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Foodstuffs South Island chief executive Steve Anderson made the comments on Friday during the Ministry of Health's coronavirus update.
Anderson said supermarkets were under huge pressure right now due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the food supply in New Zealand is robust and there was no need to panic.
He said New World, Pak n Save along with competitors Countdown have jointly reached out to Kiwis asking them to "shop normally so we can collectively continue to feed New Zealand".
Anderson said customers could expect limits on some products, but encouraged customers to shop normally.
"We don't have a supply issue, we have a demand issue.
"Rest assured New Zealand, our supply chain is robust and we will continue to meet our responsibilities and fulfil our promise to you. We are prepared.
"Our people are working tirelessly to move large volumes of product through the system to meet our customers' needs."
"If we all purchase as usual, there will be no problems. We may all need to take a deep breath or two collectively."
He said the safety and wellbeing of staff and customers were their top priority, and health and safety protocols were being followed.
Supermarkets across New Zealand joined forces today to ask for calm among shoppers, following a number of Kiwis sharing scenes of people stockpiling goods, leaving shortages across the country.
“We’re all concerned about the health and safety of our family, friends and communities. And we know that access to safe, quality food and groceries is essential to our health and peace of mind.”
While staff were working around the clock to ensure supermarkets were well stocked, they still needed the help of everyday New Zealanders.
They asked Kiwis to shop as they normally would, to be considerate of other shoppers and to avoid stockpiling.
“By all means pick up a couple of extra things in your shop, but there is no need to stock up for weeks in advance."
In another request, the advert asked for people to still shop in person, as their supermarkets were clean and still safe to visit.
They also asked Kiwis to look out for fellow shoppers and staff members: “In times of uncertainty a little kindness goes a long way.”
The supermarkets concluded that feeding their communities was their number one priority and if everyone worked together there would be plenty to go around.
“Thanks New Zealand - with your support, we’ve got this.”
Countdown yesterday introduced limits on some items to stop panic buying due to Covid-19.
The supermarket chain said it cannot get some items onto shelves quickly enough if people keep buying at the current rate.
It said its supply chain is strong, but it needs people to shop normally rather than stockpile.
It is putting limits of two items per customer on products such as packs of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, personal wash, Panadol, wipes, pasta and rice.
- ODT Online, NZ Herald and RNZ