Some shoppers found empty shelves this weekend where bread, milk, vegetable, canned goods and meat would normally appear at local grocery stores. Oh yes, and also in the toilet paper aisle.
At Kroger Marketplace, 3060 N. National Road, demand remains strong for an array of products ranging from toilet paper to shelf-stable foods as concern about the COVID-19 virus continues to spread, company spokesman Eric Halvorson said. Staples such as milk and bread are also moving quickly, he added.
While buyers at Kroger are in constant contact with suppliers, monitoring availability and advising on product distribution, Halvorson admits there is still a substantial amount of empty shelf space at the Columbus store.
However, the Kroger spokesman said he did get some encouragement during a Monday morning conference call with Kroger’s top executives.
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“We still have some challenges, no doubt, but one of our leaders said we’re gaining ground and getting better each day.”
At the east side Walmart, 735 Whitfield Drive, customers are being limited to two packs of toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, hand soap, disinfectant cleaning wipes and water.
At noon on Monday, most of the shelves looked well stocked, especially fruits and vegetables. However, there were limited choices in the meat department, as well as a shortage of shelf-stable foods, including pasta dishes and sauces. Although the store appeared to be well stocked in box cereals, many of the shelves containing large plastic bags of breakfast cereals were almost empty.
In the medicine aisles near the pharmacy, there were several empty shelves that once appeared to have medicines for upper respiratory problems such as chest and nasal congestion. Similar shortages were discovered at pharmacies such as CVS on National Road.
Notices are also posted throughout Walmart, which is usually open around the clock, that the store will observe temporary hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. until further notice.
In Columbus Center, the Target store at 1865 N. National Road was either low or out-of-stock on a number of products, according to a worker there.
Low supply or out-of stock items Monday included toilet paper, Lysol disinfectant, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, eggs, bread and milk, the associate said.
Some positive news is that milk will be delivered to Target five days a week, instead of the normal four, as long as demand remains strong.
In a further effort to contain the virus, Target officials have said all of their stores will be cleaning surfaces such as checkout lanes and touch screens at least every 30 minutes, as well as placing limits on most in-demand products.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump assured the public after speaking with leading grocery chain executives that grocers would remain open and that the supply chain remained healthy.
“You don’t have to buy so much,” Trump said at a news conference. “Take it easy. Just relax.”
But at the same time, one of the nation’s most senior public health officials urged Americans to act with more urgency to protect themselves and others against the coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci said he would like to see aggressive measures such as a 14-day national shutdown.
“The worst is yet ahead for us,” Fauci said. “It is how we respond to that challenge that is going to determine what the ultimate endpoint is going to be.”
