Baby formula to go behind the counter at some Coles supermarkets
Coles has announced that it will take infant formula off the shelves, placing it behind the counter in some NSW stores.
The announcement comes after reports that some baby formula brands, worth between $25-$35 for a one-kilogram tin, were being bought in bulk from Australian supermarkets and on-sold to China for a profit of up to $100 per tin.
Tins of baby formula will now be kept on shelves behind service desks or tagged with Electronic Article Surveillance lids in some stores, a Coles spokeswoman said;
“Coles is committed to ensuring that our customers with a genuine need for infant formula have access to this product,” the statement said.
Woolworths will not be following Coles’ lead, saying that it is not in its policy to have baby formula behind counters or locked away.
Both Coles and Woolworths have a two-tin limit for customers. At the Coles in Sydney’s Five Dock, a sign has been erected in the formula aisle saying the removal was to provide “equal opportunity” to shoppers and to deter theft.
