Food industry officials: We won’t run out. Be responsible and stop hoarding
It’s like a scene from a bad movie.
Long after darkness falls, you venture out on an almost deserted highway in desperate search of supplies. Your heart starts racing as you pull into an almost-empty parking lot, excited that the competition appears to be light. But the placed is locked up, a sign on the door saying it is now closing at 8 p.m. So you head 10 miles in the other direction to a larger store. Whew, it’s still open. You quickly steer the shopping cart straight to the cleaning supplies aisle, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you’ve timed it right this time.
No such luck. No Lysol, no Clorox wipes, no hand sanitizer. Still no toilet paper and scant supplies of bread and canned goods. And in the past couple of days, add thermometers to the list of items in high demand.
As the number of U.S. coronavirus cases continues to soar, so does concern over the nation’s supply of food and household items, with no signs of a slowdown in the startling pace at which many products are flying off the shelves. But industry officials say consumers need to take a deep breath. America’s supply chain is more than prepared to keep the country clean and well fed, they say. And they are imploring people to stop worrying about shortages — and above all, to STOP HOARDING.
“There’s plenty of food,” said David Smith, president and chief executive of Kansas City, Kansas-based Associated Wholesale Grocers, a leading food wholesaler to supermarkets. “We’re not going to run out.”
The bare store shelves are the result of consumers buying up long-term stocks of food in a rush, Smith said, not the result of a breakdown in grocery supply chains. The closing of restaurants also has put pressure on grocery stores, he said.
“I’m happy to say it’s recovering well now,” he told The Star.
Smith said certain brands of food and other products may still be limited for the time being and that demand for cleaning supplies would remain high for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
But he said consumers shouldn’t excessively stock up on products. Toilet paper, for example, has been scarce for two weeks because consumers went on a buying frenzy. Smith said more toilet paper is being produced.
“After people have that two-week safety stock, we recommend people buy what they need,” he said. “Don’t hoard.”
The CEO of the Kroger grocery chain pleaded with customers this week to exercise some patience.
“We are working hard to get the supplies and products you need on our store shelves,” said Rodney McMullen, in a Facebook video message to customers. “We are replenishing our stores daily with the supplies and products our customers need most, and our dedicated, robust supply chain is working tirelessly around the clock to ensure this happens.”
He said many of the stores have adjusted their hours to clean, get new shipments on the shelves and give employees a rest.
“In turn, we ask a few things of our customers,” he said. “Be patient, be kind to one another, be kind to our associates. Shop responsibly, and purchase what you need, knowing that we will continue to replenish.”
Thursday morning, a steady stream of traffic moved through the doors at the Aldi at the intersection of Admiral Boulevard and The Paseo.
Inside, a small crowd hunted for supplies, keeping their distance from other shoppers. An employee, wearing a mask and gloves, worked to restock freezers and shelves.
While the store was well stocked with fresh oranges, apples, broccoli, chicken, fish and beef, notices throughout the store announced restrictions on certain items. Customers were not allowed to take more than four of any canned food item. Milk, eggs and baby formula were likewise limited.
And like many stores across the country, the only sign of toilet paper was a vacant spot on the floor.
Large grocery chains including Price Chopper and Hy-Vee have implemented temporary new hours and are now open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The action was taken, company officials said, to give workers time to restock shelves and sanitize the stores overnight as well as enable employees to have some down time. The stores also have asked customers to reserve the 7 to 8 a.m. time frame for seniors, pregnant women and those at higher risk for illness.
Other retailers, including Whole Foods Market, Target and Dollar General, also have implemented special senior shopping hours. Some health experts say, however, that while the concept is well intentioned, it could be risky for large numbers of seniors to be gathered in one area.
Walmart announced Wednesday night that its stores will now be open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The stores will have limits on purchases of paper products and other items, including milk, eggs, cleaning supplies, diapers, wipes, infant formula, baby food, water and hand sanitizer. The retailer also said that from March 24 through April 28, its U.S. locations would allow customers 60 and older to shop for one hour every Tuesday starting an hour before the stores open.
“I think every one of us has had to adjust our daily routines in some way, and it’s likely that could continue,” said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., in a blog post Wednesday night. “We are paying very close attention to our stores and communities and will continue making the necessary changes to help make sure our associates are taken care of and that our customers can get what they need.”
Walgreens has shortened its store hours as well, with most locations open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting Thursday. The drive-throughs at the 24-hour locations, however, will remain open for prescription pick-up.
Snyder’s Supermarket at Independence Avenue and Prospect Avenue was doing OK keeping fresh meats, produce and frozen foods in stock on Thursday. But manager Jennelle James, whose father owns the Kansas City store, said there wasn’t a bottle of hand sanitizer or a roll of toilet paper left.
“It’s kind of like everyone is Christmas shopping and no one is prepared for Christmas sales — times four,” she said.
A truck was scheduled to arrive Friday, but she wasn’t sure what items it would contain. The inner-city store isn’t seeing the kind of hoarding that has been witnessed at warehouse stores and big supermarket chains, she said. But she’s noticed residents of outlying parts of the Kansas City metro coming in to see if Snyder’s is better stocked than their neighboring stores.
“I don’t understand people buying two carts of toilet paper like they’re never going to be able to get out again,” James said. “They’re not worried about their rent that’s due in two weeks. They’re worried about toilet paper.”
James said the store has been assured by suppliers that plenty of things like toilet paper and canned goods are available — they may just be delayed longer than usual.
In the meantime, customers can expect that the store will have staples in stock. But it might be out of some varieties or particular brands. And searching for very specific items — or the holy grail of toilet paper — may take a little more shopping around.
“I had toilet paper Tuesday, but seven other stores around me didn’t,” she said. “But then they heard we had toilet paper and it was gone. Boom.”
The closure of schools has forced some employees to quit to take care of children, James said. Those who are left have been working hard to keep up with stocking and cleaning.
“To be honest, our hands are about raw,” she said. “We’ve been disinfecting, sanitizing everything after every customer. We’re just taking it in stride.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
