Navigating Life in NOVA during Covid19 (Reston, McLean: closing, store, food)

[lchoro]

So much of the food is being hoarded, not one item is on sale in the latest Costco coupon book.

coupon book for April 15

[tgbwc]

I went to Giant last night around 8:30. Only a few people were shopping and all of the shoppers I saw were wearing masks. Most employees did not have masks. Did my best to follow the directional arrows on the floor. I didn't realize they were there at first and I don't think there were any at the front of the store and down the furthest aisle to the right as you enter. I was able to get almost everything on our list. Napkins, bar soap and facial tissue were there this time. Those were gone when I went two weeks ago. Plenty of produce was available, as usual. I couldn't get syrup, chocolate milk or peanut butter (nothing we can't live without).

[WalkingLiberty1919D]

I hated shopping before the pandemic, now I hate it even more. I usually only go to Giant, since it's closest, get what I need and then I am done. I used to go to Costco (and I have a Costco card, free thought work), but there really isn't much there that I buy anymore. I've avoided Costco since this all started. It was bad enough the day a faucet broke and I had to go to Home Depot for a new part. Had to wait in that line for one little $4 thing.

What I can't figure out is why so many shelves and such are still empty. After the initial panic while everyone was stocking up, you'd think things would slowly refill the shelves. Are people still stuffing things in their houses or are the shelves just not being filled?

Most of the stuff I buy seems to be there, but I can't help but notice the empty frozen food section when I walk by. This past week, when I went, I wanted to get ice cream because my daughter asked if I could make milkshakes this week and that section was completely decimated. Why a run on ice cream? Are people stress eating? Are they just not getting deliveries and it's slowly all sold out? There was still no toilet paper or paper towels in the store either. Eggs were nearly empty too. There was plenty of fresh produce (which is mainly what I needed). I was lucky that there were two boxes of thin spaghetti so I grabbed one so I could make a noodle salad we like. But there were literally only two boxes.

What's surreal to me is that poor farmers can't get anyone to pick produce or help on their farms. They are plowing under tomatoes in Florida, letting blueberries rot on the bushes, dumping milk and eggs, and at the same time, so many store shelves are empty. I tell my mom it's like what I imagined Soviet Russia was like. Her stores, in the state she lives in, are the same. I am also wondering if this all means higher prices come summer.

I am dreading going this week with the floor layout. Do you ave to go up and down each aisle? I usually don't get much from the middle of the store. I just want to get in and get out ASAP (really, pretty much the way I always shopped). Is "passing" allowed if I want to get around people who like to browse? I know what I am getting and like to grab it and go. And have they finally moved all those displays out of the aisles so there aren't choke points anymore?

[ToyVW55]

Originally Posted by WalkingLiberty1919D

I hated shopping before the pandemic, now I hate it even more. I usually only go to Giant, since it's closest, get what I need and then I am done. I used to go to Costco (and I have a Costco card, free thought work), but there really isn't much there that I buy anymore. I've avoided Costco since this all started. It was bad enough the day a faucet broke and I had to go to Home Depot for a new part. Had to wait in that line for one little $4 thing.

What I can't figure out is why so many shelves and such are still empty. After the initial panic while everyone was stocking up, you'd think things would slowly refill the shelves. Are people still stuffing things in their houses or are the shelves just not being filled?

Most of the stuff I buy seems to be there, but I can't help but notice the empty frozen food section when I walk by. This past week, when I went, I wanted to get ice cream because my daughter asked if I could make milkshakes this week and that section was completely decimated. Why a run on ice cream? Are people stress eating? Are they just not getting deliveries and it's slowly all sold out? There was still no toilet paper or paper towels in the store either. Eggs were nearly empty too. There was plenty of fresh produce (which is mainly what I needed). I was lucky that there were two boxes of thin spaghetti so I grabbed one so I could make a noodle salad we like. But there were literally only two boxes.

What's surreal to me is that poor farmers can't get anyone to pick produce or help on their farms. They are plowing under tomatoes in Florida, letting blueberries rot on the bushes, dumping milk and eggs, and at the same time, so many store shelves are empty. I tell my mom it's like what I imagined Soviet Russia was like. Her stores, in the state she lives in, are the same. I am also wondering if this all means higher prices come summer.

I am dreading going this week with the floor layout. Do you ave to go up and down each aisle? I usually don't get much from the middle of the store. I just want to get in and get out ASAP (really, pretty much the way I always shopped). Is "passing" allowed if I want to get around people who like to browse? I know what I am getting and like to grab it and go. And have they finally moved all those displays out of the aisles so there aren't choke points anymore?

I haven't yet been in a store that had the one-direction aisles as that seem to go widespread this past week and I haven't been out.

So far, I've had really good luck with ice cream so maybe you had an off day? That's been the one aisle, among various stores that seems consistently stocked. Toilet paper/Paper Towels are rare with Paper Towels now seeming to be worse. My neighbor went to Safeway this morning at 6AM and they did have toilet paper, no paper towels. First he'd seen toilet paper in a while.

It is frustrating for sure. I'm the grocery shopper in my house and I'm generally good for a Sunday morning, once a week run and that's it (during normal times). Hubby would often make a mid-week stop for bananas and fresh stuff for the guinea pig. My experience now has been that I get so few of what I need on that Sunday trip that I can't make it through the week. Yeah, frozen veggies have been sparse for a long while. I guess people stock up on that say they can not go out for a month.

[WalkingLiberty1919D]

Originally Posted by ToyVW55

I haven't yet been in a store that had the one-direction aisles as that seem to go widespread this past week and I haven't been out.

So far, I've had really good luck with ice cream so maybe you had an off day? That's been the one aisle, among various stores that seems consistently stocked. Toilet paper/Paper Towels are rare with Paper Towels now seeming to be worse. My neighbor went to Safeway this morning at 6AM and they did have toilet paper, no paper towels. First he'd seen toilet paper in a while.

It is frustrating for sure. I'm the grocery shopper in my house and I'm generally good for a Sunday morning, once a week run and that's it (during normal times). Hubby would often make a mid-week stop for bananas and fresh stuff for the guinea pig. My experience now has been that I get so few of what I need on that Sunday trip that I can't make it through the week. Yeah, frozen veggies have been sparse for a long while. I guess people stock up on that say they can not go out for a month.

It could have been an off day. Although my mom said her store was also "almost" sold out of ice cream. Although she's been unable to find eggs for weeks, I see them in the store. I offered to try to mail her some. haha. She lives out in the sticks though, and she got some from a farmer she knows.

It just seems like weird things are sold out suddenly. Paper products seem to be a theme everywhere. But it's the odd things than throw me. Like I said, this past week, it was ice cream. But the week before, it was marmalade (and the jelly and jam was pretty thin). This past week there was one jar of it though and I got it (need it for a recipe). It's like a game of guess what will be sold out. I've given up on trying to figure it out.

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by WalkingLiberty1919D

It just seems like weird things are sold out suddenly. Paper products seem to be a theme everywhere. But it's the odd things than throw me. Like I said, this past week, it was ice cream. But the week before, it was marmalade (and the jelly and jam was pretty thin). This past week there was one jar of it though and I got it (need it for a recipe). It's like a game of guess what will be sold out. I've given up on trying to figure it out.

I too have had problems with Ice Cream. What surprised me was garlic powder - three times I’ve been unsuccessful.

[robbobobbo]

I go to an Aldi in Alexandria near home for most of my grocery needs. It usually has long lines at the cashiers even in normal times because they only have one or two registers open. Products that I get have generally been available other than toilet paper still being rare. Pasta, pasta sauces, eggs, milk, coffee, some produce, etc. The last weeks of March, it seemed that non-organic canned goods were mostly gone, whereas the organic versions (at twice the price) were available (things like black beans, chick peas, canned tomatoes). And baking supplies (sugar, flour, etc) were often gone back then. That situation has improved now.

Lately most customers that I see are wearing masks. I see staff in the store restocking and cleaning and they have masks, but the cashiers don't! (and no shields between them and customers). Also, they are now disinfecting shopping carts and giving them to customers. It's also impossible to maintain 6 feet from customers at all times - you have to pass people who take their time in the aisles.

[spencgr]

Seems we are in the hair color stage of panic buying....


https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/11/busin...rus/index.html

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Seems we are in the hair color stage of panic buying....


https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/11/busin...rus/index.html

I guess that was bound to happen sooner or later with all the salons and barber shops shut down. On Thursday, I had an appointment to get a haircut which, of course, never happened. Pretty soon I expect my hair to become wild and unruly

[NeganGrimes]

Got lucky the other day and got to Walmart just as they were unloading a big shipment of toilet paper - it was the mother load! It was like that opening music from the theme from the Simpsons, you know, the part just before "the simpsooooooonnss..." like heavenly music