Aldi Kilburn

  • Even bulk-bought items such as rice, pasta and toilet roll are now restriction-free

  • Waitrose also removed the majority of temporary buying restrictions at the weekend

  • Some limits still remain in place at Sainsbury’s 

 

Aldi and Morrisons have removed temporary buying restrictions across all products while Waitrose has eased them.

In the latest sign of supply levels recovering from panic buying, Aldi removed limits on UHT milk from Friday (10 April) and all remaining product restrictions yesterday.

It means even the products shoppers bulk-bought the most in the days leading up to the lockdown, such as rice, pasta and toilet roll, are now restriction-free.

“Our suppliers and colleagues have worked incredibly hard during recent weeks to keep our stores well stocked,” Aldi UK & Ireland CEO Giles Hurley wrote in a message to customers.

“Our customers have also played their part by only purchasing what they need. Thanks to these combined efforts, we have good availability across all of our stores and, from Monday 13 April, we will remove all of our remaining product restrictions.”

A Morrisons spokesman this morning confirmed it had also removed all restrictions.

Meanwhile, Waitrose had removed the majority of temporary buying restrictions at the weekend, but left a three-item limit in place on pasta, rice, UHT milk, toilet rolls, antibacterial and cleaning products, and some frozen food.

“We hope the lifting of these limits may encourage those who are healthy to shop in store rather than online to help free up delivery slots for those that need them most, as well as making it easier for those who are shopping for others as well as themselves,” said a Waitrose spokesman.

All major supermarkets introduced limits of three or even two items per customer in the midst of panic buying, in some cases across all products.

Others with limits still in place include Sainsbury’s. The retailer last week lifted restrictions across a wide range of products but still has them on UHT milk, pasta, tinned tomatoes, eggs, butter, cheese and some frozen food.

Hurley also used his message to customers to announce extended store hours from today (14 April), with shops staying open until 10pm instead of 8pm.

He said: “Our shelves are now well stocked throughout the day, so there is no need to visit stores first thing in the morning.

“In fact, from Tuesday 14 April, we will be extending our opening hours in almost all of our stores so you can shop until 10pm Monday to Saturday, when our stores are quieter. Normal Sunday opening hours remain in place.”

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