Rowe’s IGA Supermarkets changed its hours to 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and its five area stores are operating on a day-to-day basis, owner Rob Rowe said late March 20.
“Stores are overrun, we cannot keep up,” Rowe said by email. “Hours will change as conditions change, meaning if a truck comes in midday, we will close to restock.”
As customers cope with the coronavirus outbreak, meat and produce are in top demand.
“We cannot prepare enough meat products to meet demand,” he said.
“Our meat teams need time to produce without interruptions in order to maintain the majority needs,” he said.
Products from manufacturers are limited, “virtually no eggs, no bread, all manufacturers are cutting more and more products.”
He said if a manufacturer normally makes 20 items, “they are only making the top three to five flavors. We will have no more than 50% variety in coming weeks. Everything will be very basic at best and that is on what we can get.”
Opening at 10 a.m. allows store employees “to get the best presentation and ample product out for our customers.”
He said the stores are on a window to reorder. “Most everything we are doing now is blind orders, hoping we get 60% of what we order,” he said.
And once business starts, “we cannot maintain the stock levels of fresh products. We must have significant product processed in order to meet demand when the doors open.”
Hours will be adjusted as needed.
“Supply is stressed to say the least," Rowe said.
