More empty shelves than in April

[debodun]

Went shopping this morning. While paper towels and TP have re-appeared. I couldn't find a small box of instant white rice in any of the stores I usually patronize. The supermarket had 1 huge box that would take me 6 years to consume! They did, however, have instant brown rice. Seems to be even more bare shelves especially in the Dollar General. There you have to ask for rubbing alcohol - they keep it behind the counter. Surprisingly, cake mix continues to be sparse as well as canned soups. I was lucky to get the last 32 oz. container of no-fat vanilla yogurt. That had plenty of eggs, but only in 12-count (and up) cartons. I haven't see the 6-count cartons in quiet some time.

The store didn't seem crowded, but wherever I wanted to get, customers were lollygagging and clerks busy restocking. In the produce section, a clerk was replenishing containers of cherry tomatoes. I waited at the required distance and he kept right on with his task. I started to wonder ho many cartons of tomatoes the shelf could possibly hold. So I went over to the seafood sections and looked over the selection of cooked fish available. When I cam back to the tomatoes, the clerk was still there. In the dairy a clerk was using a scanner on cartons of milk. It still amazes me how long some people take to choose between two bags of salad mix.

The prices seem inflated. Another $78 for a week's supply of food when a trip to the store used to cost me an average of $50-$55. Bagged salad mix used to be $5 for 2 bags. Now it's $3.99 each. Supply and demand I suppose.

 

[Aunt Marg]

Many shelves in our neck of the woods remain bare... items such as household cleaners, particularly Mr. Clean. Lysol, etc, haven't been restocked in weeks... Sifto Table Salt, Lysol & Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, the same, and those are but a few of things I've noticed that seem to remain non-existent in stores these days.

 

[Butterfly]

And grocery store prices are definitely going up here as well.

 

[Aunt Marg]

Brown sugar is another that's been hit and miss on the shelves.

 

[Aunt Marg]

And grocery store prices are definitely going up here as well.

I haven't noticed any increases yet, but hearing it from others like yourself, I suspect the same is right around the corner for us, too.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I made my weekly trip to Walmart this morning.

Eggs and meat were in short supply but still enough for everybody. Eggs were a bit higher this week at $1.48/dozen but I didn't notice any sharp increases or price gouging that would prevent people from buying what they are accustomed to. The recent articles about prices jumping are a little bit sensational. A 2.6% increase in the average grocery bill amounts to a bag of chips for most families.

I noticed the line was much shorter this morning than it has been at the opening on previous trips.

I also noticed for the first time that some items in the bread, dairy, and packaged cold cuts/hotdog section were beyond the best by date.

Finally, I noticed that this is the third week that my grocery bill has dropped and is returning to normal. I must have found a balance between maintaining my little food stash and what I'm actually using from it each week.

 

[StarSong]

I'm not sure if prices have gone up or not, but would understand if they have. Stores are constantly sanitizing and disinfecting everything from pin pads to checkout belts, to grocery carts. Most are paying their employees an extra few dollars an hour, they've upgraded check-stands with plastic guards, provided employees with masks, gloves and other PPE.

Many suppliers have had to rejigger their packing equipment and provide the same extras to their employees as the retailers.

I owned a small business. Cleaning supplies, warehouse or store infrastructure upgrades, more expensive products, higher wages, and more employee hours to clean and stock? That all costs money.
Why wouldn't prices go up a bit, given all that?

Me? I'm grateful that the stores are open and as well stocked as they are.

 

[In The Sticks]

I've not seen any price increases yet here in the middle of Virginia.

Produce availability has been fine, both at my Walmart, my Food Lion and the Kroeger 25 miles away in the big city. Honestly, this was my only selfish concern. I can eat meals out of cans for a while, but I need my salads and fruit.

I've been looking at meat prices (out of curiosity) and they have yet to rise.

The usually naked shelves of canned soup are about 50% stocked.
Plenty of pasta now.

TP availability is hit & miss, but I don't need any.
Paper towel section continues to be barren, except for cases of single rolls. I don't need any.

I'm trying to think if there's anything I've needed but could not find. I guess the other "barely stocked" area besides beef/chicken/pork has been lunch meats in my Walmart and Food Lion. Kroeger is business as usual there. At some point these newly-purchased freezers people bought have gotta get filled and they'll stop buying.

@debodun: This cracked me up:

It still amazes me how long some people take to choose between two bags of salad mix.

I've stood behind some people for 5 minutes as they go through every bag. What the heck are they looking for? There are some areas of my life I am more tolerant in as I get older. This is one where my fuse is shorter.

 

[Judycat]

Depends upon what day I go. Monday - No butter
Thursday - Butter but no cat litter
Saturday - Empty shelves, the store is roped off and it's cattle delivery day at the stock yard. People act like cattle too. One guy took a shortcut under the rope. The associate/guard freaked out. No cattle prods yet. Coming soon, I expect.

 

[In The Sticks]

Depends upon what day I go. Monday - No butter
Thursday - Butter but no cat litter
Saturday - Empty shelves, the store is roped off and it's cattle delivery day at the stock yard. People act like cattle too. One guy took a shortcut under the rope. The associate/guard freaked out. No cattle prods yet. Coming soon, I expect.

The rope???
Is this a COSTCO-type store or just a regular grocery store?

I swear, each of our experiences in this thing are so extremely different.

 

[Aunt Bea]

@debodun: This cracked me up:

I've stood behind some people for 5 minutes as they go through every bag. What the heck are they looking for? There are some areas of my life I am more tolerant in as I get older. This is one where my fuse is shorter.

It's just me next time be sure to say hello!

I'm looking at the condition of the salad mix and the expiration date.

If you miss me in the produce section you may be able to catch up with me in the dairy aisle or the bread aisle.

 

[Judycat]

The rope???
Is this a COSTCO-type store or just a regular grocery store?

I swear, each of our experiences in this thing are so extremely different.

Neighborhood Wal Mart Supercenter. I was shocked by this. The roped off section had to do with Scan and Go and regular cashier service. Weary cashier said they were obeying PA state law.

It created a lot of confused people including me. People were tired and just wanted to leave but couldn't.

I was thinking of cutting under the rope, but then that associate freaked out when someone else did so I went looking for another exit. Tried this weird fun house row of arrows and found success.

 

[Lee]

Had to go to three garden centres to get vegetable seeds. And was told that what they had was all they could get till next year.

Milk, eggs, baking supplies and frozen vegetables all in short supply.

 

[debodun]

Ocean State Job Lots used to open normally at 8 am. Now it's 10 am. However, on Tuedsays and Thursdays they open at 9 am for a special "seniors only" hour. Whoopee!

 

[Lakeland living]

Still no yeast in most stores up this way, flower is a hit and miss thing. Steaks, two 3/4 inch steaks, 28.00 $. I noticed their other prices had also gone up. I will be shopping for a store that does not gouge like this.