On Friday, March 13, several grocery stores around Clovis, including Save Mart, Vons, Costco and FoodMaxx were out of toilet paper and water.
Save Mart, which owns FoodMaxx, said the company is hiring close to 1,000 employees to meet the increased demand. The new positions include drivers, warehouse team members and in-store positions.
Victoria Castro, a public information officer with Save Mart, said, “Our stores are seeing a higher demand for cleaning and personal hygiene products from our customers. We are working diligently with our vendors and suppliers to ensure the ongoing availability of the high demand products.”
She continued, “If customers do not see a specific product on our shelves one day, they can be assured that we are working continuously so that it will be on the next day.”
Experts say national food shortages are unlikely, though supply chains are getting stretched like never before as demand for items such as water, toilet paper and frozen foods continues to increase.
“Allen Adamson, a consumer brand consultant who teaches at New York University’s Stern School of Business, told The Washington Post, “Consumers’ irrational behavior will certainly do more damage than reality will.”