A grocery store worker is asking residents not to panic buy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ethan Watson, an overnight stocker, says orders have easily doubled in items since the pandemic started.
“There is no problem with the supply chain itself, it’s just the panic buying. There’s no need to go out and just buy everything you need all at once,” he said.
Watson said since the pandemic started, he’s seeing a shift in the overbuying of toilet paper to baking supplies such as flour.
“Do your normal shopping, get a couple extra things and that’s it, that way you’re not having such a big impact on the supply chain, mostly us, because we have to scramble all night,” he said.
Watson said he’s been impressed with the response of the companies to COVID-19 especially concerning worker and customer health.
“Just a couple nights ago, I actually watched them put in the sneeze barriers if you will, the Plexiglas in between the cashiers and the people coming into the store,” he said.
Watson said he’ll keep working as much as possible and if he gets COVID-19 he’ll stay home.
He said he hopes people continue to social distance and that they will resist the urge to panic-buy items, so he and his coworkers don’t have to scramble overnight.
