This is the real reason why Coles shelves are suddenly empty
- Replies 15
When we think of the early days of the pandemic, images of long supermarket queues and empty shelves may come to mind.
And just as we thought we put that memory behind us, one shopper was shocked to find a similar scene at their local supermarket recently.
An angry shopper visiting Coles North Rocks in New South Wales shared a disturbing scene reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic. In the footage shared to TikTok, the man filmed long stretches of racks across the dairy, meat, and fresh produce departments…
only to reveal barren aisles with pre-packed salads almost all gone, limited vegetables, low milk supplies, a single brand of eggs available, and fruit that looks well past its prime.
‘We’ve got no more potatoes in this country,’ the customer complained as he revealed the scant number of available spuds, before suggesting the store is selling fruit that looks well past its prime.
‘Mangoes have been here for about 12 and a half years,’ he said incredulously.
The eerily empty shelves were not the result of late-night shopping as the man revealed that there were five hours left before the store would close for the day.
‘It's 3 o'clock and no more chicken,’ he says while pointing the camera to the poultry area.
He also goes on to film bare shelves in the dairy section before stating: ‘You can see that we have no more milk in this country.’
Frustrated customers all flooded the comments section of the video, claiming that the problem is all over the country.
‘Same as over in WA where I live mate, bare shelves,’ one shared. Another added that it’s the same in Merrifield Coles in Melbourne.
While a third joked that the situation seemed to be ‘like the Hunger Games’.
Some suggested that the restocking team was probably on their way to refilling the shelves with supplies.
‘Remember when Coles/Woolies used to stock overnight? Now they stock starting at 3 pm and get in the way constantly,’ stated one.
Another shared: ‘They are a busy Coles! Fresh produce sells out quickly. The staff are probably in the dock taking delivery of new stock.’
While others blamed it on staff shortages.
‘Coles seriously can’t get staff! Or they only wanted to work until uni/school starts next week,’ one offered while another agreed that the store doesn’t have enough staff to refill the shelves.
Just recently, a Woolworths shopper also encountered the same problem when he saw that the store’s deli was closed ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’. A spokesperson for the store explained that the deli closes periodically because of ‘recent staff shortages’. You can find more details about this story here.
Another social media user said: ‘It’s been like that since before Christmas, no staff and bad management.’
While some attributed the scarcity of stock due to problems in the supply chain.
‘Mate, they’re understaffed and there are supply issues currently,’ one said.
‘Don’t you realise there’s been a weather crisis all over Australia, and egg contamination,’ someone declared.
You can find the shopper’s video below:
A spokesperson for Coles told reporters that this was an ‘isolated incident and not a reflection of greater supply issues’. They added that the store’s staff has been working to rectify the issues.
In December last year, Coles imposed a purchase limit for frozen potato chips – limiting shoppers to only two items per transaction. The limit comes as a response to the country’s potato supply shortage. More details about this story can be found here.
The spokesperson continued: ‘At Coles, we pride ourselves on providing an excellent experience and quality for all of our customers. The North Rocks store is aware of the recent fresh produce availability challenge and is working to ensure the shelves are full of fresh produce as soon as possible.’
‘We thank our customers for their understanding,’ they added.
So what causes food supply disruption?
Well, it can happen as a result of a range of issues, such as extreme weather conditions, an increase in demand for certain items, disruption in distribution due to logistical problems, and natural disasters.
We know that across Australia, we have seen excessive flooding lead to an increase in prices and supply shortages and loss of crops for farmers everywhere.
What are your thoughts on the state of this Coles store? Is it okay for this to happen or is it unacceptable? Let us know in the comments!
And just as we thought we put that memory behind us, one shopper was shocked to find a similar scene at their local supermarket recently.
An angry shopper visiting Coles North Rocks in New South Wales shared a disturbing scene reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic. In the footage shared to TikTok, the man filmed long stretches of racks across the dairy, meat, and fresh produce departments…
only to reveal barren aisles with pre-packed salads almost all gone, limited vegetables, low milk supplies, a single brand of eggs available, and fruit that looks well past its prime.
The shopper shared the scene with his viewers. Credit: abrakebabra_reviews/TikTok
‘We’ve got no more potatoes in this country,’ the customer complained as he revealed the scant number of available spuds, before suggesting the store is selling fruit that looks well past its prime.
‘Mangoes have been here for about 12 and a half years,’ he said incredulously.
The eerily empty shelves were not the result of late-night shopping as the man revealed that there were five hours left before the store would close for the day.
‘It's 3 o'clock and no more chicken,’ he says while pointing the camera to the poultry area.
He also goes on to film bare shelves in the dairy section before stating: ‘You can see that we have no more milk in this country.’
The upsetting sight was filmed late in the afternoon. Credit: abrakebabra_reviews/TikTok
Frustrated customers all flooded the comments section of the video, claiming that the problem is all over the country.
‘Same as over in WA where I live mate, bare shelves,’ one shared. Another added that it’s the same in Merrifield Coles in Melbourne.
While a third joked that the situation seemed to be ‘like the Hunger Games’.
Some suggested that the restocking team was probably on their way to refilling the shelves with supplies.
‘Remember when Coles/Woolies used to stock overnight? Now they stock starting at 3 pm and get in the way constantly,’ stated one.
Another shared: ‘They are a busy Coles! Fresh produce sells out quickly. The staff are probably in the dock taking delivery of new stock.’
While others blamed it on staff shortages.
‘Coles seriously can’t get staff! Or they only wanted to work until uni/school starts next week,’ one offered while another agreed that the store doesn’t have enough staff to refill the shelves.
Just recently, a Woolworths shopper also encountered the same problem when he saw that the store’s deli was closed ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’. A spokesperson for the store explained that the deli closes periodically because of ‘recent staff shortages’. You can find more details about this story here.
Another social media user said: ‘It’s been like that since before Christmas, no staff and bad management.’
While some attributed the scarcity of stock due to problems in the supply chain.
‘Mate, they’re understaffed and there are supply issues currently,’ one said.
‘Don’t you realise there’s been a weather crisis all over Australia, and egg contamination,’ someone declared.
You can find the shopper’s video below:
A spokesperson for Coles told reporters that this was an ‘isolated incident and not a reflection of greater supply issues’. They added that the store’s staff has been working to rectify the issues.
In December last year, Coles imposed a purchase limit for frozen potato chips – limiting shoppers to only two items per transaction. The limit comes as a response to the country’s potato supply shortage. More details about this story can be found here.
The spokesperson continued: ‘At Coles, we pride ourselves on providing an excellent experience and quality for all of our customers. The North Rocks store is aware of the recent fresh produce availability challenge and is working to ensure the shelves are full of fresh produce as soon as possible.’
‘We thank our customers for their understanding,’ they added.
So what causes food supply disruption?
Well, it can happen as a result of a range of issues, such as extreme weather conditions, an increase in demand for certain items, disruption in distribution due to logistical problems, and natural disasters.
We know that across Australia, we have seen excessive flooding lead to an increase in prices and supply shortages and loss of crops for farmers everywhere.
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