Brazen Woolies shoppers flout supermarket's baby formula limit
Shoppers at a Woolworths in Adelaide have been filmed buying way more than the two-can limit of baby formula in what’s been described as “disgusting” by the woman filming the incident.
Chantel Malthouse was at Woolworths at Kilkenny recently when she filmed shoppers filling trolleys with the formula.
She uploaded video of the incident to Facebook on Saturday. It has since received more than 47,000 views.
In the video, shoppers are seen with three trolleys full of the formula despite there being a two-tin limit per customer.
“This is what happens in Australia,” Ms Malthouse says.
A man off-camera informs her she’s not allowed to film but she ignores his request.
She then accuses the people buying the formula of trying to sell it overseas.
A man arrives and places tins in a bag. A woman also walks over to a full trolley and begins to push it away before the video ends.
“I have seen a lot of things, but this was up there with one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen,” Ms Malthouse wrote in the caption.
“The reason I filmed is because people are buying them for profit not for the right reason and also because it’s a needed product for all parents.”
Customers have stock when they need it, Woolworths says
A Woolworths spokesperson told Yahoo7 the stores’ teams “work hard” to ensure customers have access to stock when they need it.
The supermarket didn’t seem concerned about the footage.
“Baby formula stock was readily available for our customers at our Kilkenny store on Saturday and remains so now,” the spokesperson said.
“We encourage any parents who find their chosen baby formula is unavailable on the shelf to speak with store management, so we can help get them stock as quickly as possible.”
Last month, a queue of what’s believed to be 30 customers were filmed crowding a Coles aisle at Sydney’s Hurstville store.
In response to this clip, a Coles spokesperson told Yahoo7 News the supermarket is making every effort to ensure all customers have access to baby formula.
The issue has also led to heated confrontations between shoppers.
Recently, a man named Anthony told 2GB’s Ben Fordham a shopper “went crazy” when he confronted a shopper couple can be seen emptying the contents of their boot into a trolley outside the Koala Kingdom Porter storefront in Hurstville.
Visibly agitated, the man approaches Anthony and tells him not to move while he calls the police.
Still filming, Anthony replies – instructing the man not to touch him as they come face-to-face.
After attempting to leave, Anthony said the couple stood in front of his car and only moved when he held down his horn and caused a scene.
Video taken outside the My Chemist store in the heart of the CBD shows shoppers queuing outside in the early hours of the morning, waiting for the doors to open.
My Chemist didn’t respond to Yahoo7 for comment.
When they eventually do open, the shoppers can be seen rushing in, trying to get their hands on boxes of formula, including the much sought after Aptamil and A2 brands.
Those responsible for the practice, known as Daigou, have caused outrage around the country, forcing many supermarkets to enforce a transaction limit on certain brands of baby formula.
They send the tins to China to cash in on that country’s seemingly insatiable demand for premium instant formula.
