HOUSTON — Several grocery stores are modifying their hours to make sure they can restock their shelves.
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Here are what the different stores are doing.
Food Town says that while they have abbreviated 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. hours to keep stores stocked, they will open from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. just for our senior citizens. More details here. Check store locations.
EFFECTIVE MONDAY April 27, H-E-B's temporary store hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pharmacies will open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. M-F, and follow their weekend hours. Strong health and safety protocols, including sanitizing and social distancing, will still be in practice.
Kroger announced they are also adjusting their store hours in order to meet customer's needs. All Houston division Kroger stores will open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. until further notice.
Randalls announced that starting Sunday, March 15, they're going to modified store hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day until further notice.
Target has announced reduced store hours so they can keep items stocked. They are also devoting the first hour of every Wednesday to their most vulnerable shoppers. Details here.
Walmart is changing its hours and offering special shopping hours for seniors who need to stock up on supplies, the company announced March 18. The national chain will now open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. each day to allow its staff the chance to restock its stores.
Every Tuesday, starting March 24 through April 28, Walmart will host an hour-long shopping event an hour before the store opens dedicated solely for people age 60 and older. Store pharmacies and vision centers will be open during this time, too.
Stores across the U.S. will also be limiting purchases for cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, diapers, wipes, formula, baby food, paper products, milk, eggs and water.
Most stores open at 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. depending on location (check company website for hours). Also, "starting on Wednesday, March 18, all Whole Foods Market stores in the U.S. and Canada will service customers who are 60 and older one hour before opening to the public." Most stores in the U.S. close at 8 p.m.
Grocery stores, city leaders ask public to not 'panic buy'
To combat empty shelves at grocery stores, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is waiving some trucking regulations to help expedite delivery of resources around Texas.
H-E-B and Kroger have asked the public to keep calm and to not buy more than what is needed.
"H-E-B has been preparing for coronavirus for several months and we are in a strong position to keep replenishing our shelves. Customers should not panic, we have the ability to restock shelves and encourage our customers to remain calm. H-E-B Partners are ready to help Texas slow the spread," the grocery chain said in a statement.
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H-E-B also tweeted its customers, asking them to "leave some" behind for others: "We encourage preparedness, not stockpiling – please buy what you need & leave some for your neighbor behind you."
Kroger is sharing a similar message with its customers, reminding shoppers the grocer has been working around-the-clock to keep store shelves stocked.
The store activated its preparedness plan several weeks ago and continues to work closely with its vendors to keep supplies replenished, according to a statement.
“We want Houstonians to know that we’re here for our customers and communities when they need us most, with open stores and openhearted hospitality. That’s why our teams are working so hard to keep our stores clean, open and stocked,” Kroger Houston Division President Joe Kelley said. “We’d like to take this opportunity to also remind our customers that we are all in this together and to please take into consideration the needs of their fellow Houstonians.”