Grocery stores rush to steady supply as outbreak alert level rises

FairPrice has already imposed purchase limits to prevent customers from stockpiling.

Empty shelves and long lines have become a common sight in grocery stores as shoppers rushed to stock up on essentials on the wake of Singapore’s decision to raise its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level to Orange status on 7 February.

In FairPrice, the demand for daily essentials like toilet paper, instant noodles and rice surged by as much as five times the normal volume on Friday evening, according to a note by IGD senior retail analyst Soo-Eng Tan. With that, the retailer is now reassuring shoppers of ample supply.

“To cater to the high demand, FairPrice increased the volume sent to the stores by three times and the number of delivery trips doubled. The retailer said the supply of daily essentials will remain steady and prices will be maintained,” Tan said.

To keep supply steady, FairPrice imposed limits on each purchase to avoid stockpiling at home: $50 on vegetables, two bags of rice, four packets of paper products (toilet paper, tissue paper and kitchen towels), and four pillow packets of instant noodles.

Another retailer, Dairy Farm, posted on its Giant and Cold Storage pages that it was swiftly replenishing its shelves and working with suppliers for continued supply.

“Like other food retailers we have seen a spike in demand for fresh produce along with household cleaning and hygiene products,” said Chris Bush, CEO of Southeast Asia Food at Dairy Farm Group.

“The retailer asked for calm and shoppers have no need to purchase in bulk. It has not imposed any purchase limits and the stores are well-stocked after the weekend,” Tan added.

With shopping in physical stores quickly becoming less of an option, many shoppers have turned to online shopping. RedMart, owned by Lazada Group, has expanded its delivery capacity, according to Tan. Pierre Poignant, CEO of Lazada Group, has urged shoppers to add items to their existing order instead of scheduling another delivery.