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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storewanderer
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by storewanderer »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: March 24th, 2020, 11:40 am Just read a story that the company that makes Peeps candies is shutting down for a while. Look for them to be the next thing people will buy in massive quantities and then soon to pop up on E-Bay at ridiculously inflated prices.
I would guess the Easter supply of Peeps has long gotten shipped to stores and at this point the next holiday for Peeps is Halloween so shutting down for a while now probably won't have much of an impact. It is too soon to start producing for Halloween.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by Alpha8472 »

There have been a few Trader Joe's that have temporarily closed due to workers that tested positive for coronavirus: Manhattan, N.Y (grocery store on 142 E. 14th St. and wine store on 138 E. 14th St.); Plainview, N.Y. (425 S. Oyster Bay Rd.); and Elkridge, Md. (6610 Marie Curie Dr.).

A FoodMaxx at 1539 Parkmoor Avenue in San Jose, California has also temporarily closed after an employee died from coronavirus. The employee was on vacation and died. That employee had not been in the store since March 6. Some people show no symptoms and can still spread it. Later on they can get the full blown symptoms and die. The company is sanitizing the store. No one will want to set foot in that store for a while. Is it policy to throw away all items in the store or totally restock? I would think that they would throw away all produce, meat, deli, bakery, and spray bleach all over everything else.

Trader Joe's says they need to totally restock. In addition, Trader Joe's told customers who shopped in those stores with the sick employees that they need to talk to their health care providers.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by CalItalian »

storewanderer wrote: March 24th, 2020, 10:19 pm
Bagels wrote: March 24th, 2020, 12:53 am It looks like many grocers aren't publishing circulars this week. Usually they're published on Flipp (which now "powers" ad displays direct on many grocers' websites) by now, but that's not the case. Stater Bros. has a one page ad with a narrative on the situation, soda, alcohol ... and frozen turkeys!!!
Smiths still has a small ad that has obviously been abbreviated but looking at the ad they will probably have most/all of the stuff in the ad in stock, and Safeway NorCal has a usual large ad with probably numerous items they will not have in stock at least not early in the sale. Smiths ad has a photo of Kroger CEO in a Kroger Uniform.
Ralphs has a smaller ad but Food 4 Less does not have any ad. Same picture of the Kroger CEO which will mean nothing to any Ralphs customer. Vons/Albertsons and Pavilions each have their regular ads (but they are not posted online or available in store). Stater Bros. has a 2 page ad, really 1 1/2 page ad. Aldi also has their regular ad.

One of the items in the SoCal Vons/Albertsons ad is Signature Select pasta for .29 cents. At the last two Vons I was in over the last two days they didn't have one box of ANY pasta product so I'm sure there are plenty of products in that ad that will never be available.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by CalItalian »

One of the assistant store managers I know well at a Vons I was at yesterday while I was at self-checkout wanted to chat about customers. She told me what is really getting the staff and her down right now is demands or shaming from certain customers. Demands that that staff always be wearing, changing their gloves or that they don't touch their items, should be cleaning more frequently. Also, a "number" (a word she used) of customers who claim they are in the medical field telling them what they should be doing in store or "telling" the staff that limits shouldn't apply to them since they're out there in the trenches. Crowds, she told me, appear to be lessening but replacing the hoarding fear is much more attitude now from customers.

BTW, the Vons I was at yesterday is doing a good job in recovering in produce, meat and somewhat bakery. But the center aisle, frozen sections are still decimated.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by Bagels »

I stopped by Albertsons this morning to pick up some chicken breasts. This store has plenty of "missing" items, but has largely recovered. Not only did it have water, but it had toilet paper! Limit 1, but of course, this is SoCal so some people pretend they don't understand English and hope they can get away with 10 packages that will probably end up on Craigslist.
CalItalian wrote: March 25th, 2020, 11:32 amRalphs has a smaller ad but Food 4 Less does not have any ad. Same picture of the Kroger CEO which will mean nothing to any Ralphs customer. Vons/Albertsons and Pavilions each have their regular ads (but they are not posted online or available in store). Stater Bros. has a 2 page ad, really 1 1/2 page ad. Aldi also has their regular ad.

One of the items in the SoCal Vons/Albertsons ad is Signature Select pasta for .29 cents. At the last two Vons I was in over the last two days they didn't have one box of ANY pasta product so I'm sure there are plenty of products in that ad that will never be available.
I didn't get an ad for Albertsons/Vons. My local store has new sale items throughout the store, but nothing on sale within the meat department. Bloggers list 80/20 ground beef at $2.77 and chicken breasts at $1.99, but they were both marked at full price. I was able to clip the J4U coupon on the chicken breasts and get it for $1.47, though. This location (Quail Hill) also had most varieties of SS dry pasta, so maybe stores are receiving shipments now.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by SamSpade »

The mailbox flyers we usually receive were all there in Oregon -
Fred Meyer (closing at 10 pm)
QFC (including 99c store brand milk half gallons!)
Albertsons - Safeway
Rite Aid
CVS
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by Bagels »

We got abbreviated ads for Stater Bros. and Wholesome Choice Market. We didn't receive ads from Albertsons/Vons, Pavilions (yes, we get them both now), Ralphs or Smart & Final; 99 Ranch and Grocery Outlet as well, but it's random when we do get them (and I never pay attention to them anyway).

Kroger typically runs the same sales for two to three weeks, only a handful of items change weekly. Just a guess on my end that soda will be on sale this week:

Image

And that's the dairy department. Plenty more is scattered throughout the store. But hey, at least Coke and Pepsi and making sure that water-based beverages are plentiful!
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by BillyGr »

Bagels wrote: March 25th, 2020, 12:48 pm We got abbreviated ads for Stater Bros. and Wholesome Choice Market. We didn't receive ads from Albertsons/Vons, Pavilions (yes, we get them both now), Ralphs or Smart & Final; 99 Ranch and Grocery Outlet as well, but it's random when we do get them (and I never pay attention to them anyway).

Kroger typically runs the same sales for two to three weeks, only a handful of items change weekly. Just a guess on my end that soda will be on sale this week:

And that's the dairy department. Plenty more is scattered throughout the store. But hey, at least Coke and Pepsi and making sure that water-based beverages are plentiful!
Not sure, but I think that yellow capped Coke (and maybe Diet as well?) is specially made for the Passover season, and contains regular sugar rather than the corn syrup, so that may be an item that sells highly, both for those actually observing Passover, and for those who try to stock up for as long as they can with the real sugar soda that is not as easy to find other times.
storewanderer wrote: March 24th, 2020, 10:24 pm
TW-Upstate NY wrote: March 24th, 2020, 11:40 am Just read a story that the company that makes Peeps candies is shutting down for a while. Look for them to be the next thing people will buy in massive quantities and then soon to pop up on E-Bay at ridiculously inflated prices.
I would guess the Easter supply of Peeps has long gotten shipped to stores and at this point the next holiday for Peeps is Halloween so shutting down for a while now probably won't have much of an impact. It is too soon to start producing for Halloween.
I don't know what the lead times on something like Peeps is, but some candies (like chocolate) can be pretty far out. My mom tells me of visiting England many years ago in the late winter (Feb/March) and the Cadbury factory there making packages then with Christmas décor!
Not sure if that still occurs, or if at that time it was just due to the longer shipping (by actual ship) and not wanting to send it as the warmer weather took effect, but you never know.


Totally off these replies, but our local newspaper restaurant reviewer just posted today that Restaurant Depot (there is one here, but I know they are a chain) is currently offering a day pass to the public (normally you have to be connected to the foodservice industry to shop there). You need a photo ID to get one, but can apparently get more than one to shop again another day.

Just in case anyone is still having issue finding stuff, that might be another option for some!
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by jamcool »

The only grocery flyer in the Phx paper today was for Albertsafeway, no other chains.
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Re: Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

Post by SamSpade »

BillyGr wrote: March 25th, 2020, 1:49 pm Not sure, but I think that yellow capped Coke (and maybe Diet as well?) is specially made for the Passover season, and contains regular sugar rather than the corn syrup, so that may be an item that sells highly, both for those actually observing Passover, and for those who try to stock up for as long as they can with the real sugar soda that is not as easy to find other times.
I hope this is true! I'll have to look for it. That may also explain the placement in a store. Rabbis have to bless things specially for Passover.
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