Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

[reymann]

i'm hoping we won't see a return to panic buying and hoarding with thanksgiving coming up and cases rising rapidly. i heard stories of turkey shortages in canada during their thanksgiving holiday.

[jamcool]

A lot of turkey in the stores out here and deals on them (Fry’s has Butterballs @ 98c/Kroger @ 68c per pound with $25 or more purchase)

[storewanderer]

A lot of turkey in the stores out here and deals on them (Fry’s has Butterballs @ 98c/Kroger @ 68c per pound with $25 or more purchase)

I think Safeway NorCal increased its turkey prices this year, the frozen Butterball is 1.39/lb with $25 purchase and the Signature Frozen Turkey is 6.99 up to 16lb and 8.99 over 16lb with $25 purchase. I seem to recall we got a fresh turkey there last year in some brand called Honeysuckle White and it was .99/lb. I don't recall if there was a $25 minimum purchase last year, but if so we met it, as we bought quite a bit at Safeway last year (most in years) due to their running a very strong ad. So far, looking weaker there this year. Maybe they will do more in the ad that breaks on Wednesday.

Smiths is .47/lb Kroger Frozen Turkey with $25 purchase. That is this week's ad- so I assume that will hold into next week's ad... we will see. Various other items are already marked low in there like .79 Kroger Evaporated Milk, 1.50 Kroger Brown Sugar/Powder Sugar 2lb, etc. with sale dates ending late this month. These are better price points than they had last year.

But at the rate Thanksgiving is going this year, we will just be after a couple frozen turkey dinners and a some pie slices. What a turkey of a year.

[TW-Upstate NY]

Hannaford has Turkey this week for $0.37/lb. with a limit of 2 but no minimum purchase to get that price. I think we just have to write this year off folks.

[Bagels]

While at the Irvine Walmart last night, I noticed that the store was light on paper products, and a couple shoppers were stocking up. Round 2 around the corner...?

[storewanderer]

While at the Irvine Walmart last night, I noticed that the store was light on paper products, and a couple shoppers were stocking up. Round 2 around the corner...?

I was in a Reno Wal Mart about 5 nights ago and the paper was about 5% stocked at best. Could see through all the shelves again (pallet shelving). However things have looked okay at grocery stores I've been in the past few days, as well as CVS Stores. I think the demand is coming in waves at this point... maybe the suppliers are more prepared this time.

[BillyGr]

Hannaford has Turkey this week for $0.37/lb. with a limit of 2 but no minimum purchase to get that price. I think we just have to write this year off folks.

Price Chopper is a little worse - $0.48/lb. + $25 Purchase, Limit 1.

ShopRite, of course, is still doing their free turkey/turkey breast/ham/kosher chicken/lasagna/tofurkey/gardein roast (I think they added a couple of those non meat items this year or more recently) when you spend $300 over several weeks (or $400 if you are outside of the Albany market area, including Hudson which seems silly).

Truthfully, they are pretty good offers - buy one, cook it then re-freeze in smaller bags and it's a whole lot cheaper than any turkey item you'll buy otherwise. The free ham is even better, as they come unfrozen, so it's easy enough to cut into slices/sections and freeze in small(er) packages for several meals.

Also, if someone has family in a nearby area and doesn't want to have everyone together, whoever normally does the cooking could do that and package it and have the rest of the family members "drive thru" for a quick hello and pick up their portion to take home and eat, limiting contact while still having a meal for all (even set up computers at each house if they want a bit more of the atmosphere while eating)...

[Alpha8472]

Walmart stores in the San Francisco Bay Area are empty of most of the toilet paper. The hoarding is in full swing again. The indoor dining closures and the restrictions on occupancy of stores is making people panic buy again. Yesterday, the parking lot at Walmart was full. It seemed like Black Friday and there were long lines just to get into the store. When people think that there is a shortage, it makes people want to buy more.

[klkla]

I've shopped at a Vons, Ralphs and Sprouts in the last week here in the LA area and to be honest everything seems fairly normal as far as in stock conditions go.

I went to a Costco on Friday but there was a long line just to get inside so I didn't stop. It seems like the panic buying is happening at big box stores more than supermarkets for now.

[Bagels]

I stopped at both a Ralph’s and Albertsons nearest me tonight. The Ralph’s was very low on paper products, and the Albertsons had half the stock it did over the weekend. The remaining stock of Mexican toilet paper, which was selling for a nickel each, is back at 99c.