Safe grocery shopping

[Ellener]

The message below from our biggest local supermarket here; I think it would be better if the aisles had directional arrows too! though I've just been going the other way if someone takes too long or is in a group.

'Our associates – from the ones behind the scenes like our technology, supply chain and manufacturing experts…to our amazing, dedicated store teams – are working around the clock to provide you with access to fresh, affordable food and products. Thanks to everyone who has shared an uplifting story with me about our helpful associates.

As an essential business, we’re also taking additional steps to help keep our customers and associates safe and to flatten the curve. For example, earlier this week we announced that we’re limiting the number of people in our stores at a time by 50% or more, to allow for better physical distancing.

When you shop with us, we ask that you consider a few small things to help you get in and out of the store more quickly. Please shop responsibly, make a list and only purchase what you need. And when possible, shop alone or go to Kroger.com to schedule a pickup or delivery order.'

[Lurve]

All of that stuff is overkill for me. I go to the supermarket once a week, with a disposable mask and gloves. I put all the items on my shelves and throw away the bags and gloves. Then use them freely from them on. I figure that the risk is really minor - there is still low to no community spread in Australia. 

[preraph]

I look at the grocer's apps every day to see if they are listing TP for pickup or delivery, and finally 3 days ago, Tom Thumb/Albertson's was.  I picked it up today and actually got some, though not the brands I ordered (don't care about that), but that is the first time they have made TP available to those of us who really are quarantining without having to go in the store.  Now, today, even though they brought me mine to my car, I looked while sitting there waiting and they no longer had it available for order, but if anyone has those stores, you can keep changing the store location, even with items in your cart, and it will adjust stock for each store.  For example, say I had six items.  I switched to another store, and it only filled 5 of those items at that store.  So at least their app is good for shopping the different locations if you need a particular item.  I wish I had asked the guy how I got TP when there's none listed today.  I want to understand if they're pulling some of the dry goods ahead of time or what.  That would be good to know.  I wish I'd asked.  He did tell me back that day I ordered they got in a huge shipment of TP and paper towels.  I did see someone walking out with paper towels today, but none is listed for online order today for pickup or delivery.  I just think maybe it's all very disorganized.  

[preraph]

Hey, I'm enough of a miser that this kind of thing really bugs me.  I like the Winco brand double roll toilet paper and it was $4.59, I believe.  Might have the cents wrong.  12 rolls.  So stocked up as usual and the covid came.  Winco doesn't take credit cards, just debit, so I guess that's why they aren't doing parking lot pickup or delivery or anything.  So can't get that.  I also like some old-fashioned pastel napkins that come in a huge deal for $2-something.  Nowhere else have them.  But covid is too bad to go there or in anywhere.  So in the process of having to order random TP during the shortage, I got some from Tom Thumb called Softly that is the same as the Winco brand -- but it costs 2.50 more!!  It just irks me, that's all.  I really can't complain since they do pretty good at TT and their pickup is free.  Looked all over online trying to find someone else who has it, some dollar store or something, but not all of them show the real photo but just graphics so can't see the pattern to know.  That's how you tell, the size package and the pattern. 

I had to order 91% alcohol from ebay!  I wonder how they're able to buy enough to horde from Sam's to resell it.  I bet it's employees doing it. Marked up of course.  You can get a gallon online for about $50.  But that's too big for me to handle, though it's good not just for my ears but also good to rub boxes of groceries with.  

 

I online ordered some of the good medical masks today.  I haven't seen them much where I live on people, but when I was out of state, seems like everybody had one, so I ordered a few and hope they come in . I also got an eye shield.  

[Ellener]

@preraph all our stores are stocked with everything except Lysol spray. The bleach still sells out faster than it used to. The hand sanitiser is up in price but coming down gradually, I bought one at $2.49 yesterday which would have cost a dollar before this...masks are from $8 for 10. There are fashion versions everywhere now! Most people are still wearing them here indoors, but I don't wear mine to walk. Some people do, and we have to wear one to use the gym here. I always carry one though and I'd put it on if it was making someone uncomfortable. There's a whole new body language of noticing how people respond to things! 

I don't think I am going to be back at work any time soon, but if I could the eye shield might be useful, I need to make eye contact and smile. Singing projects the virus so I probably won't be doing that for a while. 

[The Outlaw]

I keep my distance and wear my trusty hazmat suit just in case. Sure, a few people seem to just lose their minds but at least I'm safe. 👍

[preraph]

I wish I had one of those!  I can just see me in one at my favorite restaurant. 

[The Outlaw]

I almost forgot - my hazmat suit is a psychiatric ward issue. Never can be too careful anymore. Anywhere. 🤪 I'm sorry I just couldn't resist. I'm kinda bored today. Tryin' to lighten the mood. 

Edited June 20, 2020 by The Outlaw

[lana-banana]

Grocery stores here are fine. We have senior shopping hours; most are within the first hour of opening while some are only the first hour one or two days a week. Large stores have directional arrows on the ground that almost no one follows. The main goal just seems to be avoiding crowds. The hippie co-ops are generally much better experiences than the major chain stores. 

Now that the farmers' markets are open (with masks, distanced lines and very restricted numbers of customers at a time) I feel a lot better about shopping. We have a very solid pantry so weekly shopping is usually just a matter of getting the produce we need. It feels much safer than being in a grocery store.

Where we are, the supply chains have finally caught up---we can get pretty much everything and the shelves are stocked as they always were. We can get everything except for sanitizing wipes, which I haven't seen on shelves since March. I'll feel relieved once we see those again.

[Ellener]

2 hours ago, The Outlaw said:

I almost forgot - my hazmat suit is a psychiatric ward issue. Never can be too careful anymore. Anywhere. 🤪 I'm sorry I just couldn't resist. I'm kinda bored today. Tryin' to lighten the mood. 

Listen man, wait until you've developed an anxiety disorder and almost all my meltdowns at that time happened in grocery stores, I could not get people to do the most basic hygiene and finally resorted to yelling 'please don't touch my stuff!' One guy at Kroger licked his fingers and opened up all the check-out bags, I pointed out that was a terrible contamination in the presence of food and it became a joke to him. A few weeks later he developed an infection in his hands and a customer complained about that...by this time I'm friendly with a lot of the staff so they'd tell me their gossip. They made him wear plastic gloves even before Covid.

Another friend had already told me he was a horrible racist homophobe so I was curious, one day I got talking to him about my work and he was a 'failed' concert pianist.

I'm convinced more and more that all these disaffected people are undermining civilisation.

Still bored? 🤣

I used to tell my son 'being bored is the sign of an empty mind!' Maybe that's why he's not visiting me much these days?! He did give me his degree certificate 🤱🏿so it makes up for everything 🤣

[preraph]

Typical Kroger parking lot pickup is if you order two of something, you only get one.  They're not reading the perfectly clear packing slip that's right in front of them.  

Today was a change.  I ordered one Vidalia onion and they gave me 3 lbs of some other onion.  I didn't say to substitute.  They just do what they want.  I guess some of the pickers can't read or something.  I spent the next 45 minutes getting it taken off my bill, just on principle.  When I called the pickup manager of the day, she said maybe they could retrain the picker who did it, and I said, You need to train them all because it's never right because they're not reading the quantities or whether it's substitute-allowed or not.  

 

I do much better at Tom Thumb Albertson's.  The Walmart nearest me closed temporarily because they had so many covid-19 employees and they're having the store santized, but that doesn't fix the employees.  It's still just getting worse here.  

Once the virus dissipates they'll go back to charging for parking lot pickup.  It was $9 at Kroger before this.  Not worth it.  I can get Albertson's to deliver and carry the groceries right on inside (once it's not covid) for half that.