Aussies stunned by empty shelves at their local Coles supermarkets: ‘I’ve never seen anything like this in my whole life’
Shoppers in Darwin have sparked panic on social media after filming the moment they walked into a Coles supermarket to find the shelves almost completely stripped bare.
But there’s a reason for the confronting sight. At the beginning of March, major freight routes into the Northern Territory were repeatedly disrupted by extreme weather conditions.
Panic truly started to set in last week when local woman Sienna Mallon shared footage of long stretches of empty aisles where everyday staples like bread, fresh fruit, vegetables, and mince would normally sit in a recent video.
She blamed the scarcity on ‘panic buying’ – and images from a Woolworths store in Darwin City showed a similar situation taking place in other supermarkets.
‘I’m in Coles right now seeing what’s left because there’s been flooding in Katherine so all the roads are closed into Darwin,’ Sienna explained.
‘This is so bad.’
Coles has since confirmed that stock levels in Darwin have returned to normal.
Shoppers can once again expect regular stock levels across fess produce, dairy, and pantry items, with shelves replenished as freight movements returned to schedule.
Shoppers in Darwin have sparked panic after filming the moment they walked into a Coles supermarket to find the shelves almost completely stripped bare
Over the past fortnight, major freight routes into the Northern Territory have repeatedly been disrupted by extreme weather conditions
Barren shelves stretched across all sections of the supermarket – from long life milk to toiletries and frozen buys.
The Stuart Highway, the main transport corridor connecting Adelaide to Darwin, was closed south of Katherine before reopening on March 11.
During that time, the highway was also shut at Pimba and Glendambo on two separate occasions, while the rail line from Adelaide was also temporarily closed. The Barkly Highway was similarly impacted.
Sienna’s friend Nia, who accompanied her on the supermarket run, appeared equally shocked by the sight.
‘I’ve never seen anything like this in my whole life,’ she said.
As the camera panned across the barren shelves, Sienna made a comparison many Australians will instantly remember, claiming the sight was ‘worse than COVID’.
During the early days of the pandemic in 2020, supermarkets across the country were stripped of toilet paper, pasta, and flour as panic buying took hold.
But one empty shelf in Darwin left Sienna particularly baffled.
‘Is everyone joking? We live in a developed country, we’re not going to starve to death. Why is there no long-life milk?’
Still, the pair managed to find humour in the chaos.
‘We love this because it’s easier to choose what you want,’ Sienna joked while gesturing to the almost-empty shelves.
‘You get what you’re given,’ Nia replied.
In one surreal moment, Sienna stumbled upon a display of unusually flavoured hot cross buns – including Dorito, matcha and raspberry, and Mint Slice varieties.
‘I never would’ve noticed these if it wasn’t for the fact that there’s nothing else on the shelves,’ she said.
The video quickly spread online, sparking thousands of reactions from Australians who were both shocked – and unsurprised – by the scenes.
Many people who have lived in northern Australia said the situation is actually a familiar one when severe weather disrupts transport routes.
‘I used to live in Darwin a very long time ago. Fresh vegetables were always difficult to get,’ one viewer wrote.
‘This is something that happens nearly every year in Darwin,’ another added.
Barren shelves stretched across all sections of the supermarket – from long life milk to toiletries and frozen buys
The Stuart Highway, the main transport corridor connecting Adelaide to Darwin, was closed south of Katherine before reopening on March 11
Others explained that empty shelves are often caused by delivery trucks being unable to reach the city, rather than mass panic buying.
‘Fresh fruit and bread gets delivered daily. It’s most likely not panic buying but loads not coming in,’ one person commented.
‘I remember working fresh produce during the Brisbane floods and we didn’t get our truck for over a week.’
For many Territorians, this kind of disruption is simply part of life in the Top End.
‘When Katherine floods, deliveries are historically cut off for a week or so,’ one person explained.
‘Locals know this and stock up on what we need for that week. For sure some people go overboard but it’s not just panic buying.’
Others said similar scenes unfold across northern Australia whenever extreme weather hits.
‘This happens in Cairns every time there’s a cyclone or flood. Except even more bare.’
Ripple effects are being felt far beyond Darwin. One shopper in Western Australia said supply issues linked to the floods had already made it difficult to find basic groceries
But the ripple effects are already being felt far beyond Darwin.
One shopper in Western Australia said supply issues linked to the floods had already made it difficult to find basic groceries.
‘We are in WA and we are having supply issues because of these floods,’ they wrote.
‘There was hardly any bread today and I struggled to get my son’s main safe foods, Milo custards. We went to eight different stores to find only seven pouches.’
And while some Australians blamed disrupted freight routes, others argued shoppers were still making questionable stocking decisions.
‘People panic buy the most ridiculous things – fresh fruit and bread? It will go bad in a week or two,’ one commenter wrote.
‘At least the sensible people will still be able to stock up on dried beans and rice and tinned stuff.’
