Many Phoenicians wake up early - but 5am for groceries? (Mesa: sales, house)

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Some people pick fights over things that are beyond their control. What the woman should have argued about was how Fry's limits their checkout aisles, and even shuts down rows of SELF checkouts to where customers stand in long lines. If the experts are correct about "keeping a distance", then Fry's and other supermarkets aren't doing their part when they don't have their self checkouts open like they should.



I have an elderly parent who lives with me, and I was considering taking advantage of Bashas' senior only hours on Wednesdays. Seniors can be accompanied by a caregiver, and a valid photo ID must be presented. Every other time I go to any grocery store, it's the same story: aisles of paper products & cleaning supplies are out of stock. If we go at 5 AM on Wednesday and discover that the same aisles are bare, I'm going to be convinced that it may be more of a problem with distributing & restocking than the hoarding.

Washington State is a couple weeks ahead of us. Our daughter said it will slowly get back to normal. Still, TP and hand sanitizer can get hit and miss, but she does see it. HOPEFULLY we will follow. But things around us are changing by the week.

Re: stocking. The Store manager told me that their local distribution center is tapped/empty. So it's not as if the stockers cannot keep up. He said they have 2X more on order on various items but the supply has not been filled yet.

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by Voebe

I do know many people who get up at what I'd consier an ungodly hour, which I'm sure is a habit they've acquired due to our summer heat.

But now, with all the bare shelves in supermarkets due to hysterical people snapping up everything in sight due to the coronavirus fear-mongering, two markets have told me that people are lining up outside at 6:00am to rush in, and one market was opening at 5:30 to accommodate elderly shoppers. Presumably the shelves are bare again by maybe 8:00am.

This seems not only crazy, but is a terrible handicap for anyone leading a "normal" life. What about people who have to get to work? What about a single parent who can't leaving their sleeping children alone?

Why can't these markets put out half the product in the morning, and then the other half in the late afternoon?

You just have to ask around. There are deliveries that happen later in the day. I asked about the "paper supplies" (you know what I mean) that often get sold out. The clerk told me there was a delivery late that morning. So I came in a few hours later and got one of the last items on that shelf. Timing is key.

[Jnvlv247]

Lots of memes and jokes about the hoarding of TP but if you see someone in real life doing that, you need to call them out and public shame them as well as report them. Not sure if rationing and making special hours helps that much since people still find way around it.

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by Jnvlv247

Lots of memes and jokes about the hoarding of TP but if you see someone in real life doing that, you need to call them out and public shame them as well as report them. Not sure if rationing and making special hours helps that much since people still find way around it.

I don't think having people run around the store looking into each other's carts is a good idea.

[HTY483]

I assumed this was a heat related thread. I dont know about 5am but in the summer I definitely do all my errands before about 9:30am.

[gemstone1]

"The early bird gets the eggs, fresh meat, TP, and isopropyl alcohol."....when I was living in Yuma, and particularly during the snowbird season, I'd be waiting for Smart & Final to open at 7am on Sunday morning, then I'd go to my other stops, and be home before the grayhelmets were up and around...nothing was more aggravating (to me) during shopping than to find two snowbirds clogging the aisle with their carts, getting reacquainted after the summer break.

Regards
Gemstone1

[locolife]

Originally Posted by HTY483

I assumed this was a heat related thread. I dont know about 5am but in the summer I definitely do all my errands before about 9:30am.

Opposite for me, in the summer months (June-Sept) I'm on the trails early in the morning hiking/biking and will usually hit a movie or something like that in the afternoon. The rest of the year I'll hit the trails in the afternoons to catch sunset hour, by far my favorite time of day to enjoy the outdoors.



I've found running errands around, like the grocery store, at 4-5pm or even a bit later on Sunday is a great time to go. The store is fairly quiet, re-stocking from the weekend rush has already started, and I'm indoors so I don't care much if it's hot outside. On my way to/from the store it's warm but I'm in my car and the sun angle is well pass the peak for the day at that point.

[Comstock Richy F]

i'm considered elderly but refuse to wake up early and stand like sardines with other seniors. i'll take my chances when the regular people shop.

[West Phx Native]

I get up at 350am, and I would normally go to Winco on the way to work on Monday to get my lunches for the week.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

Many grocery stores are allowing "Seniors Only" at 6am to 7am that's probably why the long line up.

I was in Fry's the other evening at 8pm and they had just started stocking TP so I got my one allocation.

I'm a night owl, don't get up until noon, so last week I sent my roommate over there at opening, 50 people waiting to get in, and? No paper products at 7am!

I know a Wal-Mart stocker that goes to work at 4am and he even has difficulties getting toilet paper.

I wasn't planning on going to Wal-Mart at night, given my last visits at night with bare shelves, but tonite I accidentally stopped there around 7:30pm and surprise, surprise! Racks of chicken thighs (normally only chicken wings) and 2 packages of rice, comparing that to finding a hundred dollar bill on the sidewalk!