Watching your products fly off the shelves is not usually regarded as a problem by most companies. But for the Australian maker of a popular baby milk powder, demand from China is resulting in shortages on domestic shelves and anger among loyal customers.

对于大多数公司而言，货架上的商品被一抢而空通常并不算什么问题。但对澳洲优质婴儿奶粉生产商贝拉米而言，中国的大量需求已经造成了澳大利亚本国婴儿奶粉短缺。此事也引起了当地消费者的不满。

A surge in sales ahead of China's online discount shopping day, Single's Day, which falls on Wednesday, has worsened the problem.

中国网购狂欢节“双11”到来之前，网上就迎来了婴儿奶粉抢购狂潮，虽然在11月11日当天，销售量有所回落，也未能阻止婴儿奶粉短缺问题的恶化。

Bellamy's Australia has now apologised to its customers, many of whom have been unable to find cans of formula in their local supermarket.

很多消费者已在当地的超市里买不到贝拉米婴儿配方奶粉了，澳洲贝拉米公司也已对此事向消费者致歉。

The Tasmania-based company, which makes Australia's only certified organic infant formula, blamed "unprecedented demand" for its products last month.

总部设在塔斯马尼亚的贝拉米公司是澳洲唯一一家有保证的生产有机幼儿奶粉的公司。贝拉米公司将婴儿奶粉短缺归咎于上个月需求量的猛增。

Following angry comments from customers, Bellamy's said on its Facebook page that "purchases of products solely for the practice of on‐selling in overseas markets has led to limited stocks of [its] products on the shelves of Australian retailers".

在消费者的一片愤怒声中，贝拉米在其脸谱（Facebook）页面中宣布“单纯为销往海外市场的购买行为已经导致澳大利亚零售商婴儿奶粉库存捉襟见肘。”

The popularity of foreign baby milk products has prompted some Chinese people in Australia to snap up cans to resell to Chinese buyers.

国外婴儿奶制品在中国的流行促使很多在澳大利亚的中国人在当地抢购奶粉再代销给中国买家。

'No control'

“无法控制”

While a can of Bellamy's infant formula costs about A$20 in Australia (9.33, $14.10), it can sell for as much as four times that amount in China.

一罐贝拉米婴儿配方奶粉在澳大利亚的售价约为20澳元（约合9.33英镑，14.10美元）， 而在中国的售价将会翻4倍。

"It's a fact that our brand is also very popular in China," Bellamy's said. "As a result some people like to buy our product here from Australian retailers and on‐sell it to China. We do not condone this activity but we have no control over what happens to our stock once we have delivered it to our retailers," it added.

“我们的商品在中国确实很有名气。” 贝拉米公司称，“这就导致很多人喜欢从澳大利亚零售商中购得我们的产品再代销到中国。 我们不支持这种行为， 但是一旦我们将商品发给零售商，就无法控制库存了。”

Australian consumer rights group Choice has been told that some people who buy large amounts of formula made by companies such as Bellamy's sell them on sites such as Taobao, a Chinese auction platform similar to eBay.

澳大利亚消费者权益组织已经得知有些人大量购买像贝拉米等大牌生产商生产的配方奶粉在淘宝（一家类似易趣的中国竞买平台）等网上平台上销售。

Imported baby milk powder has been the preferred product in China since a deadly tainted milk scandal in 2008 when at least six children died and some 300,000 fell ill after consuming milk products contaminated by melamine.

自2008年食用含有三聚氰胺的有毒奶粉致6名儿童死亡、超30万名儿童患病的事件曝光后，中国消费者便对进口婴幼儿奶粉偏爱有加。

Bellamy's said that some retailers have limited purchases to two tins per customer, but that demand remained strong and "shelves are soon stripped".

贝拉米公司称部分零售商已经规定每名消费者一次限购两罐奶粉，但是需求量仍居高不下， 商品依然会在短时间内被抢购一空。

"We are doing everything possible to increase production as rapidly as we can, but this takes some time," the company added.

“我们在尽可能快地增加生产量，但仍供不应求。”公司补充说。

As well as China, its products are also sold in Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Singapore.

除了中国内地，该公司的产品还销往香港、马拉西亚、新西兰、越南和新加坡。

Online sales of Bellamy's are being restricted to three tins a fortnight for customers with addresses in Australia and New Zealand.

贝拉美在线销售规定居住在澳大利亚或新西兰的消费者两周内限购3罐奶粉。

It expects stocks to improve from late November.

公司期待从11月下旬起，库存能有所提高。