Water, snow shovels selling fast ahead of Friday’s storm. Grocery stores slammed
If you tried to shop ahead of the storm Thursday night, you no doubt were greeted with empty shelves.
Multiple photos on social media showed bare shelves at stores from Trader Joe’s to Safeway, from Tacoma to Seattle.
Gig Harbor’s Fred Meyer was showing the strains of people preparing not to leave their homes for the weekend, with empty shelves in the meat department, water aisle and produce.
Jeffery Temple, Fred Meyer communications representative, told The News Tribune on Friday morning that “stores got a lot of extra business yesterday for sure. Most Fred Meyer stores get loads daily, and we are doing everything we can to restock as quickly as possible.
“We expect today to be another big day but it often can slow down once snow starts accumulating.”
A QFC representative said his stores were working to “get restocked as quickly as possible.”
Washington Emergency Management took to Twitter on Friday to remind people of the essentials.
Hardware stores also were hard-pressed to keep winter prep items in stock.
“No snow shovels, or kid’s sleds, but we have an order of rock salt coming at 10,” said a store representative who answered the phone Friday morning at Oakbrook Ace Hardware in Lakewood.
This story was originally published February 8, 2019 at 9:46 AM.
