Due to a recent COVID spike across the country, various grocers have decided to bring back purchase limits on various high demand products such as toilet paper, cleaning wipes, paper towels, and hand soap among others. This week, 43 states across the country reported new COVID surges by 10% and with that the average daily number of new cases has soared 34% over the past week. With these new cases and the trend appearing to be on the rise, grocers have made the decision to start limiting various products in an effort to prevent people from stockpiling products and allow fair distribution. When the virus first hit, you were hard pressed to find toilet paper, cleaning wipes, and disinfectant spray and when you did find those magical items, they did not last long on the shelves! Ever since the mass stock piling by thousands and thousands of Americans last Spring, various distributors have been trying to keep up ever since. Many distributors such as Clorox, are still not at a place where they can keep up with ongoing demand.
The Grocers that have officially begun placing limits on products again:
Kroger:
-Max 2 items per customer on these products:
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towels
- Hand Soap
- Disinfecting Wipes
H-E-B:
-limits on these items:
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towels
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Cleaning Gloves
- Hand Soap
- Disinfecting Wipes
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- First Aid Kits
The Giant Company (out of Pennsylvania):
-limits on these items:
- One Bundle of Toilet Paper
- One Bundle of 6 rolls of Paper Towels or Larger
- Up to four single rolls or 4-roll packs of toilet paper and paper towels
Market Basket:
- No specifics on items but they said this: "We have placed limits on a small amount of items that are in the highest demand such as hard sanitizers and disinfecting wipes. Please know that our Purchasing Team will continue to work diligently on any items that are affected."
More from Market Basket on COVID updates, HERE.
Stop & Shop:
- limit 5 per item on key items. This could include toilet paper, paper towels, disinfectant items, hand soap, and more.
- They had this to say about demands: "Manufacturers have instituted nationwide limitations on a number of products. That means we can't always get enough to meet demand. As a result, we currently have limits in place for many items and are asking customers to be mindful when they shop."
More on COVID updates from Stop & Shop, HERE.
Whole Foods:
- -They had this to say about their product limits: "In order to serve more customers, we are limiting the purchase quantities of high-demand items."
More about Whole Foods COVID handling, HERE.
Wegmans:
- limits on purchasing Toilet Paper & Paper Towels
More from Wegmans about their COVID policies, HERE.
These are the latest updates on product limits and how various grocers are handling it. A word of advice for you, be prepared for these product limits to take affect and also please be mindful of whether or not you really need to stock pile up on these items and cause others to be without...take only what you need and do not be selfish during these tough times. If people do not stock pile, there will be more available for everyone when they need it. Also use things mindfully; do not waste products. For example you do not need to wipe down your surfaces every hour in your home and therefore do not need a high amount of disinfectant wipes or disinfectant spray. Use things sparingly and smartly.
-Producer Lightning
Photos: Getty Images