Despite the widely reported fact that the majority of Australia’s toilet paper is manufactured in South Australia, mass hysteria over coronavirus seems to have convinced people that we’re in danger of running out (we’re not).

Today Coles took out full page advertisements in major newspapers which announced that shoppers will only be allowed to buy one pack per transaction.

Woolworths has a two pack limit in place, as does IGA and Costo. Aldi also has a limit of four packs per customer.

People are being urged not to panic buy so that people in need — namely those who can’t afford to bulk buy, the elderly, or those with medical conditions — still have access to stock.

But if you do get desperate, just know there’s plenty to go around if you know where to look — online, of course.