Supermarkets suggests households send one nominated shopper during lockdown

March 23, 2020

People have been warned not to panic buy as supermarkets will be staying open.

Supermarket chains are asking for families to nominate one person to shop on their behalf so as to cut down on people visiting stores during the coronavirus lockdown.

It comes as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has pleaded with New Zealanders not to panic buy, but rather to shop normally and allow supermarket shelves to be restocked.

Seven Sharp reporter Lucas de Jong visited a Pak-N-Save on Auckand's North Shore tonight to see how things were.

"I think this afternoon after the initial announcement, a lot of people rushed out to their local supermakets," he said.

"I have to say out of the three supermarkets we stopped by on the North Shore this afternoon all of them were busy but not manic."

"The one thing we did notice were there were a lot more masks, so many people wearing masks and gloves."

Foodstuffs announced this afternoon that their supermarket chains will be reducing their hours and they advise people to get in touch with their local stores to see what those hours will be.

They also want personal protective equipment for staff, such as masks, and decals on the floor to outline safe distances for cutsomers to stand away from workers.

They are also asking to people to be a nominated shopper for their family so they don't bring in three or four people at a time.

Today, Mr de Jong said social distancing was nearly impossible at the supermarket due to the amount of people shopping.

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