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LAS14

(13,783 posts)
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 09:29 AM Apr 2020

Not all grocery stores are alike!

I shop at Star/Shaw, Trader Joe's and Stop and Shop. The first two have had spacing markers on the floor as far back as lines go, and sanitize the carts, and everyone is now wearing masks. I hadn't been to the last one since the pandemic began. I was shocked that there were no spacing markers beyond the checkout counter but more shocked that half the employees were not wearing masks. I spoke to the manager about it and he said the stores supply them, but they are optional. He was wearing one. I urged him to make it mandatory, but he said that was the guidance from management. I wish I'd thought fast enough to ask him if he understood that it's not for the protection of the worker, it's for the protection of other workers and customers nearby, but, as usual, I didn't think of it till I'd left.

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Ohiogal

(31,988 posts)
1. I have not seen masks
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 10:16 AM
Apr 2020

On the majority of cashiers here, either. In fact yesterday I stopped to buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner and none of the cashiers were wearing masks and I and two other customers were the only ones wearing masks. They all were wearing gloves.

Buckeye_Democrat

(14,853 posts)
2. I saw NOBODY else wearing a mask at my local Kroger's...
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 10:20 AM
Apr 2020

... earlier this week. I was the only person wearing a mask out of the 100+ other people that I saw in that store.

I hope it’s better NOW.

Alliepoo

(2,216 posts)
5. Nope. It's not.
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 10:40 AM
Apr 2020

Got a text from my daughter early this morning that Giant Eagle (SE Cbus area)had tp and Clorox wipes. I live closer so I ran over to try to get some. Wish I hadn’t. I’m freaking out that I breathed in cv germs. People are not keeping their distance, or covering their coughs, or wearing masks. There were 2 couples and me that had on masks. That’s it. Governor DeWine and Dr Acton have been telling people to mask up. Doesn’t seem that folks are listening. And to the iggy dude that coughed right out loud-my preschool grandkids know to cover their cough. Why don’t you? And I did get tp and paper towels but no Clorox wipes. Hoping I didn’t get cv... On edit. They did have an employee handing out wipes. I asked where her mask was and she had a bandana around her neck. Plexiglass shields were present but cashier was not wearing a mask or gloves. Also had spacing decals on the floor.

Ohiogal

(31,988 posts)
13. I am no fan of DeWine
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 12:08 PM
Apr 2020

But he listens to the experts,at least. And Dr. Acton campaigned for Obama, I heard. So that is true bipartisanship at work there. DeWine actually told us that going to church in these times is “Un Christian” and that surprised me. I’m glad we don’t live in a state where the R governor is a jerk face in denial. I laughed at your mention of preschoolers already knowing how to cough into their elbow. Maybe some adults could learn from the preschoolers.

I am still disillusioned at the number of people not covering up their nose and mouth out in public. Although, granted, masks are impossible to come by and they should go to healthcare workers first. I got some strange looks at Giant Eagle yesterday, wearing my homemade mask, well I don’t care what they think.

ProfessorGAC

(65,010 posts)
3. I've Seen Some
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 10:34 AM
Apr 2020

However, many stores have put up the plexiglass shields, separating direct line of flow between customer & cashier.
The small grocer 8 blocks from our house doesn't, but they've got a posting on front door apologizing. The shields they ordered didn't show up as promised.
Probably a bit of a backlog with thousands of stores ordering at once.
I probably only see one in six with a face covering, among customers.

Tree-Hugger

(3,370 posts)
4. Trader Joe's has been aggressive
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 10:35 AM
Apr 2020

They only allow a minimum number in at a time, cashiers are all spaced apart (in normal times, they were back to back), someone is at the entrance at all times wiping carts. They had been hand sanitizing everyone on the way in an out, but last week they only offered a cart wipe. They were the best stocked store. No masks on employees. Everything is wiped down between customers.

Wegmans has a ton of hand sanitizer stations in the store. They have a line system as well. There's a security guard that enforces item limits. No masks on employees. Everything is wiped down between employees.

Target is okay. I think they are going to limit customers this week. Otherwise, they were wiping carts constantly, had space markers at cashiers, and wiped everything between customers. No masks for employees.


My husband works for a grocer. He just started last month and we really need the money, especially because I was laid off. They have line areas taped off, a senior only line, and some cashiers wear gloves. Ew. He is unsure if cashier lanes wipe down between each customer (I don't shop there so I can't say). He store was selling masks for $10, but he couldn't get one. He finally was given two masks for an 8 hour shift on Friday. There were none left after that. He's considering leaving because they are not serious about employee PPE. He's on an ACE inhibitor, which I read is either beneficial or damning. I have minor heart issues that shouldn't be a problem, but I'm extra anxious. We're in our 40's. My dad has health concerns that may have an immune component. We just lost my mom in January so we're all on edge. He's going to talk to a union rep about it. My husband is not a very good person anymore so my big worry is what would happen to my kids if something happens to me. I never thought that my husband working at a grocery store would scare me so much.

blogslut

(38,000 posts)
6. To anyone who finds themselves in such a situation, say this:
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 10:44 AM
Apr 2020

"Tell management, I will not shop here until this store protects their customers and employees better". And if you have not checked out, leave your cart and go.

Green Line

(1,123 posts)
7. Stop and Shop is probably the most poorly managed grocery store of all of them
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 10:54 AM
Apr 2020

Not just during this time, but also in normal times.

Hotler

(11,420 posts)
8. I went to two stores yesterday.
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 10:54 AM
Apr 2020

A Sprouts and a King Soopers (Kroger), the Sprouts is about 2/3 the size of the Kroger. Sprouts had on set of doors for going in and, one set of doors out only. All the employees were wearing masks and gloves supplied by management. They had employees at the door wiping down the carts and baskets after use. And they had lines on the floor and shields at the checkouts. And almost all the shoppers had mask on.

Kroger; some employees had mask on and they looked home made. I didn't see lines on the floor, and I didn't see shields at the checkouts. I went through self-checkout and I wasn't paying attention to the floor markings. They did have a big sign at the door saying if you are sick or don't feel well to not enter and then there was blahblahblah......

Beringia

(4,316 posts)
9. My sister said 2 employees of a nearby WalMart died last week
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 11:29 AM
Apr 2020

a city a little south and west of Chicago.

I was in a big grocery story myself the other day. None of the workers had masks, but many shoppers did.

LAS14

(13,783 posts)
10. Wow! I guess I should consider myself lucky after all, since at least 3/4 of the...
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 11:56 AM
Apr 2020

.. customers were wearing masks.

malaise

(268,966 posts)
12. Once there's an emergency - hurricane, etc., I use the small supermarket near home
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 12:08 PM
Apr 2020

because I've been shopping there for close to 30 years and know the owners. They only allow 10 people at a time, use a remote thermometer to check you out, offer you sanitizer or let you use yours, then sanitize the cart before giving you.

They no longer work on the weekend.

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