JOHANNESBURG - After President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country will be going into lockdown from Thursday, with the number of coronavirus cases increasing in the country South Africans have gone into a panic buying goods in bulk and stockpiling items.
Gwarega Mangozhe, Chief Executive, Consumer Goods Council of South Africa said, "The coronavirus’ most notable impact on consumers is on the emphasis on limiting social contact, amplifying the health protocols and food safety awareness as well as the surge of panic-buying which is rooted in uncertainty".
Pick n Pay has also seen an increase in sales for personal hygiene and household cleaning products as well as dry groceries.
"As they read and act on the hygiene advice on coronavirus, customers have been buying more personal hygiene and household cleaning products. We have also seen dry groceries sales increase, in some cases significantly, over the past few days. Where stocks are temporarily low due to heavy customer demand, we have limited purchases per customer. We are working closely with our suppliers to make sure we have enough products in our stores so customers can get what they want and need," said the retailer.
Pick n Pay's online service has been in heavy demand in recent days. The retailer said that they are working hard on how they can extend its benefits to more customers, including by increasing the click-and-collect offer, which has proved a popular tool in other countries dealing with the outbreak of coronavirus.
Since Ramaphosa made the announcement and in an effort to stop stock piling and to ease the supply chain, some retailers are enforcing a limit on what customers can buy.
Take a look at the measures some stores have put in place below:
To ensure that all our customers continue to find what they need in-store, the following limits will apply to all sales of alcohol: beer or cider 🍻 3 cases each, spirits 🍸🥃 3 bottles, wine 🍷 12 bottles, and box wine 📦 3 boxes. These limits are effective immediately. No U18. pic.twitter.com/t5oGVo5PC0
— Pick n Pay (@PicknPay) March 24, 2020
The retailer also reassured customer that they will never increase the prices of key products just because they are in particular demand during challenges like the coronavirus outbreak.
[UPDATE]: We have already started enforcing customer limits not least because we are mindful that stockpiling hurts the most vulnerable consumers in our society. pic.twitter.com/iBBah6AGx0
— Makro South Africa (@Makro_SA) March 20, 2020
Stockpiling? 🚫
— Game Stores SA (@Game_Stores) March 21, 2020
Toilet paper? ✅
Sanitiser? ✅
Food favourites? ✅
We’ve got everything you need to
check all the items off your shopping list. pic.twitter.com/r44TUtfuB2
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