Woolworths takes out full-page ads to explain toilet paper shortage and new COVID-19 safety measures
Supermarket giant Woolworths has attempted to explain its product shortages to consumers in a full-page ad.
In an open letter from CEO Brad Banducci titled ‘A little better every day’, Woolworths reminded consumers it’s actually only been six weeks since panic buying relating to COVID-19 (coronavirus) first began.
“Amazing as it might seem, we are still seeing almost double our normal demand for toilet paper,” Banducci explained, noting this equates to 20.5m rolls.
He conceded the brand isn’t where it needs to be with its toilet paper stocks, so pleaded with consumers to only buy what they need.
Woolworths is seeing unprecedented demand
Woolworths, along with IGA, Coles and Aldi, has previously taken out full-page ads to urge shoppers to be kinder to staff, and more reasoned and rational when making purchasing decisions.
The letter also explains an extra 1,000 pallets of pasta are coming to Woolworths stores each week – more than 500,000 extra packets – and it’s doing its best to keep up with demand for cleaning wipes.
On a lighter note, Branducci explained that two of its highest growth categories are cake mixes and household cleaning products.
“A lot more kids are baking and parents cleaning as well as spending time at home,” he said.
The letter also detailed how Woolworths is attempting to make shopping as safe as possible, as well as why its staff aren’t yet sporting gloves and masks.
The Woolworths ad on p2 of today’s The Daily Telegraph in Sydney (Click to enlarge)
In addition, the letter addressed home delivery delays, with Banducci saying it will be reintroduced area by area. It’s not, he noted, a small operation.
“Our customer care team has now doubled in size and we are answering 60% more calls than we were last week. And whilst the average phone wait time for Priority Assistance home delivery is still too long at 27 minutes, it is coming down rapidly with more people on our team to support you,” he said.
Banducci concluded by reassuring consumers Easter is still on this year, and the brand is taking it one step at a time.
“In summary, we are making progress. In partnership with our customers, the broader industry and state, territory and federal governments, we are getting a little better every day.”
The ad was on page two of both News Corp’s The Daily Telegraph and Nine’s The Sydney Morning Herald today.
Why can’t commonsense prevail, panic buying is not nessecery now that the weeks have gone by. What everyone needs is there, shop for what you need, don’t shop to profit.
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First world problems when millions and millions around the world are struggling to get basics like the flu vaccine.
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With supermarkets limiting the purchase of milk to 2 litres per purchase, as many families might consume 2 litres in one day it encourages such families to make more frequent visits to the supermarket, thereby increasing the potential to contract the coronavirus.
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Introducing limits is great. But what excuse to price increases on essentials what about people that have lost jobs pensioners and needy. Shameless opportunistic behaviour.
I suppose this is one way to reduce spread iv virus stop people buying and coming to store.
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Why can’t we bring in alternate shopping days with your house number of odd or even…just like petrol rationing years ago…this would reduce movement of people and spread the availability more evenly …with one day designated for emergency services….also one way aisles in the supermarket so that every is going in the same direction….not that hard to implement I would have thought…
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Absolutely correct
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The only solution for this ongoing supply problem, due to people either buying too much or people buying and sending it overseas or selling it on the black market, is for the Govt to introduce a weekly rationing card system for families and individuals for the basic necessities, as in WW2, which kept purchasing controlled and fair for everyone and would remove the stress of not being able to find these important products, especially for workers and the elderly. The card when presented at any food or other shop for these products would record the purchase on their card and also electronically for records on each family or individual, so people can’t go from shop to shop unfairly snapping up products and leaving none for so many people. The Govt would work out an estimate needed for each type of family’s needs for each basic product, e.g. an individual would use x number of toilet rolls per week and apply it to families with x number of people. Products would include toilet paper, carton or bottled milk, powdered milk, baby milk powder , baby food, animal food , disinfectant, alcohol rub, hand gel sanitiser, hand wipes, tissues, pasta, tinned meat, tinned fish, laundry items, flour, butter or spreads, bread, bathroom items tea, coffee sugar, alcohol rub, batteries, etc and we would see the current problem diisapear within a week or two, once introduced Nationwide. Only those who want to rort the system by buying more than they need, or sendiing it oveseas, or selling it on the black market will be those who will complain or whinge that it would not be a fair system to introduce Nation wide.. It would also make people be more mindful of not being wasteful. We would have nothing to lose by introducing such a system until a virus vaccination is found and it is safe for all isolation measures to be removed. The Govt also needs to put into place even harsher penalties for all illegal shipments overseas of any important basic products permanently.
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‘A little better every day’ is a coles trade mark from 2016 nice one Woolworths
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That’s actually remarkably sensible. Easier to manage than crowds waiting outside for their turn to go in.
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Virgin Australia claims that its main objective is to keep the price of the competitor in control. This is absolutely a devastating business model. This means, they are not working towards company’s growth model. Australia needs a healthy competitor but Virgin Australia is unfit based on their claims. In simple, Australia should never bail out this airlines with the honest tax payer’s money. No need to save billionaires sitting in foreign countries with our honest tax payer’s money. The question is why airlines is not prepared to sell it out instead of begging the government ? if they can’t sell it out then government should allow airlines to close down. Pay benefits to those affected employees through Centrelink instead of job keeper allowance.
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Why have Woolworths increased their prices on their toilet paper now that it is back on the shelves again? Isn’t this price gouging?
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Woolworth and Coles have been price gouging for weeks now. In regards to toilet paper, woolies has always sold 3ply x 24 pack for $12. Now from the same supplyer it sells 8 pack for $7-50. So instead of paying $12 for 24 rolls you will now have to pay $22-50 for 24 rolls. That is price gouging.
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When asking shoppers to be kinder to staff I would remind that it’s a 2 way street. Some Woolworths staff are rude and overbearing snapping orders sternly to very confused shoppers. How about some kinder behaviour.
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I think something that may not be factored into any equation is that a large portion of the workforce are now working from home or sadly now unemployed. Messages coming from CEO state that they are selling at least double what is the “norm” on things like toilet paper etc. What they are forgetting to mention is that all of those thousands of people who used to go to work and use the facilities there and maybe only needed a few rolls of toilet paper at home, now need to probably double their usage because that is now their work environment. So if a “normal” person bought a pack a week, they are more likely to need two packs a week to match what they would have been using elsewhere. Panic buying aside, stores need to actually double or triple their “usual” order to accommodate this extra “normal” need and then things would go back to normal and there would be stock available, just as there was before this pandemic hit. Just food for thought.
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