Will Grocery Stores Close For Coronavirus?

As the coronavirus outbreak spreads throughout the U.S., it has continued to touch almost every facet of our lives. Perhaps most noticeably, grocery stores have seen high volumes of shoppers looking to prepare for longer stints at home. The crowds, in addition to guidelines from state and local authorities, have prompted many stores to change their hours to make sure stores can be cleaned and restocked and employees can stay healthy.

Below, we’ve outlined some of the changes in store hours and policies. It’s worth noting that this is a constantly changing situation, so we will update as much as we can, but your local store could be operating differently. It’s always best to check before making a trip.

Finally, you should only be visiting the grocery store if you’re feeling healthy and only if you truly need to. Don’t hoard items and be sure to wash your hands often and wipe down carts and baskets.

Target

Store hours will be normal, but the chains has placed limits on products like hand sanitizer, toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, bottled water, and more.

Albertsons

Stores will be open with normal hours but the chain is “asking customers to respect quantity limits of select, high-demand items (like hand sanitizers and household cleaners).”

Whole Foods

The company will keeps its locations’ hours generally as normal but is temporarily suspending hot bars and salad bars as well as indoor and outdoor seating. Hours could vary by location.

Wal-Mart

Stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. until further notice. Also important to note the chain has “authorized our store managers to manage their inventory, including the discretion to limit sales quantities on items that are in unusually high demand.”

Aldi

Some Aldi locations may be temporarily closed or have adjusted store hours, according to a statement but no exact locations were given. Please contact your local store for more details.

Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s will adjust its hours to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Kroger

The chain has updated its store hours in some locations “based on local circumstances.” You can see which stores are affected here. It is also limited how many “cold, flu and sanitary products” customers can get per order.

Publix

Stores will now close at 8 p.m. Select items will also be subject to purchase limits.

Wegmans

Some store locations will see changes to their hours and the chain has also implemented two-item purchase limits on certain products. You can read more about it here.

Harris Teeter

The stores locations will close at 9 p.m.