Bananas are in short supply throughout the country due to a shipping route change and it may be weeks before supply levels are back to normal.

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A Countdown spokesperson said bananas imported from Mexico and Ecuador were dwindling in number.

"Unfortunately there's been a delay in our delivery due to a shipping route change which has put some pressure on the amount of bananas we have.

"We're currently working on sourcing some additional bananas, and apologise to our customers for any inconvenience."

Foodstuffs, which owns New World and Pak'nSave, is also facing a banana shortage.

Foodstuffs head of external relations Antoinette Laird said it could be weeks before banana supplies returned to normal.

"Banana supplies are short right now due to unforeseen shipping issues, but the good news is we expect supply to be back to normal by the end of the month."

She said until supplies stabilised, banana-loving customers would have to make do with other fruit on offer in store.

A Farro Fresh spokesperson said they had a "limited shortage" of bananas and ran out of stock on Sundays.

The spokesperson said they had experienced lower stock levels for two weeks and expected them to normalise within three weeks.

They recommended an avocado as an alternative if customers did find themselves banana-less.

"It's difficult to find a substitute for a banana due to the potassium and energy they have but a good alternative is an avocado."