Woolworths will limit the number of customers in-store this week and shoppers will need to wait in cordoned-off queues outside the stores until people inside leave.
“Traditionally, the Thursday in the lead-up to Easter is one of our busiest times in-store. We ask our customers to pre-plan their Easter shopping to avoid the usual Thursday spike in numbers,” said Woolworths managing director of supermarkets, Claire Peters.
“Customer limits will be specific to each location and based on the size of the store. Our store managers will use common-sense discretion to manage this in the interest of community safety.”
Ms Peters conceded Easter this year would be different but said staff would do their best to manage the demand for essential items.
Security guards are expected to manage the queues at peak times and enforce the 1.5m social-distancing rules.
Ms Peters said the number of people allowed into each aisle would be managed using a “one in, one out policy”, while security guards would enforce the one person per four square metres rule.
Easter is historically one of the biggest grocery shopping periods of the year and Woolworths is desperate to avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes that erupted in supermarket aisles last month over panic shopping.
Buying limits on sought-after products, including toilet paper, will also remain in place over the Easter holiday.
Australians with a disability, meanwhile, will be prioritised for home food and grocery deliveries.
On Monday, more than 340,000 National Disability Insurance Scheme participants will receive an individual code via SMS or email giving them access to priority home delivery.
Upon completing an online shopping order, participants will be prompted to enter their code when choosing the home delivery option.
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