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The director of an Australian supermarket is publicly pointing fingers — well, one finger, at least — at a customer who tried hoarding high-demand items amid the coronavirus pandemic.
John-Paul Drake, of Drakes Supermarkets, detailed the incident on the most recent installment of his “Retail Wrap” YouTube series, where he shares consumer-themed news or industry updates.
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“If everyone had bought just the things they needed for the immediate short term, we would be fine,” he said in the video, during a segment explaining the need for product limits. “But the reality is, we’ve had so many people hoarding products and buying products that they’re never going to use."
Drake then claimed the supermarkets had already sold about eight months’ worth of toilet paper in just four weeks, and a year’s supply of flour in only nine days.
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But the worst offender, he said, was a gentleman who got his hands on thousands of rolls of toilet paper, only to later try and return it.
“The scenes that everyone has seen with the toilet paper has been absolutely ridiculous,” Drake explained. “I had my first customer today who said he wanted to get a refund on 150 packets of 32-pack toilet paper, and 150 units of 1-liter sanitizer.”
Drake’s response?
“I told him that,” he said, while brandishing his (pixellated) middle finger at the camera. “That is the sort of person that is causing the problem in the whole country.”
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Drake later detailed on LinkedIn that the customer had originally obtained the toilet paper by recruiting a team to each market to buy up as much as they could from various locations in Australia.
“That’s restraint, if you ask me,” one person commented on the one-finger salute Drake gave the customer.
“That was the edited reply,” Drake responded.
In addition to his story about the inconsiderate customer, Drake covered several other subjects during his latest “Retail Wrap” episode, including his tips for being a considerate shopper, and protecting the employees working to keep shelves stocked.
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Among his tips, Drake urged shoppers to come prepared, come alone, wash (or sanitize) hands before entering the store, keep hands away from the face, and maintain proper social distance.
“Just remember to respect those around you,” he said.
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