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Tesco has said it is introducing limits on some household essentials, just days after its chief executive called for no “unnecessary” panic purchases to be made as coronavirus restrictions tighten.
The UK’s largest supermarket chain revealed a limit of three items per customer on flour, dry pasta, toilet paper, baby wipes and antibacterial wipes.
It comes a day after Morrisons, the rival of the ‘big four’, introduced similar measures, blaming the storage evidence.
All the big supermarkets introduced temporary rationing in March after the shelves were stripped of essentials in the weeks leading up to the COVID-19 emergency shutdown.
They rose slowly as stocks recovered and stores are eager to avoid a repeat.
Tesco said its restrictions applied to all sales in stores and online, although digital orders would also see limits on a number of additional items such as rice and canned vegetables.
“We have good availability, with plenty of stock for everyone, and we would encourage our customers to buy normally,” a Tesco spokeswoman said on Friday.
“To ensure that everyone can continue to buy what they need, we have introduced bulk purchase limits on a small number of products.”
The decision is understood to have been a reaction to evidence of a small increase in demand for the goods.
A major toilet paper roll maker told Sky News that its customers, which include supermarket chains, had increased orders by 23% in the past week.
Mike Docker, WEPA UK Deputy General Manager, said: ‘We have learned a number of lessons from the beginning of the year, with back-up production facilities and shippers on standby, we strongly believe that the UK will have sufficient supplies of toilet paper rolls, provided that consumers behave responsibly and act according to the advice provided by supermarkets when buying “.
Morrisons reset a limit of three in products such as toilet paper, disinfectants and bleach.
The other members of the four big chains, Sainsbury’s and Asda, have yet to impose restrictions.
Supermarkets are eager to avoid a repeat of the pre-closing panic shopping seen in March
Dave Lewis, Tesco’s chief executive, tried to reassure customers Wednesday after the prime minister told people to work from home whenever possible and ordered restaurants and bars to close early to address an increase in pandemic.
Lewis told Ian King Live: “I think the UK saw how well the food industry was run last time so there are very good supplies of food.
“We just don’t want to see a return to unnecessary panic buying because that creates tension in the supply chain that is not necessary.
“And therefore we would encourage customers to continue shopping normally.”
