Both Woolworths and Coles have responded to supermarket shelves around the nation being more empty than usual because of supply chain issues caused by surging Omicron cases.
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ACM visited both Coles in Batemans Bay's Village Centre and Woolworths in the Bridge Plaza on the morning of January 7 to examine how stock shortages around the state were impacting Batemans Bay residents.
Meat was the main item missing from shelves, with both supermarkets well-stocked on fresh fruit and vegetables.
Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci sent an email to customers this morning, January 7, acknowledging the challenges increasing Omicron cases is having upon the supermarket's supply chain.
In the statement, Mr Banducci acknowledged customers may find "gaps on shelves, or substitutions in your online order."
Mr Banducci said empty shelves are not caused by surge buying as was seen earlier in the pandemic, but by "the number of people in our supply chain in isolation."
"To give you a sense of the magnitude of the challenge, we are experiencing COVID-driven absences of more than twenty per cent in our distribution centres and more than ten per cent in our stores," Mr Banducci said.
"NSW is currently the most affected, although we are seeing impacts across the whole country, and it's not yet clear how soon the system will come back into balance as we move through the Omicron wave."
The supermarket chain is aiming to provide at least one of each key category of product, such that consumers will be able to meet their needs, even if they cannot purchase their most desired brand of product.
Similarly with online orders, Mr Banducci said "If you're shopping online, as a temporary measure we are automatically activating substitutions on all orders."
Coles this week introduced temporary limits on certain items per customer in an attempt to reduce panic buying and maintain stock levels.
Coles customers can now purchase a maximum of two packs of chicken breasts or thighs from the meat section, or six fillets from the Deli. Customers are allowed two packs of mince and sausages.
