Woolworths customers shocked after noticing a major change – but the supermarket giant insists it’s for a very good reason
Woolworths shoppers have filmed their shock when they discovered an essential toiletry item is now under lock and key at their local store.
A Queensland couple were stunned to see a new safety initiative in the health and beauty department of a Goodna store, near Ipswich, west of Brisbane, this week.
Shelves of deodorant are now locked in a glass cabinet, which has a button to summon staff assistance.
The initiative is a response to fears of “chroming,” which involves ingesting solvents and household chemicals such as chromium-based paint, deodorant and bug spray.
This alarming trend has tragically claimed the lives of more than a dozen young Aussies since 2009.
Deodorants at the Woolworths Goodna store near Ipswich are now under lock and key
Shopper Jono branded Queensland ‘the nanny state’ after spotting the new initiative in his local store.
“Just at the local Woolies and they have a box where you have to press a button to get help to access some deodorant,” he explained on TikTok.
‘Now the chrome plating crisis in Australia must be quite ridiculous for a security cabinet to be put in place to shut it down.’
Viewers were shocked to hear it was in a store near Brisbane.
“Why damn it! Which side of Brisbane? I haven’t seen it yet!’ one woman commented.
Another said: ‘I would just go to another store and buy deodorant. They could just lose the money.”
Others were more shocked at the price of deodorant, with some costing nearly $10 a can as the cost-of-living crisis worsened.
“The fact you can go to Bunnings and buy a fold-out camping chair for cheaper than a can of deodorant is insane,” one man commented.
The number of Woolworths stores testing the initiative has grown to 70 since it was first tested two years ago in the outback town of Mount Isa in far west Queensland.
Woolworths shopper Jono (pictured) labeled Queensland the ‘nanny state’
It now includes all Northern Territory stores and select Queensland stores including Townsville, Cairns, Logan, Gold Coast, Gordonvale and Hervey Bay.
Select northern NSW stores in Ballina and Lismore are among the latest to join the trial.
“As part of our desire to play a role in reducing the misuse of aerosol products across the country, we have been working with suppliers and community groups to explore practical solutions,” a Woolworths spokeswoman told Ny Breaking Australia.
“Since 2021, we have equipped some of our stores with limited item cabinets in the aisles, and we are currently in the process of expanding this across our store network.”
‘We understand this is a complex issue and that is why we continue to work with a variety of organisations, including the police, community groups and our own store team members.
‘We are also continuing to explore further ways to help the wider community tackle abuse.
Coles, Kmart and Woolworths first started storing their spray cans behind a glass screen in Mount Isa two years ago.
This practice is now common among many retailers in Queensland, the Northern Territory, WA and SA.
Other TikTok viewers added that the practice has been in many outback and regional communities for years.
Chrome-based spray paint is also restricted to anyone under the age of 18 in all Australian jurisdictions.
Major retailers have been testing the initiative (photo) in most states since 2021