
‘Apocolyptic’: Woolworths’ food shelves run dry
Retailer Woolworths is currently experiencing a meat and fresh produce shortage in stores. Here’s what lead to to the scarcity…

South African shoppers are complaining about finding empty shelves at their local Woolworths, particularly meat and vegetables. What exactly is happening?
WOOLWORTHS STORES’ EMPTY SHELVES LEAVE SHOPPERS FRUSTRATED
On the X platform, several shoppers shared their dissatisfaction with finding empty shelves, particularly in the fresh produce aisles and frozen meat fridges.
“Apocalyptic scenes at Woolworths,” tweeted comedian Rory Petzer of his local store.
Others shared his frustrations…
@_KimChristian_: “@WOOLWORTHS_SA, this limited/no stock situation is getting out of hand. Empty fridges everywhere. Fix it”
@Alexius45298822: “Woolworths, what is happening with your meat supply? For more than a week, the Gauteng stores haven’t been getting meat from its distribution centre, and staff can’t give any answers”.
@johnclementinex: “You can’t find zucchini, coriander, basil, oat milk. I went to three different stores.”
Woolworths replied to tweets with a standard response that read: “We’re aware of a supplier issue that has meant less stock of our meat on shelves. It’s a top priority to get supply back to normal, and we are very sorry for the impact this has had on you and your shopping trips. Please bear with us – we’re working on it”.
WHY IS THERE A SHORTAGE?
According to Woolworths, the red meat and vegetable shortage is a direct result of heavy rains and supplier issues.
Heavy rainfall in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has affected the supply of fresh produce, including items such as lettuce, spinach, and cauliflower. Meanwhile, a meat supplier has reported shortages, with the retailer working on getting it back on track.
According to FoodForMzansi, recent flooding in parts of the country has destroyed crops and livestock and damaged farming infrastructure.
HAVE YOU FOUND EMPTY FRIDGES AT YOUR LOCAL WOOLWORTHS STORE?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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