Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

This is the place for general and miscellaneous posts on topics which might extend past the boundaries of any specific region. No non-grocery posts.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

Alpha8472 wrote: August 8th, 2020, 6:18 am Clorox wipes will have a shortage until 2021.
I've seen that as well but they were available in Wal-Mart and Target this week. Granted, I was in those stores earlier in the morning on a weekday but they're out there albeit in rather limited quantities. Being retired, I'm fortunate I can shop whenever and most people don't have that luxury. I can't even imagine shopping on the weekend or weekday evenings anymore.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by storewanderer »

I am seeing paper towel shortages now; was in multiple Raleys and Save Mart locations (they have shared distribution) with no paper towels last week. Curiously in Food Source (Raleys) they have pallets and pallets of paper towels since they get a different brand (Jubilee or something).

Smiths and Safeway seem pretty well stocked on paper towels so I wonder if the suppliers are prioritizing the larger chains and not sending to the smaller ones?

I am noticing rubbing alcohol finally in stock at some stores all day.

Forget Clorox/Lysol Wipes/Spray unless you get there when they are stocking. It would sure help if these stores would enforce quantity limits. I respect the limit 1 every time (I may go every day and get my 1, but that is still within the rules) and don't take the whole shelf/box of product but others who do, are allowed to do so.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

storewanderer wrote: August 8th, 2020, 11:44 am I wonder if the suppliers are prioritizing the larger chains and not sending to the smaller ones?
The 2 grocers I found paper towel shortages in locally are Price Chopper/Market 32 and Hannaford. Chopper, while it's the 800-pound gorilla locally, is really relatively small-131 stores total so that would seem to hold true. Hannaford, on the other hand, is now part of Ahold, which owns numerous banners up and down the eastern seaboard after its purchase of Delhaize of which Hannaford was a part of along with Food Lion so I have no idea what's going on. One kind of wonky thing I've seen in Hannaford recently is they're now stocking the made in Mexico toilet paper that has been mentioned as turning up in some California chains. When this whole thing ends (and who knows when that will be), we're going to look back and say what a strange time it was in terms of merchandising and product availability.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

storewanderer wrote: August 8th, 2020, 11:44 am Forget Clorox/Lysol Wipes/Spray unless you get there when they are stocking. It would sure help if these stores would enforce quantity limits. I respect the limit 1 every time (I may go every day and get my 1, but that is still within the rules) and don't take the whole shelf/box of product but others who do, are allowed to do so.
When toilet paper was in short supply, I personally witnessed this in Target one day-the limit was one package per customer which most people generally respected. There was a couple ahead of me at checkout that each had several packages and here was their reasoning-they interpreted one package each meant one package of each VARIETY of each BRAND. And here's the crazy part-they got away with it and walked out of there with a heck of a lot more than one each. I guess it's like confrontations in stores over wearing masks-better to sometimes just let it go than risk a major incident.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by CalItalian »

storewanderer wrote: August 8th, 2020, 11:44 am I am seeing paper towel shortages now; was in multiple Raleys and Save Mart locations (they have shared distribution) with no paper towels last week. Curiously in Food Source (Raleys) they have pallets and pallets of paper towels since they get a different brand (Jubilee or something).

Smiths and Safeway seem pretty well stocked on paper towels so I wonder if the suppliers are prioritizing the larger chains and not sending to the smaller ones?

I am noticing rubbing alcohol finally in stock at some stores all day.

Forget Clorox/Lysol Wipes/Spray unless you get there when they are stocking. It would sure help if these stores would enforce quantity limits. I respect the limit 1 every time (I may go every day and get my 1, but that is still within the rules) and don't take the whole shelf/box of product but others who do, are allowed to do so.
I was in multiple CVS locations last week looking for paper towels as part of a Scott CVS ExtraBucks promotion. No problem finding toilet paper but no Scott paper towels anywhere or any paper towels to be found except one location. The one CVS location that had any paper towels had a brand I've never heard of with no shelf tag and their own Total Home. Both in limited supply.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by storewanderer »

CalItalian wrote: August 9th, 2020, 9:12 am I was in multiple CVS locations last week looking for paper towels as part of a Scott CVS ExtraBucks promotion. No problem finding toilet paper but no Scott paper towels anywhere or any paper towels to be found except one location. The one CVS location that had any paper towels had a brand I've never heard of with no shelf tag and their own Total Home. Both in limited supply.
I had to give up on CVS promotions in the paper category a month or two ago when a store was still enforcing "limit 1" on all paper product items that were for sale with a spend $20 or spend $15 get 5 EB. To make matters worse the sale prices were all "must buy 2 to get sale price" items and they would NOT override the price if I only bought 1. They basically told me tough luck. I tried another couple locations and everything was out of stock. I decided to give up.

Rite Aid website has 6 Scott Mega Roll Paper Towel for 6.49 and $10 off $40 purchase with free shipping if you have the patience to deal with their horrible barely functioning website. Claim the free toothpaste/floss/shavers after Load to Card coupons (another exercise in patience) while you are there if you go that route. Walgreens also has 6 smaller roll Scott Paper Towels but these small rolls actually last surprisingly long, for 3.75 per pack with coupon (limit 5 on the coupon if you can find 5).
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by Bagels »

I noticed that my local Albertsons reduced the price of the Kleenex-branded Mexican toilet paper to 10 cents per roll. I doubt they paid much for this stuff - these rolls are common in resorts within Los Cabo’s, Cancun, etc. and probably where they were sourced from (well, the distribution center at least). Still plenty other Mexicans TP, dish detergent and other cleaning products.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: August 10th, 2020, 12:03 am I noticed that my local Albertsons reduced the price of the Kleenex-branded Mexican toilet paper to 10 cents per roll. I doubt they paid much for this stuff - these rolls are common in resorts within Los Cabo’s, Cancun, etc. and probably where they were sourced from (well, the distribution center at least). Still plenty other Mexicans TP, dish detergent and other cleaning products.
Last week the stores in Reno and Sparks still had a ton of this stuff left, almost like they were shipped more. 3/$1 but a J4U offer for a free roll which includes some other brand I've never seen and never applies to my purchase for some reason. Also still White Cloud in Reno at 2.99 (reg 9.99) last week for 12 big rolls which for some reason is not getting any takers- at that price, it is a definite deal. Raleys has White Cloud now as well, at 11.99.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by Alpha8472 »

I have noticed more made in China hand sanitizers. These look not so safe. The Mexico hand sanitizers were recalled due to methanol which can cause permanent blindness.

You used to be able to get made in the USA hand sanitizers from the Walmart brand, but the new ones are made in China. Everything smells like kerosene now.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: August 10th, 2020, 7:58 pm I have noticed more made in China hand sanitizers. These look not so safe. The Mexico hand sanitizers were recalled due to methanol which can cause permanent blindness.

You used to be able to get made in the USA hand sanitizers from the Walmart brand, but the new ones are made in China. Everything smells like kerosene now.
Some of the Wal Mart sanitizers are coming in made in USA. I got some 3 ounce that was still made in USA and was newly stocked. They also still have the horrible smelling 64oz one that is made in USA. But a lot of other containers 30oz, 34oz, 12oz, 1.7 oz, etc. are now made in China and in huge supply.

I certainly would not buy these Made in China hand sanitizers. And numerous sanitizers, over 100 brands now, are on some FDA list saying they are tainted.

But if the US producers are unable to keep up demand it is either this or empty shelves.
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