The majority of shoppers leaving Armidale's supermarkets this morning were doing so with less than they came into the CBD to buy. Many were going elsewhere to see if they could buy items they were missing from their shopping lists.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Many people were left less than impressed by the empty shelves, even after reduced trading hours and an early morning "pensioners hour" to level the playing field a little.
RELATED READING:
"This is not panic buying, it's hoarding. Do those people know what they are going to do with all the stuff they're buying when this is all over?" one man asked.
"They've already got signs up that they can't take it back."
Another was trying to shop for his elderly, housebound mother and thought everyone needed to calm down.
A common question was what was going to happen when the emergency finished.
"When everything gets back to normal I wonder if the supermarkets will be very busy then?" one lady asked.
"I think they will find it very hard then because many people will have to use what they've bought now.
All the supermarkets were having the same problem - increased demand.
All the supermarket store's had logistical problems, getting the stock from the producer to the shelves just couldn't be done overnight.
While one manager said the store was "fighting a good fight", another supermarket's spokeswoman said the store had hired a security guard to prevent the real thing.
"Not that we've had any fighting, not like we've seen in Sydney, but we have had a couple of shouters. Then there are those who take one trolley load out to their car, and return for a second time," she said.
"So the security person is also there to prevent that."
All the management leaders agreed people needed to calm down and shop normally.
"There's no shortage of food, we're just having trouble keeping up with demand," said one manager.
Meanwhile, the NSW Farmers Association has reassured consumers that there is no need to fear food shortages in Australia.
Farmers' vice president Chris Groves said farmers across the country are busy doing what they do best- producing local food and fibre.
"Australian farmers are still producing the world's best produce," he said.
"This unprecedented event will have an impact on our export markets, which take around 75 per cent of what farmers produce.
"Australians can be assured that there will be more than enough food for them. We don't rely on any other country to feed us."
