Baby Milk Powder supply to China

[lucas2]

As an employee of one of the big supermarkets, which has now reduced its limit to 2 tins per person, it is so incredibly frustrating. I've had multiple parents call up crying because they could not get one tin. I've personally called ten stores for one mother looking for a tin with no luck. The people buying up the formula wait for the store to open then run straight into the aisle. They then come back during the day and again at night. They will purchase two tins, leave the store, change their jacket, pop a hat on and come back in 5 minutes later. They will also try and come back through a different checkout operator hoping staff won't notice. Some have been asked to leave the store due to some sneaking into the store room and trying to take boxes as they are being unloaded off the truck. The other morning, a group of 10 came in and wiped the shelf (2 per person). Aptamil Gold and A2 stage 2 are most popular and extremely hard to get. I encourage those "genuine" customers to buy an extra tin if they can just in case they cannot get one down the track. Spend an hour in my store during the evening and people buy formula like clockwork.

[FGX335]

Originally Posted by Big_Daz

I just genuinely don't think he gets it mate...

My wife wish's she could have breast fed our Son... Unfortunately for us once he was born he was taken away from us straight away to NICU where we where able to See him (but not touch him) before he then went straight into surgery for 9 hours... We couldn't even Cuddle him for the first few weeks due to the Surgery/etc... Due to this my wife's milk never really "worked" and even when we did give it a go it was too late... Formula was our ONLY choice.. With my sons issues (He has a Stoma with Colostomy bag and his stomach/etc are shorter than normal peoples) the only Formula he could stomach was Karicare branded one.. You guessed it, one of the brands these ignorant ****** are buying ALL stock of...

I've got no issues with "the little guy giving it a crack", its what this country is built on.. By all means, these Asians doing this, get yourself an ABN, approach the Manufacturer's/wholesalers of the formula to buy and then on sell at exorbitant prices to their family overseas.. They will probably make good $$$.. I say go for it.. But to get all your people together to go to every RETAILER that sells it and purchase ALL stock to send to your family is not acceptable to those of us in Australia who actually need it. Why the hell should we pay more from these Thieves??? Are you kidding me.. Hell, even if we wanted to they wouldn't sell it to us anyway...

Why didn't we stock up on the fomula you might ask? We are Considerate and only bought 2 tins at a time every few weeks...

Spot on, I would hate to deprive someone if they desperately needed it so I could have a 6 month supply. That's not how this country works, and we shouldn't have to resort to these lengths.

I'm surprised how many people think that this behaviour is ok. They ship it overseas, and the families back home make a killing. Our factories over here aren't geared for the volumes that we are seeing, and with the one baby policy, it is only going to get worse.

I have nothing against people trying to make a dollar in this country, but this predatory behavior, the cloak and dagger stuff, is not our culture or how we act. To see this here is disappointing and sad. If they were doing it to feed their children, that might be one thing, but to send it overseas for pure profit and onwards retail sale is a dog act to us, the consumer, and the poor people in China paying through the nose for it. There are solutions, but this one really grinds my gears.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

This has hit us hard actually.

We use Aptamil Gold + number 2 and we have seriously 15 family members trying to buy it for us over the last 3 months.

...

oh the irony....

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by lucas2

As an employee of one of the big supermarkets, which has now reduced its limit to 2 tins per person, it is so incredibly frustrating. I've had multiple parents call up crying because they could not get one tin. I've personally called ten stores for one mother looking for a tin with no luck. The people buying up the formula wait for the store to open then run straight into the aisle. They then come back during the day and again at night. They will purchase two tins, leave the store, change their jacket, pop a hat on and come back in 5 minutes later. They will also try and come back through a different checkout operator hoping staff won't notice. Some have been asked to leave the store due to some sneaking into the store room and trying to take boxes as they are being unloaded off the truck. The other morning, a group of 10 came in and wiped the shelf (2 per person). Aptamil Gold and A2 stage 2 are most popular and extremely hard to get. I encourage those "genuine" customers to buy an extra tin if they can just in case they cannot get one down the track. Spend an hour in my store during the evening and people buy formula like clockwork.

it's this behavior that makes me sick to the stomach. It's unaustralian

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by Deo

There's an attractive side??



Sent from my GTi-9305 using bloody Tapatalk

The fact these products and services exist? I don't see the government (socialism) pumping out breast milk to fill the void. Looks like communism isn't working out for the Chinese either since they're relying on our capitalist system now.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

oh the irony....

Don't try to be smart... They are not effing hitting the stores several times a day in organised gangs buying up the whole store...

If they see it when they are shopping they grab a can or 2.

I'm not offloading it overseas for a profit.

Yeah... The 9 ( well 8 now) cans I'm sitting on is a goldmine...

[xtremerus]

I don't buy the stuff, but is this issue with all milk formulas, or just a couple of brands ie. has A2 protein etc.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

I don't buy the stuff, but is this issue with all milk formulas, or just a couple of brands ie. has A2 protein etc.

Certain brands are much more popular than others.

[xtremerus]

But are these people buying ALL the baby formulas and virtually clearing the shelves??

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

But are these people buying ALL the baby formulas and virtually clearing the shelves??

YES....

It's done by organised Chinese gangs that will go into a supermarket and clear out all the stock in one hit.

Then the next, then the next.....

http://media.theage.com.au/news/nati...s-7009678.html

The face of the baby formula crisis (01:14)

Harley Cann's mother Lizzie says she has her family scouring stores across two states to find the only brand of formula that Harley, who has a rare stomach condition, can digest.

Oh look, another family being ironic

I'll find the article where the gang goes in and fills two trollies while the 3rd person sits on the boxes guarding them till they return from the car..

[Yellow_Festiva]

Here's how people are cashing in on Australian baby formula by selling it online to Chinese buyers

A Melbourne mother who photographed shoppers clearing the shelves of infant formula in a suburban supermarket, despite purchase limits, has sparked a national debate over bulk buying by budding entrepreneurs targeting China.

Jessica Hays photographed shoppers in Woolworths Epping Plaza, Melbourne buying trolleys full of A2 Platinum Formula while another woman “guarded” the remaining few boxes left in the store.

“If they were with babies, it would be understandable, they need to feed their kids too. But it felt like a smooth operation, like they did this all the time,” she told Fairfax Media.

Woolworths is meant to have an eight can limit per transaction. There’s growing anger among frustrated Australian parents unable to buy formula because it’s sold out.

Another Facebook user posted this photo of the scene to the Woolworths Facebook page.

“We are in a formula shortage and you are allowing this,” she captioned the photo. “These people bought ALL of this A2 platinum formula….ALL OF IT!!!! What happened to 4 tins maximum per person?”

The photo has amassed 6,274 likes and 2,684 shares.

Australian supermarkets have recently enforced quantity limits on sales of baby formula, after people have started to bulk buy to resell them online to Chinese consumers.

Formula resold on sites such as taobao.com and eBay, is fetching three to four times the retail price.

A tin of Bellamy’s Organic can cost $84 in Shanghai. It retails for $25 in Australia.

It’s no longer for sale via the Woolworths online shopping portal.

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/he...buyers-2015-11

[black13]

My wife went to a coles store today to buy formula, little jack is happy with the aptamil profutura 2. He is 7 months old now, been on a combo of solids & formula for a while. We have struggled to find in any retail outlet, but today our local coles had tins, with a limit of 2 per customer per day. She was told by an employee that by next week supplies will be very hard to get. So get it while you can

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by black13

My wife went to a coles store today to buy formula, little jack is happy with the aptamil profutura 2. He is 7 months old now, been on a combo of solids & formula for a while. We have struggled to find in any retail outlet, but today our local coles had tins, with a limit of 2 per customer per day. She was told by an employee that by next week supplies will be very hard to get. So get it while you can

Our son is 8 months old, we give him the same formula, the Profutura 2 or the A2 stage 2. When it comes to formula you get what you pay for.

Fortunately we've had no problem sourcing it from our local pharmacist, although both Coles and Woolworths are out of stock.

[vztrt]

Been lucky the one we use isn't popular enough for the Chinese. Funny enough its made in Switzerland. But I have seen the empty shelves at coles/woolies. But at the Pharmacy haven't really noticed.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Been lucky the one we use isn't popular enough for the Chinese. Funny enough its made in Switzerland. But I have seen the empty shelves at coles/woolies. But at the Pharmacy haven't really noticed.

Is there a significant price difference between the 2 shops?

[Mesa]

Who wouldve thought moving white powder from country to the next would not only be profitable but legal too.

This problem isn't new. We had similar issues in the late 80's when one of our kids could only stomach one type/brand of formula. Once we got to opening the last can and the supermarket or chemist didn't have any, we'd order 2 cans from the chemist. Generally had them within a day or two. It was either good planning or good luck.

The same kid now works at Coles. If we want to buy formula at his store you have to order it and you can't buy in bulk.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Is there a significant price difference between the 2 shops?

I've got a chemist warehouse near my place. So the price is pretty much the same (pay about $20 a tin). But were lucky that the one we use is always in stock. Just have 4 months and my daughter can go to full solids (which she prefers anyway).

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Is there a significant price difference between the 2 shops?

My inlaws are part of my 'crime gang' on the hunt for this profitable white gold.

They found 2 tins at an independent chemist on the central coast somewhere that was around $35 a tin compared the $25 at the supermarkets.

Had no choice but to buy them.

[Big_Daz]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Is there a significant price difference between the 2 shops?

there wasn't a huge different (when we could find them) Coles/Woolies where about $23 a tin and the chemist in the same center was about the same. When Woolies had a special on ($20 a tin) the chemist would do the same..

The ones we got from the Chemist Warehouse where all $20...

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by deesun

Very hard to enforce. Four ppl come in to supermarket as a family, walk in to baby food aisle and see sign "limit of four per customer". Easily circumvented as 4 ppl will now become 4 customers and walk out with 16 cans. From what I have seen Coles has been the only one to continue with restrictions to customers. The other day there was pics from a Woolies store where the palette was denuded of about 20 cartons of formula to one customer. Chemist warehouse has now advertised direct delivery in to China.

When I worked in hardware, Bunnings staff would come in with a list and buy product for their front of store comparison trolleys, we were within our rights to and did take their trolley off them- "Im sorry sir/madam, but I am withdrawing this stock from sale today", although, today as a staff member would be reluctant to act in such a confrontational manner.

[XBROO]

Gees I'm glad my kids are of the age they don't need it. It's a very hard thing for a woman to take when they can't breast feed. They cop a lot of pressure from the older generation. So to have the added pressure of not being able to get formula, would have to take it's toll. Mate if I still had to get formula and this **** was going on I tell you, there'd be dim sims flying everywhere. This is truely disgusting and those of you sticking up for capitalism, have a ******* heart these are Australian children we are talking about here. No wonder this country is going to the dogs with selfish attitudes like that.

[vztrt]

http://www.theage.com.au/business/ha...14-glnmd2.html

A senior Woolworths executive has admitted the company pays mere "lip service" to enforcing its four-tin limit on infant formula, aimed at safeguarding supplies for Australian families.

Fairfax Media can reveal half the infant formula sold by supermarket chains is shipped overseas to help meet soaring Chinese demand, providing more than $200 million of windfall sales for the big retailers.

Confidential industry data reveals that supermarket sales of infant formula have almost doubled, from $226 million in 2012 to $430 million in 2015. That figure is on target to break through the $500 million barrier by March, as Chinese demand continues to strip Australian supplies.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://www.theage.com.au/business/ha...14-glnmd2.html

So in other words, if doesn't affect 'me' and I'm making a killing out of it, I don't care what happens.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by blueoval

So in other words, if doesn't affect 'me' and I'm making a killing out of it, I don't care what happens.

Sounds like Australia in general.

Personally Woolies should be keeping their mouth shut not like the past year has been a good one for them.

[Myluckyday]

Guys, this won't be a popular comment ...

I have 2 under 2 and have to buy Formula (Baby Powder) regularly.

Firstly:- It is really only the 'Organic' formula milk that is currently white gold.
'Organic' formula milk, makes up a tiny percentage of total Baby Powder market.

Secondly:- There is only one supplier of note for 'Organic' formula milk and that is Bellamys.
Bellamys is an ASX listed company which you can buy shares in.
Link is here ... http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/company.do#!/BAL

Bellamy's has a supply constraint with the ability to purchase 'Organic' milk Powder.
They recently signed a new deal with Fonterra, which is NZ's largest Dairy producer.
That choice, initself is interesting because Fonterra was healing implicated by one of the large Milk tainting scandals which occurred.

Thirdly:- because it's 'Organic' milk Powder, it's got diddly squat to do with the $2 Milk available at Coles/Wollies ... that's a completely separate issue altogether.

Fourthly:- this has been a great opportunity for an Australian company to export and gain a foothold in the Chinese market. We should be supporting our exporters.
Unlike mining, it's a renewable resource, the company is Australian owned (through the ASX), headquartered in Australia, employing Australians and paying Australian Taxes!


The Media has beat this up beyond all belief to a point where are to believe that we have babies starving in Australia because of those greedy Chinese.

[Myluckyday]

Daz, sorry to hear of your story.

Our boys were pre-mature also, spent time in the Humidcrib and the baby ICU, but nothing to the extent of your story.

I hope things improve for the Family.


My post below is never aimed at the familys that need an special milk powder, but to explain, without the media hype, some of the facts of why there is a shortage of a few brands and what is being done to overcome this.

Good luck to you and yours, and to the member Yellow Festiva.

Originally Posted by Big_Daz

I just genuinely don't think he gets it mate...

My wife wish's she could have breast fed our Son... Unfortunately for us once he was born he was taken away from us straight away to NICU where we where able to See him (but not touch him) before he then went straight into surgery for 9 hours... We couldn't even Cuddle him for the first few weeks due to the Surgery/etc... Due to this my wife's milk never really "worked" and even when we did give it a go it was too late... Formula was our ONLY choice.. With my sons issues (He has a Stoma with Colostomy bag and his stomach/etc are shorter than normal peoples) the only Formula he could stomach was Karicare branded one.. You guessed it, one of the brands these ignorant ****** are buying ALL stock of...

[BLUEYBA]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Its called Capitalism, and I play the game

Your child isn't above everyone else if you need it so desperately then pay more for it, supply and demand, and at the moment there is more demand than supply.

So get in line early, pay more or buy more than what you need when you have the opportunity.

Why should the share holders of these companies lose out through restrictions of trade?

The problem with this is that babies don't have a choice on what they eat. Unlike adults they can't just go to any local shop and choose whatever they want. This food is a need not a want, especially those babies that are born with health issues. My youngest who is 11 now was allergic to all off the shelf formulas and breast milk. We had to get prescription formula from the chemist that was hugely expensive if you bought without a script.

[msman]

just a general Q prescription formula?
is it just a special formula which is available for general sale and discounted if you have medical issues and thus a script (PBS).

for those that need a special formula because of medical issues, mother not able to provide her own or upset stomachs or something even worse as per other posts, maybe it needs to be added to the pbs system, anyone know if items on pbs has supply clauses on it which means easy availability for patients?

i don't think the problem is the people going in and buying everything, its that we do not have systems in place to insure supply for locals who genuinely need it.
getting ****ed off at people who have found a niche in the market and created a new industry is pointless if they didn't do it someone else would of just have been a little while later.

[BLUEYBA]

Originally Posted by msman

just a general Q prescription formula?
is it just a special formula which is available for general sale and discounted if you have medical issues and thus a script (PBS).

for those that need a special formula because of medical issues, mother not able to provide her own or upset stomachs or something even worse as per other posts, maybe it needs to be added to the pbs system, anyone know if items on pbs has supply clauses on it which means easy availability for patients?

i don't think the problem is the people going in and buying everything, its that we do not have systems in place to insure supply for locals who genuinely need it.
getting ****ed off at people who have found a niche in the market and created a new industry is pointless if they didn't do it someone else would of just have been a little while later.

Yeah its a special formula called Neocate (I think, a while ago now) its under PBS and you get a script from a paediatrician not GP. They use to only come in half size tins and they cost around $100 a tin off the shelf. So a script with repeats would have cost like $3K off the shelf but with PBS it was like $20 for 4 tins. This was back in 2004. Thank God for the PBS otherwise I don't know how we would have done it