Spar Hungary has imposed restrictions on the volume of purchases of essential items as the country announced a state of emergency due to the coronavirus crisis.
The move aims to ensure that all customers have access to essential goods.
Shoppers can purchase up to five kilograms per item of fresh produce, both online and in stores,
For items sold in volumes of ten, such as toilet paper, the purchase limit is one unit per person, the retailer added.
'Customers Are Asked To Be Understanding'
Mark Maczelka, communications director of Spar Hungary, said that customers should refrain from hoarding food and added, “Spar, in partnership with its suppliers, continues to do its best to manage increased demand, as we have been doing in recent weeks.
“However, on a few occasions, it may take longer for certain items in a store to be replaced, so our customers are asked to be understanding."
The retailer has also altered its opening hours for certain company-owned Spar Supermarkets and Interspar hypermarkets to meet the changing needs of customers following the crisis.
The limit for contactless payment in Spar stores has been raised from HUF5,000 (€14) to HUF15,000 (€42), Spar added, to contain the risk of infection through PIN-based transactions.
Online Initiatives
The retailer has introduced advance payment via digital channels for all online orders in a bid to reduce contact between customers and employees.
It will extend its delivery hours allowing customers to receive their grocery deliveries between 10:00 to 22:00, effective 30 March.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
