Australian hardware store Bunnings said this was an ‘isolated’ case and admit they 'got it wrong'

This article is more than one year old.
Published on March 19, 2020 at 08:30
2 min read
By AFP Australia

An image has been shared hundreds of times in multiple posts on Facebook alongside a claim it shows an Australian hardware store selling toilet paper at an exorbitant price during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The image has been shared in a misleading context; the hardware store chain, Bunnings, told AFP it was an “isolated decision” by a single store to sell the product and the chain no longer sells it.

This Facebook post was shared on March 15, 2020.

It shows a 48-pack of Scott brand toilet paper for sale at AUD$74.25 inside a store. The text overlay on the image reads: “How Unaustralian Is Bunnings?”

Below is a screenshot of the post:

A screenshot of the misleading Facebook post

The post was published after concerns over the novel coronavirus pandemic sparked panic buying in some Australian supermarkets. Here is an AFP report about the developments.

Bunnings is a chain of household hardware stores in Australia.

A similar image, taken at a different angle, was also shared here in this Twitter post and this Facebook post, which identifies the location as Warringah Mall Bunnings, in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

In response to the Facebook post, a Bunnings spokesperson told AFP by email on March 16, 2020 that the store does not normally stock the product.

“This product is not normally stocked at Bunnings and an isolated decision was made by one of our stores to order the product in without any further consultation beyond that store,” the spokesperson said.

“In this isolated incident we got it wrong, which we are deeply sorry for. Any customer who has been disadvantaged can pop in with their receipt and be refunded and receive an AUS$50 gift card to compensate them for any inconvenience.”

When asked by AFP what the current price of the toilet paper product was, the Bunnings spokesperson responded that the product was “no longer for sale.”

AFP found the product being sold by other retailers in Australia, including Officeworks and Kaplan Distributors, at about AUD$44; but a search on the Bunnings website did not show the product for sale online.

Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.

E-mail