Capacity Limits... in the winter

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TW-Upstate NY
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

The only store I've seen locally that even mentions capacity limits is Hannaford. There's a sign right at the door saying capacity is limited to 140 people and it's been that way for months. Now, here's something that sign doesn't say-is that 140 customers or 140 customers AND employees? Maybe my "Capital Region counterpart" Billy Gr can chime in here and say if they've imposed a limit in their other local locations.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by reymann »

25% capacity with thanksgiving coming is not a good recipe. i could see at least non-essential retailers and indoor malls be ordered to close for at least thanksgiving weekend, if not throughout the holidays with curbside pickup and delivery only. essential businesses should double down on curbside pickup/delivery and have a phone number available for those who aren't tech saavy.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by SamSpade »

In Washington state, all retailers will be required to be at 25% capacity starting opening of operations on Tuesday, November 17 and for the next four weeks.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by storewanderer »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: November 15th, 2020, 9:54 am The only store I've seen locally that even mentions capacity limits is Hannaford. There's a sign right at the door saying capacity is limited to 140 people and it's been that way for months. Now, here's something that sign doesn't say-is that 140 customers or 140 customers AND employees? Maybe my "Capital Region counterpart" Billy Gr can chime in here and say if they've imposed a limit in their other local locations.
Capacity limits in terms of fire code are counted in terms of people. So customers, employees, vendors all count. Some stores in my area that are 70k square feet had capacity limits posted at like 600 customers. There were never 600 customers in that store at the same time, even when the parking lot was full, and eventually they put a sticker over that sign that said they are currently limiting customer count to 50% capacity. Still wasn't an issue. Maybe they set the customer limit already factoring in the number of employees on duty.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by Alpha8472 »

Walmart is the San Francisco Bay Area has started to limit customers again. There is a long line to get into their stores.

It is needed as I was in a Target yesterday with wall to wall people. If you don't have coronavirus, you will have it after being stuck inside that store.

It is not that bad today, but if it rains again it will be miserable.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by storewanderer »

Yeah I went to Trader Joe's today and they sure aren't limiting it to 50 people. I counted 50 people (about 12 of which were employees- counting the 3 hanging out by the front door to clean carts and monitor the entry) within produce and the first 3 aisles of the store alone. Stopped counting but probably more people than that in the rest of the store. They had every or all but one checkstand open which kept any lines beyond one customer from forming at checkout though.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by BillyGr »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: November 15th, 2020, 9:54 am The only store I've seen locally that even mentions capacity limits is Hannaford. There's a sign right at the door saying capacity is limited to 140 people and it's been that way for months. Now, here's something that sign doesn't say-is that 140 customers or 140 customers AND employees? Maybe my "Capital Region counterpart" Billy Gr can chime in here and say if they've imposed a limit in their other local locations.
Haven't seen them limiting people (nor at any other grocery stores, though if Trader Joe's is doing that elsewhere they probably are in Albany also, just don't go by that area very much). Not even sure there are any signs around here (other then at Ocean State stores, but I've not seen that enforced either, and theirs seemed very low, like under 100 for stores that are average sized former supermarkets).

There was a brief time I saw a line at one Home Depot on the Rensselaer County side, but that was way back and haven't seen anything similar since there or any of the other stores (Walmart, Target) in that area.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by Super S »

Alpha8472 wrote: November 15th, 2020, 4:32 pm Walmart is the San Francisco Bay Area has started to limit customers again. There is a long line to get into their stores.

It is needed as I was in a Target yesterday with wall to wall people. If you don't have coronavirus, you will have it after being stuck inside that store.

It is not that bad today, but if it rains again it will be miserable.
Walmart is bringing back the door monitors at many if not all locations. Not sure if they are going to go back to a single entrance again. It will be interesting as the weather turns and Christmas shopping ramps up. I don't like saying this, but there is a recipe brewing for people to flip out as states are announcing new restrictions.

Washington is limiting retail to 25% occupancy. Only problem though is that many stores do not have occupancy clearly posted, and I see problems possibly resulting from that.

I think a big part of the problem is how so many stores in general were becoming very relaxed toward the end of summer/early fall.

I am limiting my in-store shopping to later hours to avoid crowds, but am not embracing online shopping due to working a varied work schedule and knowing that delivery services may be easily overwhelmed soon.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

Super S wrote: November 16th, 2020, 8:21 am Walmart is bringing back the door monitors at many if not all locations. Not sure if they are going to go back to a single entrance again.
They've sort of done the opposite here. The door monitors never left but now they stand directly by the doors instead of just before you enter the sales floor. The security guard is now where the door monitor used to be. This is a switch from the warmer months when the guard used to be outside the building by the doors. Another thing I've also noticed is the door monitor no longer has an I-Pad which I presume they were using to count customers. As of Thursday morning last week, both entrances to the local store were still in use.
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Re: Capacity Limits... in the winter

Post by Alpha8472 »

I went shopping today and itvwas a busy Saturday. It was like everyone had forgotten about COVID-19. The streets were packed with cars and even JCPenney had a full parking lot. I was shocked. This was a standalone JCPenney in Antioch, California in a totally out of the way shopping center that is not visible from the main roads. Maybe consumers have regained their confidence and are spending money to celebrate the season.

I do not see many stores limiting customers like they used to when the pandemic lockdown was in full swing. There are new capacity requirements but no one seems to be enforcing them. Today is the start of the 10 PM California curfew and people are shopping like there is no tomorrow.

California ski resorts have no restrictions. A friend of mine said she was going to Lake Tahoe and the mountains yesterday. The ski resorts must be packed today.
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