Morrisons has become the first large supermarket to reinstate rationing of essentials such as toilet roll, hand sanitiser and soap in its stores. The supermarket chain said on Thursday it had set a purchase limit of three on most cleaning products as well as kitchen roll and Calpol to ensure they were “available for everyone”. Morrisons is also limiting sales of flour, rice and oil sold in its world foods aisle, which tend to come in larger pack sizes. The move echoes the beginning of the first wave of Covid-19 in the UK, when supermarkets were forced to impose restrictions on purchases because of people stockpiling. Sales of toilet rolls have soared by 23% over the past week, according to one supplier to major supermarkets, while shoppers have also been picking up extra tinned goods, pasta and pain relief tablets. In recent days the major supermarkets have stepped up their store safety procedures again with both Morrisons and Asda stationing marshals at the entrance to their supermarkets to monitor shopper numbers and remind those entering to wear face masks. Morrisons confirmed it had introduced purchasing restrictions on the products. “Our stock levels of these products are good but we want to ensure that they are available for everyone,” said a spokesperson. On Wednesday, the bosses of both Tesco and Aldi sought to prevent a repeat of the empty shelves seen in March by calling on shoppers to only buy what they need. Dave Lewis, the chief executive of Tesco, said stockpiling was unnecessary as there was no disruption to product supply chains as a result of the government’s latest coronavirus measures. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of Aldi UK, wrote to customers, saying: “There is no need to buy more than you usually would. I would like to reassure you that our stores remain fully stocked and ask that you continue to shop considerately.” Tesco does not have any product restrictions in place in its stores however online shoppers buying face coverings, eggs, flour and anti-bacterial products are limited to three per person. Tesco said it is not currently experiencing any product shortages. Andy Brian, head of retail at law firm Gordons, said that food stores had not closed during the first lockdown and there was “even less chance” they would close in the event of another one. “Hopefully, shoppers will adopt a calmer approach than earlier in the year, and continue to shop as normal,” he said.