Some SC grocery stores limiting egg purchases amid shortages, record-high costs. Here’s which ones

As egg prices surge and supply shortages continue due to the ongoing bird flu outbreak, some South Carolina stores are restricting how many eggs customers can buy.

Egg prices reached an average of nearly $5 per dozen in the United States last month, an all-time high according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But despite bigger price tags, eggs remain scarce on some grocery shelves. In response, popular chains like Costco and Trader Joe’s have placed caps on egg purchases.

“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,” a company representative said of the restrictions in an email.

Here’s what South Carolina shoppers should know about which stores are limiting eggs and how many customers can buy.

Stores without limits

Representatives for Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Lowes Foods and Publix all said the stores haven’t implemented policies to cap customers’ egg purchases.

“It’s such an evolving market right now,” a spokesperson for Lowes Foods said. “It could change tomorrow; We just don’t know, but we currently don’t have any limits.”

Some grocery chain locations could also implement limits locally, even if no such company-wide policy is in place.

At least one South Carolina Publix store placed a two-unit limit on eggs and a Kroger representative said that, while the company has no plans to place restrictions in its Georgia, eastern Alabama or South Carolina stores, “certain stores may set limits as they work to re-stock.”

Stores with limits

Even at groceries with policies limiting egg purchases, customers at popular South Carolina stores can purchase at least a dozen eggs, unless they’re out of stock.

Here are the egg-buying restrictions currently in place, by store

Costco did not respond to a request for comment, but staff at several locations said purchases are limited to three cartons per customer, per day. According to one employee, the three-carton policy applies to all U.S. stores.

Lidl is limiting the purchase of certain products.

“The following egg brands sold at Lidl US stores are currently limited to two per customer to ensure fair distribution: Green Valley, Simpson’s Eggs, and Puglisi’s Farm,” a LIDL US spokesperson said in an email. “Specialty egg brands, including cage free, free range and organic, do not have limitations at this time at Lidl US.”

Sam’s Club stores are also restricting egg purchases.

“We continue to limit the number of egg purchases to two per item,” a company spokesperson confirmed.

Trader Joe’s locations across the country are capping egg purchases at a dozen per customer, per day, according to a public relations manager.

Walmart has technically imposed an egg purchase limit in its U.S. stores, but only on 60-count cartons. The chain is restricting customers to the purchase of two cartons, or 120 eggs in total.

However, a Walmart spokesperson said local stores can impose purchase limits if necessary.

This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 5:30 AM.