Walmart and Target restrictions

[trailer-t]

This might get interesting. Customers limited by square footage of the shopping area of store.

https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/wa...nd-add-new-in-store-safety-measures/19041765/

I wonder if it will trigger big food lines and real Full carts?

 

[MotorVation]

I heard about that earlier today. I'm boondocking near Kingman AZ right now and I had to resupply anyway so I went for it. I didn't go into Walmart because the parking lot was packed. I went to Safeway. They were out of a lot of stuff. Prices are ridiculous. Experienced EXTREME price gouging in one smoke shop where I went to buy tobacco and left empty handed. 

I don't see it getting better anytime soon, but in my opinion, grocery stores are hotspots for the spread of this virus. I'm glad Walmart's going to do something about it but it's going to suck.

I have to eat or I wouldn't subject myself to it. I've been trying to get a pickup slot at Wally World but I couldn't wait any longer. Plus, my laundry...never mind, I don't want to get into that. The laundromat I went to was clean. They had a girl wiping everything down

 

[trailer-t]

I suspect that once there is a bottleneck and a line at Wal-Mart there will be a run on the local grocery stores
that won't be able to keep up if panic buying sets in. I agree the grocery stores are, or may be, a probable a toxic mess of virus
with all the traffic. I don't buy the 6 foot rule as being a totally safe distance.

 

[maki2]

Strangely enough it sounds a whole lot worse in that area of Arizona than it is for grocery shopping in Seattle. There were a few customers when I went into the wholesale grocery store today. But everyone was very careful about distancing and a whole lot more polite to each other than last week.

Because I am at the workshop space for the next few months I do have a place to store the food service sized bag of rice and a fridge and a freezer to store meals I prepare ahead. I don't need to shop as frequently that way.

 

[MotorVation]

Everyone was nice enough, but the Walmart in Parker AZ was a zoo and they were also out of a lot of things. From where I was camped at the time, it was 60 miles to get to it or 60 miles to the one in Lake Havasu. Hey, everything considered, I'm happy I'm still well and if not eating exactly what I'm used to, at least I'm eating

 

[bullfrog]

It is expensive but maybe not so much now, and frozen but Swan's delivers to some really remote places. If you do not want contact it is one solution if you order online. Lots of times I have arranged to meet them at a location at a certain time.

 

[MrNoodly]

I was at a Walmart supercenter on Valencia, southwest Tucson area, Tuesday morning. It was probably less crowded than an average pre-virus day. About half the customers were wearing some type of mask. One guy had a Star Wars Fett helmet. About the only bunched up people were couples or parents and kids, all of whom had been in close proximity to each other all week anyway. The only precaution I detected was a crew wiping down carts and lining them up for customers rather than having them grab a random one from the usual stack. I was able to get decent brands of TP and paper towels. They were low on eggs. Cleaning products were gone. Canned foods were almost gone but plenty of fresh meat and produce. The bread shelf was slim pickings but there was lots of bread and other baked goods in the bakery area. No one seemed to be hoarding. Folks were doing their best to keep their distance in the checkout lines. There were 6-foot markers on the floors. Oh, and there were reduced hours signs at the entries.

 

[MikeRuth]

I'm in an urban area north of Los Angeles and shopped at Wall mart Wednesday morning. I got there 5 minutes before opening and the line was about a 100 yards long with most everyone spaced out. They opened promptly at 7 and we walked in calm and smooth. I personally would not have been comfortable with being forced to follow a pattern. Even though I for the most part went through Isle by isle I did go back to a couple as you are trying to find something and haven't. I also needed auto parts, on the other end of the store. so after food I walked over there, and frankly everyone was pretty darn courteous and considerate. I used the self check out which was controlled by an associate. Took my time and finished up. I didn't see a need at all for creating a traffic flow IMHO.

I will say surprisingly that a few people were still moving at breakneck pace around the store as if the end was near LOL.

Mike R

 

[ZoNiE]

We went to our usual Costco in Phoenix Thursday about 15 min after opening. No line, the carts were being sanitized, they limited things like tuna and peanut butter. Had plenty of everything except TP and the usual cleaning supplies, but we didn't need any.

There were actually fewer people than usual in this store, but when we left, there was a line to the back of the lot with people waiting to get in with their carts.

The store now has a common feeder checkout line that ran all the way to the back of the store, but went quickly with employees marshaling people into lines between the snack aisles. I hope they keep this, sure beats the bunching up at the front which limits your ability to get to a short line across the mess of people. Common feeders are the most fair way to go, everyone gets to wait the same amount of time.

 

[crofter]

P.S.: He never did.

Re the gloves, Home Depot sells nitrile gloves for $20 for 50 pairs or so that are easier on your hands. I am allergic to latex and get a nasty rash if it ever touches my skin, so I just use the nitrile ones and I am fine. There are cheaper supply houses than home depot: I used to get the nitrile gloves for less than $10 per box. 
~crofter

 

[maki2]

the days of getting gloves for $10.00 a box are gone for quite a while longer. Of course when stores realize what they can get for them and the profits it produces they may never go back to the old price points.

 

[barleyguy]

Nitrile gloves (50 pairs Ammex) on Amazon have gone from $8.35 to $22.99. I have the $8.35 in my order history from late 2019.

 

[RoamerRV428]

I am more country
no lines yet the stores put them up and active
still find gloves, masks and all easily
even TP didn't go all out

all cool when you are out of 'the city'

city life is whack now but if rural you are way more easy to function and get 'stuff' still

all godo here thrut he crazy in my location

 

[rvwandering]

I moved a lot of posts to this thread: https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=41455&highlight=coronavirus
Please stay on topic on this thread which concerns the lack of supplies in the stores.

 

[crofter]

TP was available Tuesday at 6AM (senior shopping time) at WM big box, so there is some being sold. Early bird gets the worm.  -crofter

 

[LERCA]

Costco sells out of their horrendous toilet paper and paper towels immediately but our Walmart is always full of everything. Go figure. I just got a box of 100 gloves for about $12. nice quality and they have plenty of paper goods and cleaning products. Our supermarkets are fine now too. Trader Joe’s not so much for the holidays surprisingly.

Maybe depends on where you live it certainly isn’t the country here though. They always had shipments but they would sell out fast maybe they just aren’t selling out as fast although no explanation on Costco.

 

[nature lover]

A Walmart in Sarasota is changing brands of hand sanitizer and so they had them for $.50 each. I am not a hoarder but how could I pass it up I bought three of them. Gold ounce pump bottles of a brand called keep clean and it’s got vitamin E in with it for $.50 each kills 99% of germs not bad. I guess I got to be the lucky one at the right time this time. But you can’t be much of a hoarder and live in a van. TP I seem to have enough of and I don’t want to be one of the panic guys so I’m not going to get anymore for at least a little while. I just don’t get the connection between Covid and TP. Besides I try to use other facilities and keep my own for just in case.

 

[BelgianPup]

Toilet paper panic: people can't imagine living without TP, and they can't make it themselves.

They could use something like pieces of torn sheets, but they would have to wash them.

America is a Flush&Forget country.

 

[crofter]

Here it is: homemade TP out of newspapers. There is nothing quite like homemade.  -crofter
Link to post on DIY TP
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=41656&pid=513500#pid513500

 

[Dingfelder]

This might get interesting.  Customers limited by square footage of the shopping area of store.

https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/wa...nd-add-new-in-store-safety-measures/19041765/

I wonder if it will trigger big food lines and real Full carts?

No.  I worked at a supermarket for much of this year and that's not how it worked. I've never seen or heard of anyone being kept out even though we had these restrictions for most of the year and my ex-workplace still does. They give you plenty of capacity for workers plus customers.  

Problem mostly comes from shortages from suppliers, if at all.  Enough supply and everyone is happy, yes?  Who complains when they get everything they want, unless there is a foul-up in the distribution chain that makes it impossible for hungry consumers to get what the supplier is happy to provide?

At one point we were limiting people to two items from the meat counter and egg cartons.  This was a supplier shortage made real to the public.

The full carts were panic-buying of things like paper products and cleansers, and some prepper-popular products like powdered and evaporated milk, and dried beans. Those, the shelves were cleaned of quick and remained in low supply for a long period.  People were going pretty out of their minds.  Toilet paper for the rest of the century.

But this is business as usual in an unusual time. I can tell you the restrictions on occupancy made zero difference at the store I worked at and any other store I've ever been in.  Never have I been asked to wait until another customer leaves. Anywhere.