Amid the fear and panic due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus worldwide, netizens have found a reason to laugh- people who hoard toilet paper from supermarkets!
Yet, many people criticize those that are so selfish, that they hoard things which are particularly important but hard-to-find these days, like masks, respirators, single-use medicinal gloves, and hand sanitizer.
The phenomenon, known as panic-buying, is happening all around the world.
In the U.S., the two brothers in Tennessee remain the worst example of hand sanitizer hoarding during the COVID-19 crisis, a story we wrote about recently.
Well, this might have not happened if they were in Denmark!
Namely, a Danish supermarket found a creative way to stop people from stocking up in their hand sanitizer!
One Twitter user shared the idea of this Danish supermarket to deal with people who hoard hand sanitizer
A supermarket in Denmark got tired of people hoarding hand sanitizer, so came up with their own way of stopping it.
1 bottle kr40 (€5.50)
2 bottles kr1000 (€134.00) each bottle.Hoarding stopped!#COVID19 #coronavirus #Hoarding pic.twitter.com/qaJb7UZwLr
— 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙣 🕯️ 🇪🇺🇩🇰🇩🇪🇸🇬 (@_schuermann) March 15, 2020
“Meny Rotunden Hellerup Foodmarket” is a popular supermarket in Denmark, and they describe themselves as “an exclusive shopping environment with respect for people’s busy everyday life”.
Yet, they showed once more that they are very humane and think of all their customers. After the shelves of the local supermarkets were emptied, Denmark’s government has asked citizens not to hoard food and other supplies, but some people continued the “greedy” practice.
As soon as people started hoarding hand sanitizer, the supermarket decided to do something about it.
The store is now selling one bottle of sanitizer for 40 DKK ($4.09) while two bottles cost 1,000 DKK ($95)
On March 16, Twitter user @_schuermannn posted the photo of a notice the supermarket taped to its display of hand sanitizer, explaining that one bottle costs 40 DKK ($5.73 USD), but any more than that will cost 1,000 DKK ($143 USD) each.
They explained their strategy on Facebook on March 18:
The supermarket took it to Facebook to explain their motivation behind their move:
“Dear customers,
We have a great responsibility to keep the business running, and we can only do that with everyone’s help and understanding. I can help in the following way:
We ask all customers to respect the distance between each other and our co-workers;
Sprinkle (likely sanitize or wash) hands off at the entrance and use gloves;
If you are a family, please allow only one person to purchase the purchases if possible;
There may be times when we limit how many customers we accept in the store at one time. We will keep you informed about any operating changes on Facebook. Take care and thank you for your understanding.”
We absolutely loved the idea!
While some believe there are other ways to prevent hoarding, most people loved the idea!
Brilliant idea. Instead of making multiples cheaper, or supermarkets should do this. That would stop the panic buying.
— Gary Cook (@orak100) March 16, 2020
Magnificent idea! We should do this in UK (although the shelves are bare anyway 🤪) but we could apply it for toilet roll, cans of soup, pasta…the essentials lol 🧻💷🧻🧻💎#panicbuyuk
— kathryn f (@verdiKat) March 16, 2020
They’ve got four bottles left.
— Grant McManus (@Gr3ant) March 16, 2020
Amazingly simple idea that would be effective. Though, €5.50 for hand sanitizer is overpriced as well.
— TheRanter2012🏴 (@TheRanter2012) March 16, 2020
Brilliant. Simple yet innovative. We need more innovative ideas to prevent the current empty shelves. Are our complacent supermarkets taking note? @sainsburys @asda @Tesco @waitrose @AldiUK
— savvytraveller #FBPE #RejoinEU (@wineexpert1968) March 17, 2020
Would work wonders for toilet paper too -- limit the volumes and gets people to behave… #colruyt #delhaise #aldi #lidl #carrefour#vrt #vtmnieuws
Lets build on this and get this concept going everywhere!!!— Hans Rosvelds (@HansRosvelds) March 19, 2020
The Costco in my city is limiting tissues, toilet paper, water and paper towels to 1 only- great idea- as are other grocery stores. Finally!!
— jccb52 (@JCristoveanu) March 20, 2020
Good idea, but difficult for people like my sister who has to buy for my housebound parents. She managed to buy 2 in the end at the chemist, but they did have to check my dads cpr number on the database to confirm he’s classed as terminal
— LeonoraChristina (@JammersMinde) March 16, 2020
I love the Danes, great people.
When I was in Copenhagen we used the local meny shop nearby in Amager. 👍— Jimmy Bhoy 45% (@travellinbhoy) March 16, 2020
ethical price gouging @ChrisPacia
— Ben Clair (@bnjclr) March 18, 2020
Well seen…
Sometimes getting the market to work the other around is smart…— Noah (@yhakovben) March 17, 2020
Fantastic a lesson to be learned here
— longcrendon (@longcrendon13) March 17, 2020
@Tesco haha that could be stopping a few panic shoppers 😉
— Marco Ziegler (@techexplorer20) March 19, 2020
Or you just simply put a limit on it like they do with literally everything else that goes on sale like soda, for instance. But they don’t limit hand sanitizer or toilet paper?
— Violet Rayne (@purplerayne999) March 17, 2020
This has my support. We need to sanitize our shopping with such measures.
— NonStopDemocracy 🇪🇺 (@NonStopDemocrat) March 18, 2020
UK Supermarkets should do the same with toilet tolls pack of 2 £1.00 any additional packs £122.00 each
— Mike Howell Esq (@rugbymike2012) March 18, 2020
Here in France, while a GREAT idea, it would be illegal…
— The SF Reader (@TheSFReader) March 18, 2020
Sources:
nypost.com
www.diply.com
mothership.sg
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