Woolworths customer calls out Melbourne shopper who spent $1200 on groceries – buying 15 packets of mince as city faces meat shortage
- Melbourne woman has slammed another shopper for buying 15 packs of mince
- The woman said she confronted the other customer and wanted restrictions
- Social media users disagreed and said the poster didn't know the circumstances
- Restrictions were introduced on more than 50 items by Woolworths on Sunday
A Melbourne woman has called out a fellow shopper in Woolworths after watching them buy 15 packets of mince.
The disgruntled customer slammed the woman for her $1,200 purchase at a store in Highett, in Melbourne's southeast, on Sunday.
It came after Daniel Andrews announced a Stage 4 lockdown would be imposed on the city to curb the spread of COVID-19 but before the supermarket brought in a two pack limit on many items, including mince.
In a Facebook post the woman said she confronted the customer before taking a picture of her shop.
The disgruntled customer slammed the woman for her $1,200 purchase at a store in Highett, in Melbourne's southeast (pictured), on Sunday
The shopper said she confronted the woman and shared an image (pictured) of some of the other customer's shop. It included packets of mince, eggs, bread, a bag of pretzels and frozen food items
The 'angry' and disappointed' poster captioned the image: 'So so selfish. I was the only person who challenged her. Manager was "not in yet"'
As well as the mince it contained eggs, bread, a bag of pretzels and frozen food items.
The 'angry' and disappointed' woman captioned the image: 'So so selfish. I was the only person who challenged her. Manager was "not in yet".
'But your stores must stand up to these disgusting individuals and think of those who live week to week and cant get supplies and are possibly frightened now, thanks to that appalling behaviour.'
She said she felt as though limits should be introduced on items such as mince, which was done during the first wave.
However several social media users disagreed with the woman's reaction to the customer's shop.
'How do you know who or what she was shopping for ? She could be a chef at a nursing home, a pre-school or a school canteen,' one person said.
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Others suggested the woman might have a large family and needs this many items.
Another said: 'My parents spend over $800 on shopping in one go. They shop like that every 6 weeks.
'They don’t want to shop weekly. You don’t know circumstances, don’t jump to them.'
However some social media users did echo the woman's disgruntlement and state they did not agree with hoarders.
A Woolworths spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: 'We understand this is an anxious time for our Victorian customers, but we encourage everyone to continue shopping as they usually would and only buy what they need.
'Stock will continue to flow from our distribution centres and supermarkets will remain open to support our customers’ food and grocery needs.'
Woolworths introduced a two-pack limit on more than 50 items on Sunday afternoon.
Many people defended the woman's shop and said that she might have had an excuse. Pictured: People lining up for meat in Victoria
This included items such as mince, paper towels, tissues, canned fruit, packet pasta and eggs.
Increased restrictions in Victoria has led to a return to panic-buying in the state plagued by coronavirus.
The state's Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday announced thousands more businesses would also have to shut down from Thursday as 439 more cases were diagnosed.
Eleven more Victorians also lost their lives overnight.
The harsher lockdown has prompted thousands to flock to shops across Melbourne in a new round of panic buying.
Long lines and full trolleys were seen outside supermarkets as early as 7am - even though they would stay open under Stage 4.
Long lines and full trolleys were seen outside supermarkets as early as 7am - even though they would stay open under Stage 4. Pictured: People in line at a Costco in Melbourne
However, with meat stocks likely to be affected by the new restrictions, panic buyers snapping up meat to shove in their freezer could be on the money.
Abattoirs and fish markets will stay open but new the workplace rules will severely curtail their production, leading to potential shortages.
They along with warehousing and distribution centres in Melbourne will be limited to no more than two-thirds the normal workforce allowed onsite at any one time.
Stocks could run low at supermarkets, butchers, and even at fast food outlets that source their meat from within metropolitan Melbourne.
'Whether every single item you might normally buy will be on the shelves, I can't guarantee,' Mr Andrews admitted on Monday.
'Meat works, we know that meat works are a really significant challenge for us. Whether it be lamb, poultry or beef, they will move to two thirds production, reduce their production by one third,' Mr Andrews said.
