Bandar Seri Begawan - The supply of chicken wings outstripped demand as people bought kilos of them for their New Year barbecues. Chicken wings were hard to find as - supermarkets recorded an upsurge in their sales since last Friday, due to people preparing for their family barbecues, which would not be the same without the wings.

A manager of a popular supermarket chain told the Sunday Bulletin that people were buying chicken wings like "there is no tomorrow" with several customers purchasing up to 40 kilos.

She said that unlike Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Chinese New Year, when only the Malays and the Chinese buy bulks of chicken wings, people of all races and nationalities as well as organisations bought plenty of wings for their New Year celebration.

In Brunei, the family barbecue is a common way to celebrate New Year. "I went to buy chicken wings at around 9am, and I was thinking to buy just 10 to 12 kilos. I went to several supermarkets, (but) they were all out of stock," said a shopper.

"Maybe they (the shops) should limit the amount that people can buy during a shortage like this, because it is happening every year," added the shopper.

"We cannot limit what people buy. It is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Limiting what people can buy is just bad for business, and it may have a lasting effect on our clientele," the manager said.

"We are try to supply (the stocks) by 3pm today because we understand people are looking for chicken wings," said the manager yesterday. "But I cannot give assurances because there are no more supplies from the farms, so to speak," she added.