Panic shopping at Costco

StarSong

StarSong

Awkward is my Superpower
Location
Los Angeles Suburbs
I went to Costco about a week ago. Other than them being out of hand sanitizer, it was pretty much business as usual. No lines, no hoarding.

Went today to pick up a few items. The parking lot was jammed worse than I've ever seen it, Dec. 23 included. Went into the store - the lines were unbelievable. I realized immediately that I wasn't going to bother shopping.

Every register was open. I was curious and started counting a check-out line. From the basket being checked out to the end of the line? 54 baskets. No exaggeration. 54. Every line equally long.

While leaving I remarked about the craziness to the employee who was checking membership cards at the door. She told me that since the middle of last week they've tallied an average of 600 CARDS PER HOUR coming through, from open to close. (More humans than cards - so you can imagine how packed the place was.)

I'm telling you, it was madness. People were buying anything and everything.

I took this photo about 2/3 back through the line.

Costco.jpg
 

I took an 84-yr-old friend shopping yesterday at Ralph's. There was a big empty space where the water was. An employee was re-stocking it - not with cases of bottled water, but the less popular 1-gallon bottles. I asked him how many times he has to do that. He said "14, so far." It was 3:00pm.
 
I haven't gone to any stores here but believe you..people react..I just tried to start my online grocery shopping and the site wasn't working right so I'm not bothering for awhile...I don't know if people are trying to shop there now or not or if the site is just having some problems...don't know..don't care......I'll try in a few more days or more.

I still have enough food to last for some time.
 

We went to the big city for to pick up our camper. We spent a night at a hotel, in order to use points that would cancel out if not used soon {I know~1st world problems}. We stayed near an outlet mall area and did some shopping. Very few people were there and the employees were super friendly, helpful, and talkative. Being in a rather large complex, mid day, mid week, we encountered about 60 shoppers~far fewer than expected. Kids are out of school for spring break this week in the state we visited.

Other people staying in the hotel we stayed at were few and far between. The parking lot was 1/3 full.

We ate at a chain mexican restaurant that was kind of empty. We were there at dinner time and there were far more empty tables than full.
The food was delicious. The servers were super friendly and helpful. Not used to getting that kind of service from a chain.

Breakfast was at a Cracker Barrel of a main interstate. At 8-9 AM they were 2/3 full of customers {At prime times like breakfast, lunch, dinner, it's not unusual to have to wait 20 minutes to get in, but no waiting today}.

We went to a Bass Pro Shop. While there were customers there shopping, there were plenty of parking spaces up close to the door. They had an additional 6 parking lots that were mainly empty. They normally offer valet parking, but today there was no need.

We shopped in a Sprouts Farmers Market. The parking lot and store seemed to be about normal for a weekday. I didn't check the paper goods isle. They seemed to be well stocked with everything I needed. The checkout lady was wearing rubber gloves.

Conclusion: People are not going out in public in normal numbers. They are shopping for necessities, not extras. Considering that the temperatures were in the 70's both days, it's odd that more people weren't out enjoying the beautiful spring weather.
 
" I realized immediately that I wasn't going to bother shopping." Star, I'm afraid that's what's going to happen when my son goes to Costco today. He is not known for his patience. If he sees a scene like you describe, I highly doubt he'll stick around, especially after being up since 3:00 in the morning and working all day. He was supposed to go at the beginning of the week and got a flat on his truck while on the road. He had to wait for the company to send someone which messed up his time. I told him to go two days later when the new sale was to start. He didn't go that day either and yesterday he was not able to.

I have enough TP for almost 4 months and have 2 cases of bottled water. I use a Brita pitcher anyway, so bottled water is mainly in case of a water emergency. I also have enough sanitizer plus alcohol and alcohol swabs. You know how we Costco shoppers do; I have nearly a case of Kirkland brand disinfectant wipes. I had ordered 8 Great Value disinfectant sprays from Walmart the end of last year, I have two left. Good thing because there's none in the stores. I spray my clothes when I get home if I've traveled on public transportation or sat down in public areas. I'll have to scale back on using the spray (maybe just my coats) and steam iron the other garments.
 
@OneEyedDiva Please let us know what your son encounters. My husband and I were stunned, no exaggeration. It's one thing to see a photo of this, and quite another to experience the panic in person. Even if the checkers moved at hyper speed, it still takes at least 3 minutes to process an order. So 3 hours to check out? Are you kidding me?

Watching their panic made me rethink my situation. Was I missing something that they all knew? Should I be panicking, too?

Real information has always been my best defense against fear. So when we got home I spent 20 minutes counting our back up supplies:
paper towel rolls (10)
TP (63)
bleach (1-1/2 gals)
tissues (0, but have a couple boxes in the RV)
paper napkins (250)
hand sanitizer (3 small bottles)
disinfectant wipes (1 container)
baby wipes that can be converted to disinfectant wipes with a little bleach (6 large packages)
water (40 gallons plus)
rubbing alcohol (0 - bummer on this one)
canned and frozen food (over 2 month's worth)

Now I have a game plan. Need a couple boxes of tissues. When they're back in stock, I'll grab a small bottle or two of rubbing alcohol. Otherwise, I'm good.
 
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StarSong said:
@OneEyedDiva Please let us know what your son encounters. My husband and I were stunned, no exaggeration. It's one thing to see a photo of this, and quite another to experience the panic in person. Even if the checkers moved at hyper speed, it still takes at least 3 minutes to process an order. So 3 hours to check out? Are you kidding me?

Watching their panic made me rethink my situation. Was I missing something that they all knew? Should I be panicking, too?

Real information has always been my best defense against fear. So when we got home I spent 20 minutes counting our back up supplies:
paper towel rolls (10)
TP (63)
bleach (1-1/2 gals)
tissues (0, but have a couple boxes in the RV)
paper napkins (250)
hand sanitizer (3 small bottles)
disinfectant wipes (1 container)
baby wipes that can be converted to disinfectant wipes with a little bleach (6 large packages)
water (40 gallons plus)
rubbing alcohol (0 - bummer on this one)
canned and frozen food (over 2 month's worth)

Now I have a game plan. Need a couple boxes of tissues. When they're back in stock, I'll grab a small bottle or two of rubbing alcohol. Otherwise, I'm good.
Click to expand...
Star...I always do an inventory so I know what to buy when. Take it from me, Kirkland disinfectant wipes are way better than Lysol or Clorox (I noticed you said yours are in a container). They are larger, stronger and I often use just half or even 1/3. I'll buy those at whole price rather than the latter two on sale. I always buy Kirkland baby wipes when they are on sale, which I think is only once a year, I buy two cases (900 each case). Again..bigger, stronger but I do use a whole one each time. I buy Kirkland tissues by the bundle and they last a very long time. I have one full roll of paper towels left and nearly another full roll. Each lasts me about 5 weeks so I didn't ask my son to bring more. I have a slew of dinner napkins here which I hardly use, since I don't entertain but they were given to me.

Have the same amount of bleach as you, 34 rolls of TP which will last me more than 2 months (I'll have 60 if he goes today and can find some), I have 2 cases of Kirkland water, about a quart of rubbing alcohol (more also on my list for today) almost 2 quarts of peroxide and several canned goods, dry pasta, several bottles of pasta sauce (couldn't help myself...took advantage of a half price sale), case of almond milk (more on today's list), several pouch tunas, frozen food items and all kinds of snacks.

I will certainly let you know how my son makes out. I sure hope he can do the shopping today!
 
Disinfectant wipes are scarcer than hen's teeth. That's why I'm figuring on creating my own as needed. Not perfect, but better than nothing. Since it's just the two of us in the house, there's not much need to disinfect things here. Like you, I barely use a roll of paper towels a month - never got in the habit. I happen to be fully stocked on those because I ran low after the holidays and bought the Costco pack.

I'm not braving Costco again until things settle down considerably, so I'll make do with local markets, Aldi, Trader Joe, dollar stores, and other retailers. Los Angeles is filled with places to shop.
 
They had someone when you entered Costco yesterday wiping down your cart handle with Lysol Wipes.

The ridiculous thing is that you pick up your cart outside so you have already touched the cart handle.

No fighting in line, just fighting for seats at the food court.
 
We already bought extra paper products, canned food, a few specific meds, soap, etc. We are normally well stocked with most necessities. I heard one of my friends on our local ham radio repeater saying shoppers were lined up outside Costco this morning before opening almost around the store. The hoarders have taken over but most all stores are limiting scarce items now.
 
Duster said:
We went to the big city for to pick up our camper. We spent a night at a hotel, in order to use points that would cancel out if not used soon {I know~1st world problems}. We stayed near an outlet mall area and did some shopping. Very few people were there and the employees were super friendly, helpful, and talkative. Being in a rather large complex, mid day, mid week, we encountered about 60 shoppers~far fewer than expected. Kids are out of school for spring break this week in the state we visited.

Other people staying in the hotel we stayed at were few and far between. The parking lot was 1/3 full.

We ate at a chain mexican restaurant that was kind of empty. We were there at dinner time and there were far more empty tables than full.
The food was delicious. The servers were super friendly and helpful. Not used to getting that kind of service from a chain.

Breakfast was at a Cracker Barrel of a main interstate. At 8-9 AM they were 2/3 full of customers {At prime times like breakfast, lunch, dinner, it's not unusual to have to wait 20 minutes to get in, but no waiting today}.

We went to a Bass Pro Shop. While there were customers there shopping, there were plenty of parking spaces up close to the door. They had an additional 6 parking lots that were mainly empty. They normally offer valet parking, but today there was no need.

We shopped in a Sprouts Farmers Market. The parking lot and store seemed to be about normal for a weekday. I didn't check the paper goods isle. They seemed to be well stocked with everything I needed. The checkout lady was wearing rubber gloves.

Conclusion: People are not going out in public in normal numbers. They are shopping for necessities, not extras. Considering that the temperatures were in the 70's both days, it's odd that more people weren't out enjoying the beautiful spring weather.
Click to expand...
Here in Tennessee it been in the 70's also.
 
I was at Costco yesterday and a different Costco today there is indeed panic shopping. We moved, just got the fridge delivered a few days ago and the stove a couple of days ago so decided to shop. Ops. Didn’t realize it was panic time. Shopped for our normal items.

At the first Costco, no hamburger. Seriously, crazy. This morning got some hamburger right before they ran out. This is nuts, they have butchers, they can make hamburger. Lots of empty shelves at both stores, but we got nearly everything we wanted.

Our son wanted spam, scored some at Walmart. Some said there was a shortage of bread, but I was at several stores that had bread. Major shortage was ramen. I noticed no stores had any. This didn’t brother me, I never buy it.

No toilet paper in the state and only have four rolls. None on line. It’s not a pandemic, it’s the great TOILET PAPER shortage of 2020. Oh, well, I have tissue, and since I don‘t need it for my nose, I’ll use it elsewhere.
 
Just crazy! Not even Costco, but a local grocery store running low on everything. Most people "market shop" at this local grocery store, in fact the grocery carts at this store are smaller than normal....but today the carts were over full! Absolutely crazy! There was a sale on pork tenderloin, none left, cambells chunk soup....sold out, seriously this is getting stupid!
 
Yes, we went to several stores looking for toilet paper as did others. None to be had. I have some hope-as we are down to 4 rolls. Last night at two in the morning while shopping hopelessly on line, a recheck of amazon and up popped one large package of toilet paper without the core.

OMGosh, yup, 33 dollars or so, buying that as fast as my fingers can type. As far as I know, this is toilet paper without the cardboard piece that lets you hook it onto a holder. Couldn‘t care less, lol, my sink doesn’t have a holder. I suppose this paper is used for camping trips.

Using my cash back bonus, it came to about 10 dollars. But, folks, just because you ordered from amazon, just because amazon says it has it, just because amazon plans on delivering it, sadly that doesn’t mean you will get it. I have learned this lesson.

I had it put in a plain box so no one knows it’s toilet paper. It lessens the risk of getting stolen because it’s more precious than gold. But the independent amazon drivers mis-delivery a fair amount of time. Lord, protect my toilet paper, make sure it reaches me. Amen.
 
The other item we searched several stores for was water, regular bottled drinking and distilled. We got two packages of regular drinking water the second day at Costco. Costco was limiting buyers to two. Yes, water comes out of the tap. But our house was built on a slab in 1955. Water pipes have never been replaced. Ugh.

The second day we found three bottles of distilled water at a target. An employee had to help us reach then and remarked “I don’t know why the distilled is selling out-you can’t drink it“. This clearly is a person who couldn’t find their butt with two hands. Sigh. He doesn’t need toilet paper!

Today we found two more bottles of distilled water at a small neighborhood store whose cashier remarked that they hadn’t done this much business-ever. We now have five bottles of distilled water which should last a couple of weeks. We need more. Getting unpacked has stopped.

We must find more distilled water. Husband is on a cpap machine. J, our son with DS, is on a
cpap machine and will die without it, I am on nighttime oxygen which I will soon give up if I cannot find more distilled water. I will not let my son go without.

We educated the employee on why people need distilled water. If you need this water, I suggest you get out and find some.
 
Aneeda72 said:
The other item we searched several stores for was water, regular bottled drinking and distilled. We got two packages of regular drinking water the second day at Costco. Costco was limiting buyers to two. Yes, water comes out of the tap. But our house was built on a slab in 1955. Water pipes have never been replaced. Ugh.

The second day we found three bottles of distilled water at a target. An employee had to help us reach then and remarked “I don’t know why the distilled is selling out-you can’t drink it“. This clearly is a person who couldn’t find their butt with two hands. Sigh. He doesn’t need toilet paper!

Today we found two more bottles of distilled water at a small neighborhood store whose cashier remarked that they hadn’t done this much business-ever. We now have five bottles of distilled water which should last a couple of weeks. We need more. Getting unpacked has stopped.

We must find more distilled water. Husband is on a cpap machine. J, our son with DS, is on a
cpap machine and will die without it, I am on nighttime oxygen which I will soon give up if I cannot find more distilled water. I will not let my son go without.

We educated the employee on why people need distilled water. If you need this water, I suggest you get out and find some.
Click to expand...
Aneeda--google "how to make distilled water at home." It appears to be fairly easy so this might help you in an emergency.
 
C'est Moi said:
Just a reminder to anyone thinking you can substitute Kleenex for toilet paper... it does NOT break down when wet like TP and can clog your sewer lines.
Click to expand...
Sigh. Good point-into the trash it goes. Hopefully we can find pink trash bags. Costco has also limited paper towels to only two. We don’t need paper towels.
 
StarSong said:
Disinfectant wipes are scarcer than hen's teeth. That's why I'm figuring on creating my own as needed. Not perfect, but better than nothing. Since it's just the two of us in the house, there's not much need to disinfect things here. Like you, I barely use a roll of paper towels a month - never got in the habit. I happen to be fully stocked on those because I ran low after the holidays and bought the Costco pack.

I'm not braving Costco again until things settle down considerably, so I'll make do with local markets, Aldi, Trader Joe, dollar stores, and other retailers. Los Angeles is filled with places to shop.
Click to expand...
I just came from Trader Joe's in W.H. Looked like a nuclear disaster - rows of empty shelves & really stupid drivers in the parking lot - one lady in a Range Rover missed my cart by 2 inches. She was looking for a parking space; not pedestrians.
 
I saw how people are shopping all over the country! Unbelievable! But then people do what others do and it goes on and on till someone comes to their senses..may take some time for that to happen with how the news is constantly throwing the coronavirus news in our faces...I can't even buy my groceries online right away now..must wait for days...at least I have some canned goods to last awhile and frozen, too.

We will all be okay....in time! :whistle: :p :) (y) 🤗 ✌
 
My case of Quilted Northern TP arrived today from Amazon. Case of 36 rolls - extra wide - 4.5" triple ply, extra plush......

Took 6 days to get here. And 36 rolls of it are $29.95 & free shipping. Less than half the store price & you stay home.

I hired an armed guard to watch it. :giggle:
 

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