Grocery Stores Prepare For Potential Second Coronavirus Wave
WAKEFIELD (CBS) - Grocery stores are preparing for what could be a second wave of the coronavirus. The key ingredient this time though, they will not be caught off guard.
Disinfecting wipes, cleaning supplies and paper towels are still missing off the shelves.
"On and off, sometimes even napkins are on and off," shopper Robert Parris said.
Those in charge of stocking them now preparing to add even more items to each order.
"I'm anticipating a shortage in canned tomatoes. That's been a difficult item to get. Rice has also been difficult to get," said Caterina Benitez, manager of Farmland, a family owned grocery store in Wakefield.
She said if coronavirus creeps up again, prices will rise.
"Produce is very difficult to predict. Meat prices have also fluctuated. Pork is still not up to production. Bacon has been very difficult to get. So that's an item you may want to stock up and freeze," she added.
She says it all comes down to the supply. "It's simply that we can't keep up with the production and you have to know that a lot of factories are not up to full production," she added.
Chain grocery stores are also feeling the blow. A statement from Roche Bros. said in part: "We are building pre-orders and any product that we can secure now is being purchased and palletized for holiday use… Of course, we are still trying to recover from the existing shortages in paper and cleaning supplies."
Though holiday gatherings may be up in the air, the advice remains, get it while it's hot.
"If you're going to bake. Buy flour now, buy yeast now...vanilla extract it's all those things that you don't expect," Benitez said.
Without losing mind of common courtesy that is.
"As long as there is no hoarding I think we will be OK," Robert Parris added.
Another thing to keep in mind. If there's something you consider essential and buy all year, stock up because it may not be as available in coming season.
"They'll be focusing on the items that are hot right now. So during the summer for instance we didn't have soups but now the soups are coming back because they started production on those again— so they are going to cut back on some summer items," Benitez added.
