National supermarket supply shortages effect Wagga stores as shoppers stockpile amid coronavirus fears

With major cities copping the biggest blow to supermarket goods such as toilet paper and hand sanitiser, the national suppliers are struggling to keep up with the demand to restock stores.

As a result, local grocery stores like Lake Albert FoodWorks are seeing a flow on effect from the stretched resources.

Lake Albert FoodWorks owner Rod Porter said they'd noticed the impact most with hand sanitiser.

"There have been a few things here and there to come out of our stock suppliers as 'non supply' items, with the biggest dent being in hand sanitiser," he said.

"We actually aren't travelling too bad with toilet paper like other places seem to be, although our most recent order for a pallet of bulk Kleenex toilet paper didn't come."

Mr Porter said they had also received an email from the Kleenex company which stated they were looking to increase production to keep up with the demand.

Wagga's Gurwood Street Woolworths was also seen to be cleared out of hand sanitiser earlier in the week, but nationally, toilet paper has become the focus of people's stockpiling.

The company issued a statement saying it has put restrictions in place as supplies struggle to meet demand.

"Woolworths has today [March 4] moved to apply a quantity limit on toilet paper packs to ensure more customers have access to the products," the statement said, adding that the limit "will help shore up stock as suppliers ramp up local production".