New Zealanders and supermarket workers can simultaneously breathe a sigh of relief, with the country's somewhat self-created toilet paper shortage now officially over.
Since the days before the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, stores have been stripped bare of toilet rolls as panic-buying Kiwis rushed to stock up.
Supermarket chains repeatedly stressed there was no nationwide supply shortage, urging customers to act sensibly, but eventually enforced a strict item limit to curb the flow off the shelves.
“The situation was pretty tear-able to be honest," Countdown general manager Steve Mills says.
"New Zealanders were simply buying more than they needed and flushing their normal shopping habits down the drain."
The country's main supermarket chains, Countdown and Foodstuffs, which owns New World and Pak’nSave, both pleaded for worried shoppers to remain calm.
But now the toilet paper-pocalypse is finally over.
New Zealanders have stopped panic buying of "packs of paper gold", Mr Mills says.
As a result, Countdown is easing some of its purchase limits on high demand and essential items.
However, limits still remains in place for "high demand" items such as beer and wine, flour, rice, pasta, baked beans, cleaning products and hand sanitisers.
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