Texas grocer H-E-B rations some purchases due to bad weather
Texas supermarket chain H-E-B is closing some stores, curtailing the hours of others and limiting customer purchases of items from brisket to propane tanks due to the severe weather and power outages battering the state.
The retailer's changes in operation follow a major winter storm that has residents and businesses alike grappling with some of the coldest temperatures in decades in the Lone Star State, where nearly 3 million homes and business remain without power.
H-E-B — which runs more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico — listed 23 stores in Austin and Central Texas as temporarily closed as of Wednesday afternoon, along with nine stores in San Antonio.
Some of its other stores were opening later and closing earlier because of the dangerous ice storms wreaking havoc in the state.
The retailer is also restricting purchases of more than a dozen products, telling customers they could only buy up to two of each food item including brisket, chitterlings, water, eggs, milk and bread. Sales of propane tanks and disinfectants were also limited to two.
Here's the full list of limited-purchase items:
Food items (all H-E-B stores)
- Brisket – Limit 2
- Frozen Chitterlings 5 LB – Limit 2
- Frozen Chitterlings 10 LB – Limit 2
- Water Gallons – Limit 2
- Water multipack – Limit 2
- Baby Water Gallons – Limit 2
- Baby Water multipack – Limit 2
- Eggs – Limit 2
- Milk – Limit 2
- Bread – Limit 2
Non-food items (all H-E-B stores)
- Propane Tanks – Limit 2
- Aerosol disinfectant sprays – 2 items
- (Isopropyl) Alcohol swabs – 2 items
- First Aid and Cleaning Gloves – 2 items
- Trial & Travel Size Disinfectant Wipes/Sprays – Limit 2
