A few rotten eggs are leading to a crackdown at supermarkets.
Videos going viral on social media have shown frenzied scenes in the egg aisles of major retailers like Trader Joe’s and Costco.
Customers can be seen hoarding dozens and dozens of egg cartons, while other videos show completely empty egg sections or signs informing customers of shortages and purchase limits.
A nationwide bird flu outbreak has led to a shortage of eggs as well as a major price increase for the common grocery item.
The average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs was $4.15 during December, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – an increase from $2.51 in December 2023 — and it’s only expected to get worse. In fact, it’s not uncommon right now for a dozen to cost up to $12.
One customer posted a video of himself at Trader Joe’s with completely empty egg shelves, with the exception of a couple of half-dozen egg cartons.
He shared that he normally only buys pasture-raised eggs, but with the shortage, “we gotta take what we can get right now.”
“Eggs are the new bitcoin,” the caption read.
Another video showed a sign at Trader Joe’s that said, “Sorry! We are all out of eggs.”
“Have you 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 less than 10 minutes.
Other Costco customers have posted similar videos showing people with carts full of bulk packages of eggs, saying, “This is why your Costco doesn’t have any more eggs.”
Most people in the comments expressed anger toward the hoarding, though some pointed out that some bakeries and restaurants shop at Costco for their supplies.
However, grocery stores have noticed their customers stocking up on eggs, leaving the shelves empty for other customers, and have placed a purchase limit on the product.
“Due to ongoing issues with the supply of eggs, we are currently limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day, in all Trader Joe’s stores across the country,” a Trader Joe’s spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News.
“We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who need eggs are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joe’s.”
According to The San Francisco Standard, some Costcos in the area 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 will be implemented per egg.
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