Special shopping periods announced for elderly and disabled
Australian supermarket, Woolworths made an announcement on Monday morning to say they will be allowing a one hour shopping grace period for senior Australians in an attempt to ease chaos that has ensued among stores across the country.
The new move has introduced a shopping hour for help elderly people and those with a disability to move freely across the store without feeling the pressure to rush.
Woolworths has said it will begin from Tuesday until Friday for now and occur between 7 am and 8am.
It follows after chaos in supermarkets across the country as many vulnerable people have been left unable to fight for purchases to essential items including toilet paper, tissues, pasta and rice.
“While we’ll continue to do our very best to restock our stores during this period of unprecedented demand, we know many of our elderly customers have been missing out on essential items when they shop,” Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director Claire Peters said in a statement.
“This temporary measure will give them, and those with a disability, the opportunity to shop before our stores officially open - helping them obtain the essential items they need most in a less crowded environment.
“We continue to encourage all Australians to be mindful of those in our communities who might need extra help at this time. Now - more than ever - we need to be kind to each other, especially to those most vulnerable.
“We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused by the revised opening hours.”
Wilkinson said those at greatest risk of suffering from the deadly virus are the elderly, the weak, the unwell and the vulnerable.
In a shocking move, Woolworths has also gone as far to halt its click and collect services for customers and have also stopped a popular delivery service.
Coles has also introduced a new limit on customers stockpiling mince – it has now been restricted to two packs per person from today.
This rule includes all cuts – beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey.
The supermarket giants have urged customers to “shop as they normally would” and not panic buy to help stop the stripping bare of shelves across the country.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world customers are swarming to supermarkets and filling their trolleys to the brim with their essentials.
The Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton in the Sunday Herald Sunurged shoppers to have a “two-week supply of food and a 60-day supply of prescription medication”.