AN ALEXANDRA Hills store could soon be keeping toilet paper behind the counter as coronavirus panic buying continues despite authorities condemning the behaviour.
Alexandra Hills IGA Xpress owner Dan Rigney said he had not seen the level of panic shopping that larger stores like Coles and Woolworths had experienced.
"We're out of toilet paper and sanitiser now but so's everybody in the country," he said.
"I think most of our customers here are respectful of each other because we are a community.
"A lot of the people who've come in here may not know each other by name but they'll know each other by face, they'll say g'day, and I think the majority of them are respectful to other people in the area."
It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison labelled panic buying ridiculous and un-Australian.
"It's not sensible, it's not helpful and I've got to say it's been one of the most disappointing things I've seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis," he said.
Mr Rigney said he had implemented caps on quantities of some items that customers could buy, including staples like pasta and toilet paper.
"I think it's harder for us to do that than Woolworths and Coles because we know these guys," he said.
With toilet paper fast becoming a valuable commodity, Mr Rigney said the store could be stepping up measures to ensure everyone got their fair share.
"I'm hoping to get a little bit of toilet paper in by the end of the week - it'll be single rolls, believe it or not, and I'm actually thinking about keeping it behind the counter like cigarettes and handing them out ... so people can't just come and pick up a whole handful," he said.
"When the first hit with the toilet paper and the writing was on the wall, we did some research into other pandemics and other panic buying and we decided then to order up on pasta and flour and sugar so we got in a little bit earlier than some other people.
"The bushfires brought out the best in a lot of people but this has been different.
"It's easiest to bring out the best when it's not impacting you personally.
"Luckily we've got a really, really good community here."
