Coles supermarkets are struggling to replenish stock, but it doesn’t appear to be because of panic-buying.

Drew told Tom Elliott he could not find many essential items at the Hastings store.

He said a staff member had told him it was because the supermarket was having distribution issues following the COVID-19 outbreak at its Laverton centre.

“There was bugger all there,” he told 3AW Drive.

Coles confirmed a reduced numbers of workers at the distribution centre had “temporarily impacted our ability to replenish our Victorian stores with chilled and fresh produce lines.”

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