Woolworths and Coles have also extended their shopping hours, with most stores open until 10 pm, while Aldi will be closed by 7 pm.
A Woolworths spokesperson said stores would begin limiting the number of people entering over the coming week, depending on how large and busy the store was.
“To allow social distancing over this busier time, when necessary, some stores may limit the number of customers in the store from time to time, so everyone can be confident they’ll have the space they need,” the spokesperson said.
They also encouraged customers to avoid completing their Easter shopping at the last minute.
“The lead-up to Easter can be one of the busiest times in our stores, so we’re asking our customers to pre-plan their Easter shopping to avoid a spike in numbers on Thursday — for the safety and wellbeing of everyone.”
Restrictions on numbers at Woolworths will be enforced by store managers, and will be different for each supermarket.
Woolworths has also announced extra protection for checkout staff across all its stores, including plexiglass on manned registers, and the rotation of customer-facing teams every two hours.
Coles chief executive officer Steven Cain said they would make shoppers line up and wait if supermarkets were too busy.
“Team members will be at store entrances to provide assistance and let you know when it is okay to come in,” he said.
“We ask that you follow their instructions and any signs in-store so we can safely serve as many customers in the community as possible.”
Mr Cain has encouraged people to take advantage of the longer shopping hours.
“Late evenings are typically less busy, so please consider visiting at this time if you prefer a quieter shopping period.”
Coles is also increasing cleaning and sanitation across all stores.
Aldi announced management and security would monitor the number of people entering its supermarkets, ensuring there were no more than 70 to 100 at a time, depending on the size of the store.
11°C