Supermarket giant Woolworths will begin rationing toilet paper as coronavirus panic buying leaves many store shelves empty.

On Wednesday, the company announced it had “moved to apply a quantity limit on toilet paper packs,” limiting customers to four per purchaser to “ensure more customers have access to the products”.

“It will help shore up stock levels as suppliers ramp up local production and deliveries in response to higher than usual demand,” the company said in a statement.

Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare as coronavirus and the fear of being caught without a domestic essential led to dozens of people panic-buying the tissue.

Also on Wednesday the Australian recycled toilet paper company Who Gives a Crap announced it had completely sold out of stock. In a statement headlined “holy crap” the company said that “panic buying madness” had exhausted its supplies.

“We also want to acknowledge that these are crazy times,” the company said in a statement which also encouraged its customers to remain calm.

“We feel it too. We’re thinking a lot about how we can do our bit to encourage kindness, empathy and calm. If you have spare rolls, see if your neighbours need some. Go and support your favourite Chinese restaurant. Watch some puppy videos.”

It came after the company’s co-founder and chief executive Simon Griffiths had Tweeted that sales had increased by eight times, with the leafy Sydney suburbs of Mosman and Balmain the heaviest purchasers.

Woolworths said the company was working to re-stock supplies with long-life food, also in high demand.

“The vast majority of the products in our range remain available for our customers as normal,” Woolworths said.

The phenomenon has become perhaps the very definition of rolling news – #toiletpaper has been trending on Australian Twitter.

Aghast shoppers have been tweeting pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets where row upon row of toilet paper once sat, and with it Twitter has been having some fun.

Some shoppers were confronted with a barren sight:

The world’s gone mad! 3 supermarkets - no toilet roll! Last I heard #coronavirus causes a flu-like illness not wild, explosive diarrhoea! 😳Scored possibly the last pack in the whole of Brisbane! Might put it on eBay! 😂 #panicbuying #coronavirusaustralia #toiletpaper pic.twitter.com/rDUQ4Avv1B — Anne Stubbs (@annestubbs) March 3, 2020

Even more barren:

@woolworths Shame on you Woolworths South Yarra I ordered my groceries online this morning came to pick them up 2hrs later & told the toilet rolls I paid for were out of stock! 7pallets came in today & sold out in 3hrs! Limit the amount per customer!! We have no #toiletpaper pic.twitter.com/ITk1v6b8Ln — Paris Dean (@ParisDean20) March 3, 2020

More emptiness:

This is Cherrybrook today. And don’t hope to eat rice because it’s out of stock too #toiletpaper #Rice pic.twitter.com/GGtSz6j1tf — Michela Pezzi (@PezziMichela) March 3, 2020

But where there was anger and despair …

I’m at a loss. The place has gone mad. Why the fuck are we enduring A National Toiletpaper Panic ? — Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) March 3, 2020

There was also observation …

Others have pointed out that that’s a lot of toilet paper for a few weeks:

And …

I’m assuming this is how one protects oneself from #coronavirus with toilet paper... pic.twitter.com/lIiyUW5B0h — Nomad Cap (@nomad_cap) March 1, 2020

I am guessing by a lot of news stores, if you get Corona Virus you are in danger of shitting yourself to death? — Mrs Woog (@Woogsworld) March 3, 2020

While a black market seems to be thriving …

I’ve got a 9 pack that I’ll sell to the highest bidder. It’s 3 ply and very soft. I need a house deposit so start high. 😀 #toiletpaper — Peter (@burtpies) March 3, 2020

and …

Meanwhile, some have pointed out that you don’t need toilet paper to … well, clean yourself.

Filipinos are not worried one bit #toiletpaper pic.twitter.com/6McIbz4Cko — Luisa Brimble (@luisabrimble) March 3, 2020

And here’s a more over-engineered version:

If you're worried about running out of #toiletpaper, why not purchase a Bidet?



1) You use little to no paper (depending on circumstances) so it's better for the environment.

2) More hygienic & quicker to clean yourself with.

4) Easy to install on existing toilets. pic.twitter.com/uTn5rbQyY5 — Clayton D. Moss (@Clayton_Moss) March 3, 2020

But it hasn’t all been panic and nonsense. In Adelaide, everything is very, very normal. Apparently.