Shoppers scrambling to get their hands on eggs as prices skyrocket may find a cap on how many they can buy at the grocery store.
Several supermarket chains have begun limiting the number of eggs shoppers are allowed to purchase, as a deadly strain of bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens and pushing up prices.
Trader Joe’s confirmed to Fox Business that it is ‘currently limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day.’
The cap will impact about 600 Trader Joe’s locations nationwide.
‘We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joe’s,’ the company said.
Other retailers to implement egg caps include Costco, Walmart, and Whole Foods.
The cost of eggs has begun to outpace inflation, with the bird flu outbreak being a primary reason for the shortage and price hikes.
The rush for eggs has led to scenes of panic buying at some stores.
Trader Joe’s announced it would limit egg purchases to one dozen per customer per day
The egg cap will impact about 600 Trader Joe’s locations nationwide
One viral clip showed frantic Costco shoppers loading dozens of eggs in their carts, emptying the store of its stock in ‘less than 10 minutes.’
Costco and Whole Foods implemented an egg cap that limits customers to buying three packages a day.
Walmart is only allowing shoppers to buy two 60-count packages per trip, a spokesperson told Business Insider.
Shoppers in the Chicago area recently discovered that multiple Aldi locations were limiting customers to two dozen eggs per trip.
Publix, which has not put a cap on eggs, purchases, acknowledged that its US stores were low on the product.
‘Items in this section have limited availability,’ the company said in a statement to CNN earlier this year.
‘We are working to bring these products back as soon as possible.’
The price hikes led at least one US restaurant chain to implement a surcharge on eggs.
Costco and Whole Foods implemented an egg cap that limits customers to buying three packages a day
The USDA expects egg prices to rise by another 20 percent in 2025
Georgia-based Waffle House confirmed last week that it implemented a 50-cent-per-egg surcharge on all its menus.
‘Consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions,’ Waffle House said
‘We are continuously monitoring egg prices and will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.’
The flu outbreak has even emboldened criminals, including a group of thieves who recently stole around 100,000 eggs worth approximately$40,000 from the back of a distribution trailer in Pennsylvania.
In December, customers discovered the cost of a dozen eggs in some areas was $4.15
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that egg supply ‘remains limited and inconsistent in many retail markets with many affected grocers employing steps to limit consumer purchasing to stretch their existing supplies.’
Based on the shortage status, the USDA expects egg prices to rise by another 20 percent this year.
Based on the shortage status, the USDA expects egg prices to rise by another 20 percent this year.
