An influx in customers stock piling food over fears of the coronavirus outbreak has forced one Auckland wholesale store to close its doors temporarily.
Gilmours North Shore shut up shop on Saturday due to the “overwhelming customer demand”, a spokesperson told Stuff.
“It’s quite flat out busy, in all honesty.
ZOE RIDDELL/SUPPLIED
A sign was erected at the entrance to Gilmours North Shore advising customers it was closed until further notice.
“We’re running out quite extremely.”
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A sign was erected at the entrance to the wholesale grocer advising customers it was closed until further notice. The company also shared an update on social media explaining they were working hard to ensure Monday’s deliveries weren’t affected.
A Foodstuffs spokesperson said the cash and carry store was closed on Saturday “due to overwhelming customer demand. All other stores will remain open until further notice.”
Local woman, Zoe Riddell, was shopping next door to the grocer on Saturday and commented on the “chaos” that surrounded the store.
“We were at a shop next door, the traffic all around the area was chaos. They were letting people in when we first drove past, but then 20 minutes later they had closed it.”
Riddell said she wasn’t stock piling and thought people were “overreacting a bit”.
At the moment, the North Shore store was the only one that had closed, but a meeting was being held to discuss the status of other stores. The spokesperson said the Mt Roskill and Manukau stores were still open but that could possibly change.
People began frantically shopping after New Zealand’s first coronavirus case was confirmed on Friday. But customers were being urged not to make a mad dash to the supermarket.
A Foodstuffs spokesperson previously told Stuff customers should resist the urge to stock up, and if everyone continued to shop normally there would be no issue with stock levels.
