While the economy is in a major slump due to coronavirus spread, grocery stores are thriving. The need for basic necessities, cleaning supplies, food and medicine has kept grocers hopping during this time of social distancing. Salisbury-based Food Lion employs 63,000 people at more than 1,000 stores in 10 states in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic. It is part of the U.S. division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Royal Ahold Delhaize Group.
Matt Harakal, manager of Food Lion’s external communications, gave some insight into how the grocer is adapting to the pandemic in a Q&A.
Many grocers say they’ve seen a big uptick in customers since coronavirus was reported in North Carolina. What has been Food Lion’s experience compared with a normal year?
I can’t share any specific sales numbers, but generally speaking our stores continue to be very busy both in-store and through Food Lion To-Go’s pickup and delivery options. Our stores are working to ensure they have associates available to sanitize, restock and otherwise serve customers and are hiring new associates and adding additional associate hours as needed.
How are you responding to the increased traffic? Increased/decreased hours? Hiring more staff?
To make it easy for customers, Food Lion offers our convenient Food Lion To-Go grocery pickup service in 208 stores, and delivery services in about one quarter of our footprint. We know our customers count on us, and our stores continue to be very busy both in-store and through Food Lion To-Go’s pickup and delivery options. The increase in demand may limit some pickup and delivery windows. Customers are still able to select the most convenient available time for whichever option they choose. Also, because of increased demand, some items shown online may be out of stock. Your personal shopper will assist with substitutions where available.
Generally speaking, stores are working to ensure they have associates available to support increased Food Lion To-Go orders, sanitize, restock and otherwise serve customers and are adding additional associate hours on a case-by-case basis as needed.
Some stores are having special hours for the elderly and immunocompromised. Is Food Lion offering anything along those lines to customers?
At this time, our stores are open to all customers during our normal hours of operation.
What are the most popular items people are purchasing? Have you had trouble keeping up with the demand? Any limit on the number of certain products people can buy?
We have implemented a two-item limit on certain high-demand categories in order to serve as many of our customers as possible. These categories include paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels, household cleaning products including bleach and peroxide and some food items such as eggs and some fresh meat items.
Is Food Lion taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of the virus? Extra janitorial services? Cleaning down carts? Extra sanitation for employees?
We continue to implement guidance from local, state and national health authorities including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We are intensely focused on taking every step possible to provide a safe and clean environment to serve our customers during this time of need, and have increased the frequency of our cleaning procedures and added even more rigorous practices. Our associates are regularly disinfecting high-touch areas in our stores. We are working to ensure sanitizing wipes are available in stores and encourage customers to use them as a precaution.
