Woolworths in strife over baby formula sales

Baby formula has hit the headlines yet again, but this time it’s not the usual battle.

Australian baby formula has been a huge demand in China since 2008 when melamine contamination saw six babies die and 300,000 fall ill.

A mum doing her shopping at her local Woolworths was shocked to discover a group of four adults had filled two trolleys with formula while another woman stood guard over the three cartons on a crate. They were purchasing the lot and leaving locals yet again fighting for supplies.

“My blood was boiling for the mothers having problems finding A2 for their babies. I was feeling sensitive because I’ve got a newborn,” Jessica Hay told Fairfax Media.

“If they were with babies, it would be understandable, they need to feed their kids too. But it felt like a smooth operation, like they did this all the time.”

The limit is eight tins per customer. But stores are imposing whatever limit they see fit, or none at all.

“When I first saw the stack, some boxes were open with tins on top of it. I think they were hoping people would take what was needed. But this group took it all,” Mrs Hay said.

formula

Jessica took a photo and shared it to her local Facebook group.

The image was then shared to the Woolworths Facebook page and said: ““We are in a formula shortage and you are allowing this?! What happened to four tins maximum per person? Look at the empty crate in the picture?!” What happened to 4 tins per person? Look at the empty crate!”

Woolworths Facebook page has since been bombarded with many posts from unhappy patrons irate that they could allow this to happen.

World gone crazy! Surely they can do something about the export of baby formula to prevent it continuing to occur? I am clueless tbh. But it isn’t sounding good.

Share your thoughts below.

Image source Facebook

26 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 24 Dec 2021
    9:57 am
I wonder if this sort of thing is still going on through covid.

- - ella12 said
  - 13 Sep 2016
    12:55 pm
That is unfair, truly crazy stuff.

- - pakeko said
  - 28 Dec 2015
    8:33 pm
Wow this should not be allowed I know there is a market for it over there but the we also need it here

- - mom123456789 said
  - 13 Dec 2015
    1:02 am
I think they should have a limit, it’s not fair at all on other customers.

- - tessie said
  - 27 Nov 2015
    1:48 pm
This should not be allowed. Please Woolworths, think of all Mums and not just profit. Please do not allow this to happen again.

- - mom160421 said
  - 26 Nov 2015
    10:10 pm
I wasn’t even aware that this problem with baby formula existed. Surely if there is a demand, the manufacturers should be making more.

- - cherz said
  - 24 Nov 2015
    8:47 pm
Would love to read or hear Woolies response to this.

- - mom93821 said
  - 15 Nov 2015
    1:52 pm
Has there been an outcome? Has anything official such as complaint gone forward?

- - mom94125 said
  - 14 Nov 2015
    12:29 pm
yeah it is very unusual to buy so much but what if it is for a local shop. i agree that limits should apply. i have seen a guy buying so much ice-cream but it was for his take-away shop

- - mom94378 said
  - 12 Nov 2015
    1:11 am
Some terrible behaviour here. OMG!

- - gr82do said
  - 11 Nov 2015
    11:33 am
Shame on Woolworths! Disgusting behaviour of the part of the adults who are going to resell.

- - rovermum said
  - 11 Nov 2015
    10:56 am
What is going on? When my son was a baby we relied on Goats Milk Formula, that could only be bought at certain outlets. We were known to travel to get these tins of formula that were so hard to find. I cannot imagine a shortage of baby formula. For those parents that need to use it, it is a necessity. If people just purchased it as they needed it with maybe a spare tin, rather than stockpiling it, then maybe the world wouldn’t be going crazy. Come on people, babies need to be fed. It’s not for profit making or ebay sales. Get a grip. Babies need to be fed.

- - mom87251 said
  - 11 Nov 2015
    8:29 am
I agree. There should be a strick limit on all goods, esp something as precious as baby formular. If everyone would just take their own share there would be plenty to go around. Shame on you Woolworths.

- - mom98364 said
  - 11 Nov 2015
    7:50 am
My son has A2 formula as it was the most gentle on his stomach and he didn’t throw up from it, I have not been able to mkve him up a level because of the shortage. All babies need to be fed but the supermarkets really do need to make it fair for all, this incident is just poor judgement on behalf of the staff. I really wish I was still able to breastfeed.

- - mom103662 said
  - 10 Nov 2015
    11:25 pm
That WOMAN as you called Her is so damn obviously a Woolworths Employee more likely than not is preventing the pallet from becoming a trip hazard. As you’d probably know yourself from having gone grocery shopping that not everyone pays attention to where they’re walking.

- - Melanie said
  - 10 Nov 2015
    9:32 pm
I honestly didn’t realise that there was such a demand for formula. I do think that there should be a limit on how many people can buy though.

- - Toni Rowland said
  - 10 Nov 2015
    9:02 pm
Terrible. Shops like this really need to adhere to the regulations in place.
- mom93821 replied
  
  16 Nov 2015 , 5:32 am
  There usually are limits on sale items.
- - mom90758 said
  - 10 Nov 2015
    3:31 pm
Incredible. Not really fair to allow people to buy so much. It’s a problem affecting so many families that Woolworths should have put some limits indeed.

- - Carolineb said
  - 10 Nov 2015
    1:27 pm
I think these limits need to be strongly enforced. I understand there are babies overseas that need this formula but there are babies here that need that formula too.

- - mum4107 said
  - 10 Nov 2015
    1:02 pm
There have been limits for a few years because of people buying in bulk and sending it overseas. I think this store hasn’t been doing there job of checking