Massive change at Coles checkouts as supermarket relaxes controversial bag-packing restrictions - and they're offering to swap your old 15c bags for free new ones
- Coles announced team members will be offering to pack customers' bags again
- From June 1, Coles employees around Australia will offer to pack shopping bags
- Under 'Better Bags' customers will be able to swap out old bags for new ones
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Coles checkout operators will now offer to pack customers' bags again as coronavirus restrictions are slackened and infections in Australia continue to drop.
From June 1, Coles staff around Australia will offer to pack customers' bags - although those who wish to continue packing their own bags are welcome to do so.
Coles suspended the packing of bags on March 26th as infections soared across Australia.
The only bags checkout operators would pack were new ones bought in the supermarket, not bags brought from home.
Over the next two weeks, customers can also replace their old Coles bags with new ones under the 'Better Bags' scheme to help keep employees and customers safe.
From June 1, Coles staff around Australia will offer to pack customers' bags, but those who wish to continue to pack their own bags are welcome to do so
Coles CEO Steven Cain hopes the new measures will help ease some of the stress and anxiety both customers and his team have faced in recent months.
'It's reassuring that we are returning to some sense of normality in everyday life, including when doing the grocery shopping,' he said.
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'With all product buying restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 lifted at Coles this week, our focus is still very much on providing a safe environment for team members and customers.
'We are grateful for the way customers have adapted to some big changes in our stores including packing their own bags.'
Coles customers are reminded to continue practising social distancing and to make use of the available hand sanitiser upon entering the store.
Coles customers are reminded to continue practising social distancing and to make use of the available hand sanitiser upon entering the store
As coronavirus cases rose across Australia in March, shoppers began to stock up and panic buy popular items.
Supermarket shelves were stripped of toilet paper, pasta, rice, frozen food as well as tinned and other dried goods.
On March 13, Coles placed a limit on pasta, flour, dried rice, paper towels/tissues and hand sanitisers.
Four days later on March 17, they placed further restrictions on mince meat, eggs, chilled pasta, frozen vegetables and frozen dessert.
Coles also announced they wouldn't offer refunds on any additional items that were purchased as a result of panic buying.
In order to slow the spread of the infectious virus, from March 26 Coles announced that customers will pack their own bags.
From April 28, the supermarket lifted restrictions on all products as they replenished items and filled up shelves.
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