Shopping and restocking updates

[Gumby]

My hints for the grocery trip:

1. Go at an uncrowded time. Mid-morning on a weekday seems to work around here. Go to the normally less popular grocery.

2. Keep a roll of bleach wipes in the car. I bring one in with me, wipe down the cart handle and then carry it around with me. I use the wipe to open the doors to the dairy or freezer cases. It also helps to dampen a finger to get the produce plastic bags open (a hint I learned on here).

3. Observe any social distancing marks on the floor. If there are none, keeping your shopping cart between you and others is a good substitute. Give people plenty of space. Be courteous and let them go ahead if they seem rushed. Otherwise, they'll crowd you.

4. In the produce section, pick with your eyes, not your hands. When you see the one you want, pick it up and take it, don't set it back down and go for another one (this is mostly to protect other people from you).

5. Don't crowd up in the checkout line; that cashier isn't going anywhere. Load your own stuff in the bag.

6. Once you get back to the car, use the alcohol based hand sanitizer. As soon as you get home, before you put the groceries away, wash your hands with soap and water. If it makes you feel better, you can wipe down everything you bought. We don't.

7. Don't touch your face until you have washed your hands.

 

[scrabbler1]

My hints for the grocery trip:

1. Go at an uncrowded time. Mid-morning on a weekday seems to work around here. Go to the normally less popular grocery.

2. Keep a roll of bleach wipes in the car. I bring one in with me, wipe down the cart handle and then carry it around with me. I use the wipe to open the doors to the dairy or freezer cases. It also helps to dampen a finger to get the produce plastic bags open (a hint I learned on here).

3. Observe any social distancing marks on the floor. If there are none, keeping your shopping cart between you and others is a good substitute. Give people plenty of space. Be courteous and let them go ahead if they seem rushed. Otherwise, they'll crowd you.

4. In the produce section, pick with your eyes, not your hands. When you see the one you want, pick it up and take it, don't set it back down and go for another one (this is mostly to protect other people from you).

5. Don't crowd up in the checkout line; that cashier isn't going anywhere. Load you own stuff in the bag.

6. Once you get back to the car, use the alcohol based hand sanitizer. As soon as you get home, before you put the groceries away, wash your hands with soap and water. If it makes you feel better, you can wipe down everything you bought. We don't.

7. Don't touch your face until you have washed your hands.

I would add to your 5th item: Use the self-checkout, if possible, to reduce contact or close proximity with others, including the loading of your own items into bags.

 

[Boho]

I'm not paying for Amazon prime in part due to the poor reviews of produce. So it's all shelf stable stuff for me. I still have a decent amount of frozen stuff already in my freezer. I'm not going to stores.

 

[Brdofpray]

Upstate South Carolina

Went out this morning at 8am to the local Walmart. Store was very calm, and well stocked. Very few people. We were able to find everything that was on our list, including TP. With that being said, the paper goods, and cleaning supplies were well picked over, as were the aisle for over the counter pain meds (Tylenol, Advil). No hand sanitizer at all. Other than that, pretty normal.

This trip, was our first outing to the grocery, since last Sunday. We should be good for at least another two weeks at this point.

 

[W2R]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. They sound like good practices to follow. If he comes over here before he leaves for the store, I'll read them to him before he goes. We left the sequence of things kind of up-in-the-air so he might go to the store first, then come over here, or vice versa.

 

[statsman]

I would add to your 5th item: Use the self-checkout, if possible, to reduce contact or close proximity with others, including the loading of your own items into bags.

At least at our local HEB and Walmart stores, they're disinfecting a checkout station as soon as someone has completed their transaction before allowing the next customer to use it.

These stores are also disinfecting the shopping carts, at least the handles from what I can see. They are also either handing out one cart at a time (person with gloves on) or they are spacing the carts apart so people aren't touching multiple carts trying to separate them.

 

[Jerry1]

My hints for the grocery trip:

1. Go at an uncrowded time. Mid-morning on a weekday seems to work around here. Go to the normally less popular grocery.

7. Don't touch your face until you have washed your hands.

1. We've gone just a couple times in the last few weeks, but we've found that about an hour before closing the amount of people is very light. Of course you're not going to score any TP at that time, but we've found the things we came for.


7. Keeping my hands off my face until I'm home is the most difficult thing for me. It's like anything else you're told not to do so you want to do it even more. I'm thinking to wear a mask just to keep my hands from touching my face.

 

[statsman]

7. Keeping my hands off my face until I'm home is the most difficult thing for me. It's like anything else you're told not to do so you want to do it even more. I'm thinking to wear a mask just to keep my hands from touching my face.

Practice with a mask at home first before attempting this in public. I've been seeing a handful of people with masks in public, and you can tell which individuals have either never used a mask before or at least the one they're wearing. They are constantly trying to adjust the mask, kind of defeating the purpose of the mask in the first place.

 

[harllee]

My dear mother age 88 lives in an independent living apartment about an hour and a half from me. About 3 weeks ago I took her for a big grocery shop to stock up. She gets 2 meals a day included in her rent but not on weekends. On weekends she is eating canned goods. The manager is doing shopping for the residents once a week but just for the basics. So today I did an Amazon order to be sent to her of her favorite snacks. A lot was sold out but I was able to get her favorite "Little Debbie" oatmeal creme cookies, some dried fruit etc. I spent about $50. I am going to call her tonight and tell her to expect 3 deliveries of surprises over then next 10 days. That will make her day.

 

[Sunset]

My dear mother age 88 lives in an independent living apartment about an hour and a half from me. About 3 weeks ago I took her for a big grocery shop to stock up. She gets 2 meals a day included in her rent but not on weekends. On weekends she is eating canned goods. The manager is doing shopping for the residents once a week but just for the basics. So today I did an Amazon order to be sent to her of her favorite snacks. A lot was sold out but I was able to get her favorite "Little Debbie" oatmeal creme cookies, some dried fruit etc. I spent about $50. I am going to call her tonight and tell her to expect 3 deliveries of surprises over then next 10 days. That will make her day.

Great Idea.
Do you have to notify the manager, as I wonder if amazon will simply drop it at the building door , vs take to the apartment ?

 

[harllee]

Great Idea.
Do you have to notify the manager, as I wonder if amazon will simply drop it at the building door , vs take to the apartment ?

They get alot of Amazon deliveries, they put them all in a room for 24 hours and then call the resident to come pick it up.

 

[ncbill]

Still no problems finding what we want at the local LIDL.

We go when they open at 0800...few other customers then.

Wouldn't go to the local Costco or Sam's because of the lines reported.

 

[W2R]

Thanks for the help. I read him all the suggestions before he left, and he followed them pretty well I think. The clothes he wore are in the washer and he is thoroughly showered and all the food is disinfected as much as reasonable, and put away.

Whew. OK for another couple of weeks I guess. I got the cheese I asked him to get for me.

He said it wasn't especially crowded but that a lot of the people were NUTS. He said nobody was paying attention to the six feet rule, and one woman even brought her toddler with her to the grocery store.

I keep hoping to read in the news, "Stand down, all! This was just a drill, repeat this was just a drill. You may now return to your normal activities."

 

[statsman]

I keep hoping to read in the news, "Stand down, all! This was just a drill, repeat this was just a drill. You may now return to your normal activities."

Therein lies the problem. We've gone down the rabbit hole that is not going to be easily exited. There have had numerous government entities make the call to shut down their respective states/counties/cities, in addition to the shutdowns directed by the President's administration. I bet they do not want to be held responsible for each COVID-19 death that will occur once sanctions have been lifted (as if deaths by all other flus would suddenly stop too).

I am starting to believe the health and economic damage done by COVID-19 won't end any time soon, especially when we error on the side of extreme caution. Please don't take what I'm saying to mean we should open up sooner rather than later. It is just my opinion of how I see our various levels of government reacting as we go forward.

 

[Gumby]

Thanks for the help. I read him all the suggestions before he left, and he followed them pretty well I think. The clothes he wore are in the washer and he is thoroughly showered and all the food is disinfected as much as reasonable, and put away.

Whew. OK for another couple of weeks I guess. I got the cheese I asked him to get for me.

He said it wasn't especially crowded but that a lot of the people were NUTS. He said nobody was paying attention to the six feet rule, and one woman even brought her toddler with her to the grocery store.

I keep hoping to read in the news, "Stand down, all! This was just a drill, repeat this was just a drill. You may now return to your normal activities."

Glad he is home safe and sound.

 

[jazz4cash]

I thought that was DelMarVa. Am I out of date?

Not out of date, just off target. Delmarva is the peninsula formed by Delaware, MD and VA. it is also know as the Eastern Shore (e.g. east of the bay bridge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delmarva_Peninsula

 

[NateW]

Got a tip from someone a couple of days ago that a small rural location of a local chain is ridiculously well stocked. I told him to keep quiet. They have a phenomenal meat department. Also we have several direct farm to consumer places around here. Maybe I’ll finally buy a chest freezer. But where to put it?

Freezers are hard to find. Last week we purchased a 17 cubic foot chest freezer online from Lowe's for an April 5th delivery, but two days ago received an email from Lowe's that said it possibly could be delivered in late July and asked if we would like a refund. I then called a few other appliance stores and none had any freezers.

 

[ncbill]

Love our large (15 cuft.) chest freezer...got it at a yard sale for $25, took it home, plugged it in, and by next morning it was at -20ºF...never bothered to find out how to change the temperature.

 

[gailwinters]

We did our first Walmart pickup this morning. We got everything I ordered, they notified us 30 minutes early, and we were the only car picking up. They didn’t have any paper goods, but we’re still good there. There was a limit of 2 on every item I ordered.

I started my order on Saturday, and the Sunday slots were filled. I waited until midnight and was able to get a slot today. Also, a couple of items that were out of stock became available before I finalized my order.

 

[RetireAge50]

Just got back from Costco in Covington Washington. They were completely stocked up with almost everything. Stacked to the ceiling. Enough TP for everyone in Washington for a month. There was so many cases of food available I could not believe it.

I think the manufactures and supply chains must have ramped it up big time.

 

[socca]

Did my monthly run to Trader Joe's. TJ's was limiting the number of customers in the store to 50. There was a small line waiting to get in - a 5 minute wait. Plenty of stock - little sign of panic buying. Overall, not a COVID-19 risk-free activity, but acceptably low-risk.

P.S. August road traffic in March - who would have thought? (or, when a major hurricane is approaching and the smart people have all left ).

 

[becca]

Went to Costco this morning. Not crowded at all. Very well stocked, plenty of paper towels and toilet paper. Very well organized, no wait at checkout, 3 or 4 employees working at each checkout, they even put your items on the belt for you. Plexiglass in front of the checker. TheyDidn't touch my membership/credit card or receipt. I felt very comfortable shopping there.

 

[W2R]

There are three items that I knew we were short of ever since this whole thing started (liquid HE scent free detergent, Mucinex, and acetaminophen). We aren't out of any of them yet, but just running low. I have been looking for them on the internet in the desired brands, sizes, prices, and delivery dates (plus actually being in stock when I order).

Yesterday I was able to order all three from Walmart dot com for reasonable prices. Now, if they get here by the 10th, as promised, then that's pretty terrific.

From my experiences this week, it seems like Amazon and Walmart are working really hard at getting things back in stock. Of course it may take some time.

 

[Sunset]

Went to Costco this morning. Not crowded at all. Very well stocked, plenty of paper towels and toilet paper. Very well organized, no wait at checkout, 3 or 4 employees working at each checkout, they even put your items on the belt for you. Plexiglass in front of the checker. TheyDidn't touch my membership/credit card or receipt. I felt very comfortable shopping there.

General location would help or at least Country/State.

 

[fh2000]

I ordered a delivery from sameday.costco.com few days ago. I believe it is operated by Instacart. I picked the earliest delivery schedule which is Monday but now they will go on strike.

I tried to log on to sameday.costco.com, and see the website crashed. I seriously doubt they will deliver my order on Monday or anytime soon. I may have to find the best hour to go to Costco after all.

My Costco order was delivered by Instacart shopper/deliver today. A young lady driving her own car, maybe a college student. The website tells me each stage of my order, including how many minutes her car is from our house.

I asked her if she knew about the strike today. She said she didn't even know. I guess it is a personal decision. I tipped her extra on top of the 5% default as part of the bill. Overall, I am happy with the service, and will likely use it again.

This is in Los Angeles suburb.