‘I go to six different supermarkets in one day and I cannot find one tin’: Parents say they are being ‘pushed to breaking point’ over baby formula crisis

  • Parents continue to mount pressure on retailers to curb bulk buying of formula
  • Emma Cooksey said she drives around for hours in search of the popular powder
  • An expert said customers sell the formula for twice the price to buyers in China
  • Coles announced it will sell formula behind the counter at some of its stores
  • Woolworths will put a cap on the limit of formulas bought to two per customer 

Parents say they are being pushed to breaking point as the baby formula crisis rolls on.

Emma Cooksey told A Current Affair that she has been forced to drive around for hours in search of baby formula to feed her daughter Sadie.

'I go from store to store sometimes up to six supermarkets every day and there's nothing available.'

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Emma Cooksey (pictured) told A Current Affair that she has been forced to drive around for hours in search of baby formula to feed her daughter Sadie

Emma Cooksey (pictured) told A Current Affair that she has been forced to drive around for hours in search of baby formula to feed her daughter Sadie

Parents continue to pressure retailers  to curb bulk buying of baby formula at its stores

Parents continue to pressure retailers to curb bulk buying of baby formula at its stores

Her nine-month-old newborn needs a special type of baby formula. Though Ms Cooksey said she went to more than six stores at one point and is finding it 'virtually impossible' to find the formula.

The comment comes as supermarkets face increasing pressure to curb bulk buying of the popular powder.

Woolworths recently announced it will slash the number of tins its customers can buy from eight to two as of next week. Coles has also thrown its support behind the two limit cap.

Though parents have pleaded for chemist chains and big retailers to do more, as videos continue to emerge  of shoppers filling up trolleys with the precious formula.

Cross Border Management's Chinese marketplace expert CT Johnson said personal shoppers were shipping the formula back to China at a much higher price.

The shoppers are known as 'Daigos' and can sell the formula for twice as much as what Australian parents pay. 

They can pull in more than $100,000 a year just from online sales.

'Australia has an amazing reputation in China,' Mr Johnson said.

Cross Border Management's Chinese marketplace expert CT Johnson (pictured) said personal shoppers were shipping the formula back to China at a much higher price

Cross Border Management's Chinese marketplace expert CT Johnson (pictured) said personal shoppers were shipping the formula back to China at a much higher price

'There have been so many fakes that have gone on in China, the people in China are very suspicious about things that are distributed in their own country.' 

Coles and Woolworths released statements to address the concerns of customers.

Coles said it is 'committed to ensuring that our customers with a genuine need for infant formula have access to this product.' 

Coles has said infant formula will be held behind the service desk at some stores. It will also use 'specially designed electronic article surveillance (EAS) lids that can only be removed at the register.' 

 Woolworths has said it will 'closely monitor our on-shelf availability and feedback from customers as we make this adjustment.' 

They also encouraged parents to speak to a store manager if they couldn't find their chosen baby formula on the shelves. 

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Parents continue to pressure Coles and Woolworths as baby formula crisis reaches breaking point

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