Grocery store sales soar to unprecedented levels amid outbreak.
Companies urge buyers not to hoard staple items
As COVID-19 lays siege to large portions of the U.S. economy, there is one business sector that is showing remarkable immunity.
The grocery business is booming. With many people — and their children — stuck at home and the dine-in sections of restaurants as well as bars shut down, grocery stores are working overtime to keep people supplied with food and other essential items.
“The amount of business we have been doing since last Thursday is mindboggling,” said Pat Fox, owner of the Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly chain of grocery stores in Milwaukee’s suburbs.
Fox has been in the grocery business for more than 45 years “and I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
The Fox Bros. chain will usually have its busiest day each year right around Christmas or the Fourth of July. The chain of nine stores has had its busiest day of the year every day since Thursday.
“It’s been a challenge because, obviously, the supply system can only keep up with so much,” Fox said.
The situation has been much the same across the grocery landscape.
Limit purchases to what you need
Store owners and large grocery companies are urging consumers to only purchase what they need. Supply and distribution channels are strained and stores are being replenished around the clock. While there may be some products in short supply, there is no concern about widespread shortages.
Still, there are purchase limits on some high-demand items to prevent hoarding.
Meanwhile, the region’s dominant grocery chain, Pick ‘n Save, said Wednesday it is changing its stores’ hours to allow the stores to be sanitized each night and to restock shelves.
Beginning Thursday, all Pick ‘n Save, and Metro Market stores in Wisconsin will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. until further notice.
“Safe food handling and clean shopping environments are a top priority. By changing our hours of operation, we’re able to effectively clean and sanitize our stores,” Michael Marx, president of Milwaukee-based Roundy’s, which operates the Pick ‘n Save and Metro Market stores in Wisconsin, said in a statement.
“Also, the additional hours will allow us to restock our shelves as we deal with the unprecedented surge in grocery shopping we have experienced over the last two weeks,” Marx said.
Roundy’s is a division of Cincinnati-based Kroger, the nation’s thirdlargest retailer. The company operates 106 stores in Wisconsin and nearly 2,800 stores across the U.S.
Limits on purchases of certain items will remain in place, Marx said.
“In order to ensure customers can get what they need, we are still maintaining purchase limits on certain food and other staple items in order to prevent hoarding,” he said. “We ask our customers to be considerate and abide
by these limits.”
Stores are being replenished as fast as crews can complete the work. “... Distribution center personnel and transportation teams are working around the clock...” Marx said.
Restocking as quickly as possible
So far, Fox said his suppliers have been able to deliver everything his stores have asked for, although toilet paper is on an allotment system in which no one store or chain can order an unlimited supply.
All grocery stores have had to limit purchases of certain items such as toilet paper and disinfectant.
“Shop responsibly and purchase what you need, knowing that we will continue to replenish,” Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said in a statement on the chain’s website.
The Festival Foods chain of grocery stores in Wisconsin is continually receiving shipments of products and replenishing store shelves, said Brian Stenzel, the chain’s senior director of community involvement.
‘Buying everything’
Besides toilet paper and disinfectant, shoppers are buying everything — aluminum foil, batteries, coffee, bananas, “you name it,” Fox said — and they are buying in big quantities.
“People are buying a lot of everything,” Fox said. “They are shopping the entire store.
“That’s what’s really been unusual.” Among the most popular food items are cereal, meat, potatoes and canned goods, Fox said.
“People are reacting to their concern about the possibility of being quarantined in their house for a couple weeks,” Fox added. “They want to make sure they have things they need.”
Fox and others said they do not foresee widespread shortages. But don’t be surprised if you find stores running low on things on any given day.
“I think what the consumer is going to see is sporadic outages of various items,” Fox said. “If you go through our stores, you will see low-to-empty spots that you normally would never see.”
Laid off? Grocers want to hire you
Where there are concerns about bars and restaurants having to lay people off, grocery stores need people.
“Hiring is ongoing as always,” said James Hyland, Roundy’s spokesman. “Our human resources team is working aggressively to fill roles necessary to meet this unprecedented demand.”
Meanwhile, nearly all of its Wisconsin stores offer delivery and click-thenpickup services. Those aspects of the business have soared.
“Our e-commerce offering has definitely seen a significant increase in orders,” Hyland said. “We have had to extend pick-up and delivery time frames.”
The company has had to cross-train store employees to meet demand and assemble the e-commerce orders, he said.
At Festival Foods, e-commerce orders have more than doubled since the outbreak was first reported, said Brian Stenzel, the chain’s senior director of community involvement. Festival is also hiring.
When asked whether his stores were hiring, Fox said, “Of course.”
Liquor and beer sales ‘robust’
This is Wisconsin, all the bars are closed and lots of people are stuck working from home — with their children because school has been canceled.
So, how are liquor, wine and beer sales?
“Robust,” Hyland said.
“We have seen an increase in sales for these items as well,” Stenzel said.
“Excellent,” Fox said. “Obviously with the bars shut down, it’s going to put even more sales into that.”
Going forward, “We are looking for what the new normal is going to be,” Fox said.
“It’s a very fluid and fast changing situation,” he added. “This is unprecedented. I never thought I’d see something like this. It’s just crazy times.”