‘Would you like your Shapes poached or scrambled?’: Shoppers baffled by egg shortage fix
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Supermarket shelves are constantly shifting, but sometimes, the changes leave shoppers more confused than ever.
A recent sighting in an Aussie store has sparked debate, with some finding humour in the unexpected swap while others question the reasoning behind it.
So, what exactly did this supermarket do—and why has it left shoppers scratching their heads?
Supermarkets are no strangers to product shortages, but the ongoing egg crisis has taken things to another level.
With shelves often sitting empty, some stores have resorted to unusual solutions—though not everyone is amused by their creativity.
An Aussie shopper recently shared a bizarre sight online after spotting a surprising replacement in the egg section of their local store.
‘Would you like your Shapes poached or scrambled?’ they joked alongside a photo of a shelf filled with Shapes crackers, sitting under a sign that still read ‘eggs’.
This unusual stocking choice sparked plenty of reactions, with some finding humour in the situation while others questioned how these decisions are made.
‘Eggcellent display,’ one person commented.
‘I want my eggs sprinkled with pizza flavour,’ another joked.
‘Without Vegemite and double the cheesy, thanks,’ a third added.
However, not everyone was convinced this was just a lighthearted fix for the shortage.
‘I wonder how this works from the business side of things. As I understand it, the brands pay for space on the shelves. So has Mr Arnott’s called up and said he would pay to have his products in the eggs aisle while there is a shortage? Or is it less sophisticated than that and the store manager just wanted to fill empty space?’ one person asked.
Someone claiming to work in a supermarket explained that it was likely just a practical move rather than a paid placement.
‘I’m almost positive it’s just whatever supermarkets have excess stock of, enough to fill the spot (I work at a supermarket). We filled ours with Up & Go’s, assumably whatever has been on promo at some point and we have heaps of,’ they said.
Another agreed, explaining that managers had to keep the shelves full, even if that meant putting unrelated items in place of missing stock.
‘They can’t have empty shelves so managers are allowed to put what they want [in the] area to make sure it’s not empty. My local has been putting leg hams (Christmas) and other seasonal items like Easter eggs now,’ they shared.
While some found it amusing, others were frustrated by how it made finding eggs even harder.
‘No eggs so they fill the empty spot with random s***. It means that I have a lot of trouble nowadays finding eggs—if there even are any, they are in the weirdest spot with maybe 2 boxes left,’ one commenter wrote.
The ongoing shortage has left shoppers wondering when the situation will improve, but the outlook remains uncertain.
Egg prices have continued to rise, and some reports suggest it could take years before supply fully recovers.
Australia’s egg industry was hit hard by a bird flu outbreak last year, which significantly reduced the number of laying hens.
A spokesperson for Woolworths confirmed that while egg supply had improved, it was still recovering.
‘In June last year, Australia’s egg industry was affected by a separate bird flu outbreak, which has since been contained. The outbreak reduced the number of laying hens in Australia, which unfortunately will take a while longer to rebuild,’ they said.
‘In the meantime, the egg industry has been working to boost supply marketwide. Our egg supply has continued to improve and we are working closely with our suppliers to source as many eggs as possible.’
To help with availability, Woolworths has kept a two-pack purchase limit on eggs in all states except Western Australia since mid-last year.
ALDI, however, has not introduced any limits and does not plan to do so.
‘We’re working with our partners to manage stock levels of eggs across our stores nationally. ALDI currently has no buying limit on eggs,’ a spokesperson confirmed.
For shoppers struggling to find eggs, visiting local farms or small businesses could be an option, but this isn’t always accessible.
With demand still high and supply struggling to keep up, it looks like the egg shortage could be here for a while longer.
The egg shortage isn’t just causing confusion in supermarkets—it’s a problem that may not be going away anytime soon.
For the latest updates on how long this crisis could last, watch the video below.
With supermarkets getting creative to fill empty shelves, do you think these quirky swaps are clever or just confusing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
A recent sighting in an Aussie store has sparked debate, with some finding humour in the unexpected swap while others question the reasoning behind it.
So, what exactly did this supermarket do—and why has it left shoppers scratching their heads?
Supermarkets are no strangers to product shortages, but the ongoing egg crisis has taken things to another level.
With shelves often sitting empty, some stores have resorted to unusual solutions—though not everyone is amused by their creativity.
An Aussie shopper recently shared a bizarre sight online after spotting a surprising replacement in the egg section of their local store.
Shoppers baffled by supermarket’s egg aisle swap. Image source: Reddit
‘Would you like your Shapes poached or scrambled?’ they joked alongside a photo of a shelf filled with Shapes crackers, sitting under a sign that still read ‘eggs’.
This unusual stocking choice sparked plenty of reactions, with some finding humour in the situation while others questioned how these decisions are made.
‘Eggcellent display,’ one person commented.
‘I want my eggs sprinkled with pizza flavour,’ another joked.
‘Without Vegemite and double the cheesy, thanks,’ a third added.
However, not everyone was convinced this was just a lighthearted fix for the shortage.
‘I wonder how this works from the business side of things. As I understand it, the brands pay for space on the shelves. So has Mr Arnott’s called up and said he would pay to have his products in the eggs aisle while there is a shortage? Or is it less sophisticated than that and the store manager just wanted to fill empty space?’ one person asked.
Someone claiming to work in a supermarket explained that it was likely just a practical move rather than a paid placement.
‘I’m almost positive it’s just whatever supermarkets have excess stock of, enough to fill the spot (I work at a supermarket). We filled ours with Up & Go’s, assumably whatever has been on promo at some point and we have heaps of,’ they said.
Another agreed, explaining that managers had to keep the shelves full, even if that meant putting unrelated items in place of missing stock.
‘They can’t have empty shelves so managers are allowed to put what they want [in the] area to make sure it’s not empty. My local has been putting leg hams (Christmas) and other seasonal items like Easter eggs now,’ they shared.
While some found it amusing, others were frustrated by how it made finding eggs even harder.
‘No eggs so they fill the empty spot with random s***. It means that I have a lot of trouble nowadays finding eggs—if there even are any, they are in the weirdest spot with maybe 2 boxes left,’ one commenter wrote.
The ongoing shortage has left shoppers wondering when the situation will improve, but the outlook remains uncertain.
Egg prices have continued to rise, and some reports suggest it could take years before supply fully recovers.
Australia’s egg industry was hit hard by a bird flu outbreak last year, which significantly reduced the number of laying hens.
A spokesperson for Woolworths confirmed that while egg supply had improved, it was still recovering.
‘In June last year, Australia’s egg industry was affected by a separate bird flu outbreak, which has since been contained. The outbreak reduced the number of laying hens in Australia, which unfortunately will take a while longer to rebuild,’ they said.
‘In the meantime, the egg industry has been working to boost supply marketwide. Our egg supply has continued to improve and we are working closely with our suppliers to source as many eggs as possible.’
To help with availability, Woolworths has kept a two-pack purchase limit on eggs in all states except Western Australia since mid-last year.
ALDI, however, has not introduced any limits and does not plan to do so.
‘We’re working with our partners to manage stock levels of eggs across our stores nationally. ALDI currently has no buying limit on eggs,’ a spokesperson confirmed.
For shoppers struggling to find eggs, visiting local farms or small businesses could be an option, but this isn’t always accessible.
With demand still high and supply struggling to keep up, it looks like the egg shortage could be here for a while longer.
The egg shortage isn’t just causing confusion in supermarkets—it’s a problem that may not be going away anytime soon.
For the latest updates on how long this crisis could last, watch the video below.
With supermarkets getting creative to fill empty shelves, do you think these quirky swaps are clever or just confusing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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