Coronavirus: Target joins Harris Teeter, Walmart and other stores in reducing hours
Harris Teeter, Publix, Lowes Foods, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Lidl, Aldi, Fresh Market and Wegmans grocery store chains, in addition to Walmart and Target retail stores, are shrinking hours as the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread.
Here’s what we know as of March 19 about new hours at the local chains. We will update this story as information becomes available.
▪ An online notice posted by the Matthews-based Harris Teeter on March 18, notes that the new store hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. effective immediately and until further notice.
▪ Publix is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
▪ All Wegmans stores across the country are now open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Employees will use the extra time to clean stores and restock products.
▪ Walmart announced that as of March 18, that all stores will open 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Stores that open later than 7 a.m. will continue their regular starting hours. (Starting March 24 through April 28, Walmart will have a one-hour senior shopping event each Tuesday for customers aged 60 and older. This will start one hour before the store opens, with pharmacies and Vision Centers also open during that time.)
▪ Trader Joe’s has also reduced hours to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. “to support our Crew Members in taking care of one another and our customers.”
▪ Lowe’s Foods announced it would reduce store hours as well, keeping stores open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. until further notice.
▪ Germany-based Lidl announced that store hours would reduce to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to give workers more time to clean and restock.
▪ Target, the Minneapolis-based retail chain, said that all of their stores will close at 9 p.m. effective March 18, to allow workers more time to clean and restock. The store will also devote the first shopping hour of each Wednesday to vulnerable guests, which Target defines as “elderly and those with underlying health concerns.”
▪ Whole Foods says its stores will “close up to two hours early to give our Team Members more time to restock shelves, sanitize our stores and rest in preparation for the next day.” Store hours vary location to location, so check with your closest Whole Foods to see what the new closing time will be. (Whole Foods is letting seniors aged 60 and over shop at their stores one hour before the store opens each day.)
▪ Greensboro-based Fresh Market announced new store hours on March 18. New hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The store is also devoting the first shopping hour each day to seniors “and other individuals most at risk (those with chronic health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes).” The store is asking those who are not in those categories to wait until 9 a.m. to shop.
▪ Germany-based ALDI stores across the U.S. will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily to accommodate restocking and cleaning.
[These stores offer special shopping hours for seniors because of coronavirus].
Food Lion continues regular store hours
When reached on March 14, a spokesperson for Food Lion, a Salisbury, N.C.-based chain with the largest market share in the Triangle after Walmart, was not aware of any changes to store hours.
The latest update on the Food Lion website does not indicate changes to store hours as of March 19.
Food Lion sent an email to customers outlining new cleaning practices and promising to try to keep shelves stocked.
“As you can imagine, certain high-demand items, such as household cleaning products, may temporarily be out of stock, but we are working as fast as possible to restock our shelves with these items.”
This story will continue to update.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Coronavirus: Target joins Harris Teeter, Walmart and other stores in reducing hours."
