Just a few rotten eggs are resulting in a crackdown at supermarkets.
Videos going viral on social media have shown frenzied scenes within the egg aisles of major retailers like Trader Joe’s and Costco.
Customers could be seen hoarding dozens and dozens of egg cartons, while other videos show completely empty egg sections or signs informing customers of shortages and buy limits.
A nationwide bird flu outbreak has led to a shortage of eggs in addition to a significant price increase for the common grocery item.
The typical price of a dozen Grade A large eggs was $4.15 during December, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – an increase from $2.51 in December 2023 — and it’s only expected to worsen. The truth is, it’s not unusual without delay for a dozen to cost as much as $12.
One customer posted a video of himself at Trader Joe’s with completely empty egg shelves, apart from a few half-dozen egg cartons.
He shared that he normally only buys pasture-raised eggs, but with the shortage, “we gotta take what we are able to get without delay.”
“Eggs are the brand new bitcoin,” the caption read.
One other video showed an indication at Trader Joe’s that said, “Sorry! We’re all out of eggs.”
“Have you ever ever seen this before?” one user said in a clip of Costco customers using huge carts to take as many eggs as they possibly can, adding that they were all gone in lower than 10 minutes.
Other Costco customers have posted similar videos showing individuals with carts filled with bulk packages of eggs, saying, “Because of this your Costco doesn’t have any more eggs.”
Most individuals within the comments expressed anger toward the hoarding, though some identified that some bakeries and restaurants shop at Costco for his or her supplies.
Nevertheless, grocery stores have noticed their customers stocking up on eggs, leaving the shelves empty for other customers, and have placed a purchase order limit on the product.
“As a result of ongoing issues with the provision of eggs, we’re currently limiting egg purchases to 1 dozen per customer, per day, in all Trader Joe’s stores across the country,” a Trader Joe’s spokesperson said in an announcement to NBC News.
“We hope these limits will help to be sure that as a lot of our customers who need eggs are capable of purchase them after they visit Trader Joe’s.”
Based on The San Francisco Standard, some Costcos in the realm have put a limit of three cartons per person — which patrons have echoed on TikTok, Reddit and X.
The egg shortage has also plagued the restaurant industry. Waffle House announced that a 50-cent surcharge can be implemented per egg.
