WTOP Creates List of Grocery Store Hour Changes
Many stores are making special accommodations for high risk groups.including older, pregnant, and immuno-comprised customers
Alexandria, VA – Grocery store chains throughout the D.C. area are accommodating groups who are most at-risk to the coronavirus with exclusive hours while also implementing other changes to keep stocks full.
Some stores will close early. Some now offer seniors early shopping hours. Chains also put sales limits on products that are in high demand.
Aldi will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., but some stores will have limited hours.
Aldi said it may place limits on items that are most in demand, such as water, pantry staples, pre-made meals, cleaning supplies and toilet paper.
BJ’s President Lee Delaney said the company may “limit the number of items per trip on select products to allow more members to purchase what they need.”
Costco placed purchase limits on certain items “to help ensure more members are able to access the merchandise they want and need,” Craig Jelinek, company president said. The company did not specify which items would have purchase limits.
Giant
Giant Food will reserve 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. for shoppers 60 and older and those with compromised immune systems, starting Friday, March 20.
Giant pledged to maintain its regular savings program, stating that it “continues to offer the same low prices and bonus buy discounts that are available each day to our shoppers. Additionally, we continue to work with our vendor partners to ensure that we can offer promotional savings in our ads and digital coupons.”
Harris Teeter will close stores at 8 p.m., as opposed to its usual 12 a.m. closing, the chain tweeted.
Harris Teeter declared a max of three of three purchases for water, toilet tissue, canned meat, pasta, cleaning supplies and Airborne, cold, flu and allergy medicines.
The company’s definition of at-risk is “pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems, who have been advised to avoid leaving home as much as possible,” along with senior citizens. Find a local Safeway.
Early hours, 8-9 amas well as pick-up ordering.
Every Wednesday, Target is reserving the first hour after stores open for vulnerable groups to shop. Target will close all stores an hour early by 9 p.m. to allow for restocking and cleaning.
Trader Joe’s changed its hours to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and stopped its practice of offering food samples.
Walgreens is reducing hours for all stores, including 24-hour locations, and will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. The 24-hour drive-through pharmacies will remain open.
The hours for each store will be posted on its website.
Walmart reduced its hours for its stores and Neighborhood Market stores, shortening the operating hours from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
On Tuesdays from March 24 to April 28, Walmart will let customers who are 60 or over shop one hour before the stores open. Pharmacies and vision centers will be open at this time, too.
Walmart said it would keep its prices fair as well.
Wegmans announced that it would shorten its store hours to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., eliminating the 6 a.m. hour for shoppers.
Those who are 60 years old or older can now shop at Whole Foods stores an hour before it opens to the general public. For example, if a store’s new hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., customers who are 60 or older can shop starting at 7 a.m.
Whole Foods stores will close up to two hours early to give our employees more time to restock shelves. Whole Foods has shut down its in-store dining options.
That means the temporary closure of hot bars, salad bars, soup bars and self-serve pizza. Seated restaurant venues and taprooms will close for in-store dining but will offer takeout.
Indoor and outdoor café seating Whole Foods will be temporarily unavailable, and self-serve offerings will be closed in additional departments, including antipasti & olive bars, acai machines and poke bowls.
Fresh Market Bradlee has early hours (8-9am) as well as pick-up ordering. This was announced March 12th. https://www.thefreshmarket.com/tfm-covid-19
Thank you for the information. I have updated our story with your information.