Foodstuffs to sell a million RAT tests at cost price, but high demand sees the Warehouse pause online sales
Friday, 4 March 2022
The Warehouse has sold out of the rapid antigen tests (RATs) it set aside for online just days after it started selling them.
A message on its online store says: “We've sold out of Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Tests” and invites customers to sign up to its online shopping app to be notified when they are available again.
The retailer began RAT sales late on Tuesday, March 1, but temporarily halted online sales on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, more than one million RATs have arrived in Foodstuffs distribution centres, and are being distributed to New World, Pak ’n Save and Four Square stores, as well as businesses and charities.
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Warehouse spokeswoman Jordan Schuler said online sales would begin shortly, as the retailer had more RAT kits due to arrive.
The pause in online sales did not mean the Warehouse had run out of RAT kits entirely, but had allocated a portion of its stock to its Red Shed and Warehouse Stationery stores.
RAT kits were on sale at some stores already, and would be arriving at others shortly, she said.
Consumer NZ has raised concerns that households and small businesses are being gouged on prices for RAT tests after finding some rapid antigen tests are being sold for more than two-and-a-half times their cost price.
The consumer watchdog’s spokeswoman Caitlin Cherry said its nationwide price check found single rapid antigen tests (RATs) were being sold for between $6.50 and $15 each.
Consumer NZ said the $6.50 test was sold at cost by Foodstuffs NZ, the $15 test was sold at a pharmacy in Lower Hutt, she said.
The Chemist Warehouse continues to charge $44.99 for a pack of five RATs.
Chris Quin, managing director at Foodstuffs, said it was selling the RAT kits at cost price.
There are two varieties available, the Orient Gene Rapid Covid-19 Self Test 5-pack ($32.99 per pack) and the Ecotest Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Nasal Pen 2-pack ($19.99 per pack).
“It’s the right thing to do to use our end-to-end supply chain to help other businesses and the Government,” he said.
A Countdown spokeswoman said it had kits in 58 Countdown stores around New Zealand at $32.99 for a five-pack.
“Supply of RATs is a bit patchy at the moment as we have focused on having tests available in critical parts of our supply chain first, but we’ll be moving more RATs into stores as they come through from our suppliers,” she said.
But one Countdown customer complained to Stuff that she had been charged $46.95 at the Te Rapa Countdown store.
Countdown's spokeswoman said people who had paid more than $32.99 at a Countdown store would be given a refund, if they asked for it.
“When we first made RAT kits available in our stores we retailed them at $46.95 for a five-pack, but as supplies started to free up we are now able to offer them at $32.99 a pack,” she said.
“This is a pretty fast moving situation, and as more stock has come available we’ve been able to secure a better deal from suppliers which we’ve been able to pass on to our customers.
“We know price is important, and we’re happy to refund the adjusted price difference for any customer in this situation if they pop back with their receipt.”
People can still go to their local testing centre or GP for a free test if they have symptoms that could indicate Covid, including sore throats and coughs, or if they are a household contact of someone with Covid-19, and from Tuesday, the Ministry of Health has been sending free RAT kits to household contacts.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said at the 1pm briefing on Wednesday that it was “critical” to make the roll-out of RAT testing as smooth as possible.
Hipkins advised people against stockpiling tests, and said 'there will be plenty to go round.'