Supermarket giants are struggling to stock shelves with COVID and isolation requirements leading to staff shortages in distribution warehouses and the trucking industry.
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Independent supermarkets are faring better, but still facing challenges of their own,
Coles has introduced new product limits in the face of ongoing supply issues.
Coles has put a two-pack purchase limit on chicken breast, chicken thighs, mince and sausages at stores across the country, excluding WA, as they struggle with COVID-induced transport and distribution issues.
Woolworths has not yet implemented any product limits on food.
Both stores have a one-pack per person limit on rapid antigen test kits.
It comes as COVID ravages supply chains, with truck drivers, store staff and distribution workers at supermarkets and suppliers off sick or in isolation due to COVID exposures.
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Impacts are less pronounced on independents like IGAs due to different supply chains, however at the Corowa IGA some larger contracts including for dry cereals and water are affected.
"There were some issues with liquor but that seems to have resolved itself," store manager Craig Waldron said.
"The gaps are mostly at the warehouses - if you've got 150 staff and 80 call in sick you're not going to be able to get product out.
"What's keeping meat and produce going is a lot of it comes close, from out of Cobram and we grow our own lambs. But we are seeing prices rise."
Mr Waldron said just as warehouses supplying goods were being impacted, he had staff shortages.
"Getting staff tested is the big delay; it's taking up to six days," he said.
"We don't have any rapid tests and they're talking a two-week delay on getting rapid tests."
In an email to customers Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci said they were working hard to get shelves replenished.
"To give you a sense of the magnitude of the challenge, we are experiencing COVID-driven absences of 20+ per cent in our distribution centres and 10+ per cent in our stores," Mr Banducci said.
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