Early Shoppers Report Bare Shelves, Lack of Supplies
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Shoppers leave a branch of Sainsbury's supermarket after an early "Elderly and vulnerable shopper" period, ahead of the regular opening on March 19, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Shoppers who were taking advantage of the early shopping hours this morning at certain stores were reporting empty shelves and lack of supplies. Thanks to NBC10 in RI, they talked to several shoppers saying their experience was not so great. “I think this was the best intentioned plan with the worst possible outcome,” the shopper said. They reported a full parking lot, ” no toilet paper or bottled water and that there were so many people in the store that shoppers had to wait for carts.”
A representative for Stop & Shop told NBC 10 News that the supermarket chain was preparing a statement.
Shoppers at other locations in RI were reporting similar shortages. One store had some paper goods, but no hamburger, a shopper said. Another store had no paper goods or bread.
A 20 year radio veteran in the Boston market, Melissa has made notable media appearances including serving as a judge and correspondent on the Emmy Award-winning TV show Community Auditions, Phantom Gourmet, Chronicle and many more. Additionally, Melissa won a Gracie Award in 2019 for her tremendous success in radio. She is also a cheerleading coach at Pro Athletics All Stars and for the Taunton Pop Warner program. Melissa likes to write about trending celebrity topics, personal stories, and Boston-area features.