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By Aliss Higham
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Grocery chains have begun imposing limits on how many eggs can be purchased per customer as a deadly strain of avian flu ravages bird stock throughout the country.
Why It Matters
A shrinking supply of egg-laying chickens has left shoppers facing empty shelves in grocery stores, as well as higher prices for the household staple.
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Which Stores Are Limiting Egg Purchases?
Trader Joe's is so far the only major retailer to confirm it has put in place a nationwide limit on how many eggs can be purchased at one time.
"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," spokesperson Nakia Rohde told Portland outlet KOIN.
"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."
Other retailers have imposed restrictions, although it is not currently clear whether these are nationwide restrictions or for stores in selected areas:
- Whole Foods: According to a report by WTOP News, some stores have put in a maximum of three cartons per person.
- Costco: Several reports have emerged indicating that Costco has limited egg purchases in some stores, with social media users saying there has been a three-carton limit put in place.
- Lidl: According to a report by Fox News, customers shopping for certain egg brands at Lidl are currently restricted to buying a maximum of two dozen.
- Kroger: The grocery and pharmacy chain confirmed to FOX Business that some of its banner divisions are limiting the number of eggs customers can purchase. The company is asking shoppers to buy only two-dozen eggs per trip at stores where limits are in place.
Newsweek has contacted Whole Foods, Costco, and Lidl for clarification outside of regular working hours.
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Why Is There An Egg Shortage?
The spread of the highly contagious avian influenza has severely impacted the egg production industry. In the last quarter of 2024, some 20 million egg-laying hens died due to the virus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported. A lack of egg-laying hens naturally means fewer eggs, which in turn creates shortages and pushes up prices.
What People Are Saying
Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, told Newsweek: "Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is absolutely devastating to those farmers—these birds are their livelihoods. Our supply is tighter than normal due to HPAI, and in some states more than others.
"Tight supply and high demand are directly causing the spike in wholesale prices we've seen recently, as well as intermittent shortages of eggs at some retail locations. Although each retailer decides how much they're going to sell eggs for in the store, higher wholesale prices usually impact retail prices."
Stephen Dombroski, director of consumer markets at supply chain solutions company QAD, told Newsweek: "This could last a bit. These outbreaks take time to resolve and for the impact to filter through all parts of the supply chain. Recovery depends on how quickly the industry can contain the spread, isolate the infected birds and most importantly, get new ones laying eggs again."
What Happens Next
Exactly how long any purchasing restrictions will remain in place is yet to be seen, but Metz said stabilizing the supply chain could take upward of six months.
Update, 2/12/25, 5:57 a.m. ET: This article was updated with information about Kroger, the grocery and pharmacy chain.
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