Empty shelves prompt outcry: 'Why are there no eggs?'
- Replies 15
Eggs are a great source of protein and other nutrients and are regularly consumed in various ways, from poached eggs on toast for breakfast to hard-boiled eggs for snacking.
Industry estimates place the consumption of eggs at 18.5 million daily —- amounting to about 15 kg per person annually in Australia.
That’s why Aussies were understandably concerned when an egg shortage hit the poultry industry last year.
It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard the news of shelves empty of egg cartons… until now.
Recently, one Woolworths customer from Melbourne took to Twitter to share a video of their local store. They captioned the footage: 'Why are there NO eggs at Woolworths?'
The six-second clip shows an entire shelf at the retail giant without eggs, offering another unpleasant throwback to 2022 when stores were forced to impose purchase limits due to tight supply and some restaurants cut back on their servings.
Many users replied to the post, which had been viewed over 60,000 times as of writing.
‘Plenty at my local Woolies,’ one user responded.
‘Funny, our local IGA in QLD was the same two days ago,’ another added.
A third shared: ‘I went to Coles today, and there are limits, and hardly any on the shelves. Same with my two local IGAs.’
Of course, others resorted to classic Aussie humour.
‘Chooks are on strike,’ a user said, as another added, ‘Just like everybody else.’
‘Hopefully, (it’s just) because they’re scrubbing the shelves,’ a second thought.
And a third added: ‘Every week it’s something different that disappears.’
One user offered a possible explanation for the concerning sight.
‘(The) fridge unit could be down, and they had to pull (the eggs) and move them to cold storage while waiting for it to be fixed,’ they said.
Curiously, some said eggs weren’t scarce in their local shops.
Farmers blamed post-pandemic effects such as a smaller flock size for the egg shortage last year.
During the height of the lockdowns, the low demand for eggs forced farmers to reduce the number of chickens. This meant that they couldn’t keep up with the surge in demand as restrictions eventually eased across Australia.
There are also observations that a shifting preference for free-range chicken also had a role in the egg shortage, especially with winter impacting production rates.
But that was months ago. What’s happening now?
‘Egg supply at Woolworths is stable and increasing each month. While we continue to deliver eggs to our stores regularly, we're currently seeing increased demand in Victoria,’ Woolworths said.
Coles also warned customers: ‘Due to ongoing industry-wide egg supply challenges, customers may not find their usual brand of eggs when they shop.’
On Coles’ website, typing ‘eggs’ in the search bar reveals a notice displayed among the results, which says that they’ve ‘introduced a temporary purchase limit of two items per transaction’.
‘We're continuing to monitor supply and are working hard with our suppliers to improve availability as quickly as possible,’ the retailer added.
Rival supermarket ALDI also said it was addressing the matter at its stores.
‘Like other retailers, we are working with our supplier partners to balance egg supply so that customers will see a return to regular stock levels as soon as possible,’ they said.
When and where possible, we encourage checking in advance if your local stores have stocks of eggs ready.
For example, Woolworths has a feature where you can see in-store stock of items. Simply search for a relevant product — in this case, eggs — on their website and click on it to open its profile.
You should see a ‘Check stock in our stores’ button, which opens up a window displaying branches near you that have the item in stock.
In the meantime, let’s keep our fingers crossed that eggs won’t be as scarce in the coming days.
So, what are your thoughts on this shopper’s concerning find? Have you noticed eggs being scarce at your local grocery recently?
How would a shortage of eggs at this time impact you?
Share your comments and observations below!
Source: Twitter/@meanwhileinautiny
Industry estimates place the consumption of eggs at 18.5 million daily —- amounting to about 15 kg per person annually in Australia.
That’s why Aussies were understandably concerned when an egg shortage hit the poultry industry last year.
It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard the news of shelves empty of egg cartons… until now.
Recently, one Woolworths customer from Melbourne took to Twitter to share a video of their local store. They captioned the footage: 'Why are there NO eggs at Woolworths?'
The six-second clip shows an entire shelf at the retail giant without eggs, offering another unpleasant throwback to 2022 when stores were forced to impose purchase limits due to tight supply and some restaurants cut back on their servings.
Many users replied to the post, which had been viewed over 60,000 times as of writing.
‘Plenty at my local Woolies,’ one user responded.
A woman took to Twitter to express concern over the lack of eggs at one Victoria Woolworths branch. Image Credit: Twitter
‘Funny, our local IGA in QLD was the same two days ago,’ another added.
A third shared: ‘I went to Coles today, and there are limits, and hardly any on the shelves. Same with my two local IGAs.’
Of course, others resorted to classic Aussie humour.
‘Chooks are on strike,’ a user said, as another added, ‘Just like everybody else.’
‘Hopefully, (it’s just) because they’re scrubbing the shelves,’ a second thought.
And a third added: ‘Every week it’s something different that disappears.’
One user offered a possible explanation for the concerning sight.
‘(The) fridge unit could be down, and they had to pull (the eggs) and move them to cold storage while waiting for it to be fixed,’ they said.
Curiously, some said eggs weren’t scarce in their local shops.
Farmers blamed post-pandemic effects such as a smaller flock size for the egg shortage last year.
During the height of the lockdowns, the low demand for eggs forced farmers to reduce the number of chickens. This meant that they couldn’t keep up with the surge in demand as restrictions eventually eased across Australia.
There are also observations that a shifting preference for free-range chicken also had a role in the egg shortage, especially with winter impacting production rates.
But that was months ago. What’s happening now?
‘Egg supply at Woolworths is stable and increasing each month. While we continue to deliver eggs to our stores regularly, we're currently seeing increased demand in Victoria,’ Woolworths said.
Aussies consume about 15 kg of eggs yearly, based on figures from industry sources. Image Credit: Flickr
Coles also warned customers: ‘Due to ongoing industry-wide egg supply challenges, customers may not find their usual brand of eggs when they shop.’
On Coles’ website, typing ‘eggs’ in the search bar reveals a notice displayed among the results, which says that they’ve ‘introduced a temporary purchase limit of two items per transaction’.
‘We're continuing to monitor supply and are working hard with our suppliers to improve availability as quickly as possible,’ the retailer added.
The last couple of fiscal years (FY) reveal increased egg consumption by individual Australians. Image Credit: Australian Eggs
Rival supermarket ALDI also said it was addressing the matter at its stores.
‘Like other retailers, we are working with our supplier partners to balance egg supply so that customers will see a return to regular stock levels as soon as possible,’ they said.
For example, Woolworths has a feature where you can see in-store stock of items. Simply search for a relevant product — in this case, eggs — on their website and click on it to open its profile.
You should see a ‘Check stock in our stores’ button, which opens up a window displaying branches near you that have the item in stock.
In the meantime, let’s keep our fingers crossed that eggs won’t be as scarce in the coming days.
So, what are your thoughts on this shopper’s concerning find? Have you noticed eggs being scarce at your local grocery recently?
How would a shortage of eggs at this time impact you?
Share your comments and observations below!
Source: Twitter/@meanwhileinautiny
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