Hundreds of shoppers swoop on Aldi toilet paper sale
Hundreds of shoppers have lined up outside Aldi supermarkets across Sydney in a bid to swoop on the chain's Wednesday toilet paper sale.
The German-owned discount retailer heavily advertised 48 packs of toilet paper for $14.95 at the peak of Australia's panic-buying epidemic.
At one store in Sydney's Bondi Junction, queues had formed outside the store an hour before opening.
Mayhem at Aldi Wentworthville this morning as shoppers clamoured for toilet paper. Supplied
Similar scenes were replicated at Aldi Miranda, where around 50 people had lined up to snag a bargain pack of toilet paper.
Shortly after opening shoppers rushed to the toilet paper section, clearing all stock within seconds.
Many shoppers were keen to test if Aldi's one pack per person policy would be enforced at the checkouts.
Dozens of shoppers were lined up outside Aldi Miranda. Georgia Parry
Several shoppers insisted to 9News.com.au that they were not panic-buying, but rather picking up toilet paper that had not been available due to coronavirus.
One shopper, George Havros, told 9news.com.au that he lined up because he was running low.
"It's not about the virus," Mr Havros said.
"It's about other people buying too much toilet paper and making sure we have some in the house."
Empty toilet paper shelves at an Aldi store in Bondi Junction. Stuart Marsh
Other shoppers said the recent craze started because people were being "selfish".
"Who needs that much toilet paper?" Maria, who did not want her last name published, said.
"Everybody just needs one or two packs."
At Sutherland Aldi, a worker was forced to tell the crowd to "chill out".
Shoppers queued for more than an hour to get into some Aldi stores this morning. Stuart Marsh
"The guy that opened the door announced 'it's not the end of the world everybody, there is no apocalypse happening, chill out'," one shopper wrote on Facebook.
"Everyone was chilled out and we entered the store in an orderly manner."
Aldi Australia yesterday issued a statement on its Facebook page that due to "unexpected demand" the Wednesday Special Buy of 48 rolls would only be available at limited locations.
Aldi's Wednesday Special Buy had to be reduced after unexpected demand sold most of the chain's stock of 48-pack toilet rolls. ALDI
It follows in the wake of supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths who have restricted customers to four packs of toilet paper per person.
Being a largely respiratory disease, there's little evidence that toilet paper is useful in treating or preventing an outbreak of COVID-19.
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