Shortages in the grocery stores...

[seattleshaver]

I live in Seattle and my local grocery store hasn't had many shortages. Initially toilet paper was in short supply (just like everywhere else) but soon that was resolved and there really hasn't been any shortage in my neighborhood.

My ex-wife lives just outside Phoenix and they are still having a lot of shortages. Is she the exception or am I?

What is it like in your area?

 

[Aldwyn]

Central Maryland: Still shortages of TP and paper towels. Add to that flour, yeast, ANYTHING anti-bacterial. Meats go quickly too. Still lots of places with empty shelves.

 

[Black Adder]

Here in Minnesota, not too bad. Certain areas of the market are empty, canned goods like soup and such. There was a slight panic about meat for a couple of days, and my sister in law couldn't find some stuff she wanted, but stocks are getting better. I told the wife that we just didn't need to panic; we never ran out of toilet paper, and we're not going hungry, for which I'm grateful.

Don

 

[Mick]

We have been ordering online and picking up the order outside since February.

There are always a few "not in stock" items on every order.

The latest is gallon size milk. We go through 3-4 gallons a week.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Stocks can be hit and miss in certain products, but the only item I really struggled with was flour. I did manage to get some eventually though.

I've also had to get alternatives for some other stuff. The pasta I wanted had sold out, but I got a different type. I got pot barley instead of pearl barley, an alternate breakfast cereal, that kind of thing. No real issue for me.

 

[KUfan]

Central Nebraska, where beef and pigs are everywhere. Yet my trip to the local supermarket today revealed numerous out-of-stocks in both beef and pork sections, along with cold cuts like bologna, salami, ham, and sausage-type meats like hot dogs, brats, and summer sausages. Bacon was pretty thin. And this store (a small chain) sources their meat from processors close by, like JBS and Smithfield. A recent article from the local newspaper stated Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and Iowa combined supply just over 70 percent of the beef and pork consumed in this country. So if supply at the grocer is short and spotty out here where most of the country's meat is raised and processed, serious shortages are soon to hit, if they haven't already, the populated areas of our nation and both coasts. Also, the prices are rising, like quite a bit. The 93% ground beef today was $7.48/pound, usually around $5.00/pound. The top sirloin was over $9.00/pound. Gentlemen, you better get to the store and purchase what you will need for a few weeks to last until the supply chain corrects itself. The packers need to get their act together. There is more than plenty beef and pork on farms and feedlots out here. The problem is getting it processed and to the store. And believe it or not, the huge meat packers yet again will find a way to boost profits through this, while the farmers, ranchers and feedlots get screwed. Chatter out here in the midwest is many people that raise cattle and pork have been losing money for some time, and it is only getting worse. Farming is very costly and if you have no ties to agriculture, you have no clue what is involved. The numbers about what it costs to operate a livestock and grain farm would boggle your mind. So when you are enjoying a ribeye or pork chop, say thanks to the hard-working farmers and ranchers. They have done their part and they do it well.

 

[FarmerTan]

Central Nebraska, where beef and pigs are everywhere. Yet my trip to the local supermarket today revealed numerous out-of-stocks in both beef and pork sections, along with cold cuts like bologna, salami, ham, and sausage-type meats like hot dogs, brats, and summer sausages. Bacon was pretty thin. And this store (a small chain) sources their meat from processors close by, like JBS and Smithfield. A recent article from the local newspaper stated Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa combined supply just over 70 percent of the beef and pork consumed in this country. So if supply at the grocer is short and spotty out here where most of the country's meat is raised and processed, serious shortages are soon to hit, if they haven't already, the populated areas of our nation and both coasts. Also, the prices are rising, like quite a bit. The 93% ground beef today was $7.48/pound, usually around $5.00/pound. The top sirloin was over $9.00/pound. Gentlemen, you better get to the store and purchase what you will need for a few weeks to last until the supply chain corrects itself. The packers need to get their act together. There is more than plenty beef and pork on farms and feedlots out here. The problem is getting it processed and to the store. And believe it or not, the huge meat packers yet again will find a way to boost profits through this, while the farmers, ranchers and feedlots get screwed. Chatter out here in the midwest is many people that raise cattle and pork have been losing money for some time, and it is only getting worse. Farming is very costly and if you have no ties to agriculture, you have no clue what is involved. The numbers about what it costs to operate a livestock and grain farm would boggle your mind. So when you are enjoying a ribeye or pork chop, say thanks to the hard-working farmers and ranchers. They have done their part and they do it well.

Thanks for stating that so well. We are having the same issues here.

It's really sad how the family farm is a thing of the past.

 

[seattleshaver]

I think most farming is still "family" run but the farms are just larger, with a lot of land rented as well. I know it's called "corporate farming" but most of the actual farming operations are still the same farmers that have always doing the farming.

The processors are corporate. I do have some ties to farming but I'm not a farmer so correct me if I'm wrong.

It's true, for the most part, that you can't just buying a few acres of land and make a living farming anymore but then again you can't just get out of high school and go down to the local manufacturing plant and have a job for 30 years either. Times change.

Most people don't want to farm as they did 50 years ago anyway, I'm guessing.

I'm amazed at how different it is in various areas of the country regarding what is in the grocery stores. The suppliers probably have a national reach and yet some areas don't have shortages. Except for hoarding, no one should still be having a problem finding toilet paper and yet it occurs.

Just extrapolating from my situation, it looks like smaller neighborhood grocery stores in a large city have the best selection. I large Costco type stores are probably more prone to hoarding and panic buying and small rural stores probably have a lower priority getting resupplied?

In some areas of the country (where I grew up) people are more concerned with stocking up on bullets and filling up stand alone freezers preparing for the "big collapse". It's a self-defeating phenomena it seems.

 

[sdimartino]

I've never been someone who hoards in times of crisis. But I got burned on the tp thing. I thought, "people are overreacting and stores will have it back in stock by next week." But my local grocery stores have been totally out ever since. I've been kicking myself for not stocking up when I had the chance. Won't make that mistake again. I've been slowly filling my freezer up with meat over the past couple of weeks. If there's no shortage, no big deal. I just won't have to buy meat for a while. But if there is, my kids still get to eat meat.

 

[BigD]

I work overseas on a military base. Only a shortage of common sense.

 

[rbscebu]

I work overseas on a military base. Only a shortage of common sense.

But it's always been that way with the military. Nothing to do with the pandemic.

 

[Rushman2112]

I am slightly concerned about food shortages here, as everything bar a few lettuces grown hydroponically is imported, but the government has said it will ensure it doesn't happen.

Some days I go to the supermarket and some things are missing from the shelves, and have been for a while, like tinned tomatoes. Stocks of fresh meat are lower than normal, but then less people are actually shopping.

 

[TexLaw]

It seems to vary from store to store around here. I hear some folks talking about nothing on the shelves, and others are flush. Our regular supermarket is fairly well stocked. Like someone else mentioned, they may not have every choice of every item, but they have -something- of just about everything.

 

[Bakker1964]

Toronto Ontario Canada . . .

online ordering is ridiculous, as you cannot find timely pick-up, if you can book at all.

Shortages happened in the beginning, but supply chains seem to have caught up, and stores are limiting quantities to keep stock on hand.

 

[ackvil]

I live southeast of Phoenix, AZ. Our current shortages: Rice, beans, chopped meat, toilet paper, paper towels, bleach, hand sanitizers, wipes, flour, pasta, rubbing alcohol, soft soap, among other things.

When you go to a Costco store they have a sign listing what they do not have in stock. s

 

[njpaddy]

Like many, I thought the supply would be temporary and catch up with demand in a couple weeks. And, like many, I was wrong. With 8,000+ deaths in this State, I can't describe how stressful it is for two people in their mid-70s to leave the house these days.

My wife and I went to Costco near the end of March. We managed to find one 36 pack of TP, which we shared with other family members. At that time Costco had no paper towels, no vinegar (which we use in the rinse cycle of our washing machine), and no Vitamin C my wife takes. Last week we went back to Costco and bought another Scotts TP to split with a daughter, and a granddaughter from a different daughter, who were having difficulty finding TP in grocery stores. We also found Bounty paper towels, Poland Spring water for my wife (I'm content with our well water), and a 5 pack of Clorox wipes which we also shared.

At our usual grocery this past Sunday, they had some TP, but we didn't see paper towels or napkins. We bought more then we needed, mostly junk food for me, but left without getting a third of our list. No complaints. We have had to alter our menu some, but we ain't gonna starve. God bless those grocery store workers. 30-60 minutes with a mask on and I'm claustrophobic. I don't know how they do it and still remain pleasant.

NJ is one of the hardest hit States, but I still think States need to ease the restrictions, so people can go back to work. My wife and I have SS and I have a small pension, so we can bunker-up and survive on what we have, but my daughters and granddaughters are really hurting financially. If opening up means I'm part of the herd that gets culled, so be it.

 

[Shakey-and-twitchy]

My Costco has so much tp they can enforce social distancing by walking around the rows.

 

[Esox]

Shortages happened in the beginning, but supply chains seem to have caught up, and stores are limiting quantities to keep stock on hand.

Much the same here in London.

Now that the panic buying is mostly over, the stores are slowly rebuilding stock. The only thing I saw in short supply was canned goods like soups and veggies and some dry goods like rice and pasta. There was a brief run on meat and there wasnt much, if any, in the stores here for a week or so but thats over. We've consistently had a supply of fresh produce but it doesnt keep that long so people wernt even buying any and it was being thrown out.

The above is the actual problem. Because of all the panic buying and hoarding, lots of food is going to waste because stock isnt being sold at the same rate it previously was, especially dairy products. Entire supplies of milk, for example, have had to be discarded because it isnt being sold.

Canadian dairy farmers dumping their milk as demand changes amid coronavirus pandemic - https://globalnews.ca/news/6790430/canadian-dairy-farmers-dumping-milk-coronavirus-covid-19/

The dairy producers see no profit from that. Ontario just committed $50 million to buy stores of food and donate those stocks to food banks and other entities before it goes bad and is wasted.

People have bought enough supplies to last several months so the farmers arent able to sell supplies at the same rate as before. This is whats hurting them.

 

[seattleshaver]

I live southeast of Phoenix, AZ. Our current shortages: Rice, beans, chopped meat, toilet paper, paper towels, bleach, hand sanitizers, wipes, flour, pasta, rubbing alcohol, soft soap, among other things.

When you go to a Costco store they have a sign listing what they do not have in stock. s

What do you attribute this too? Is your local population just more likely to hoard or what do you think explains your area's shortages compared to other areas with no shortages?

 

[thematthatter]

I work overseas on a military base. Only a shortage of common sense.

your food arrives from boats or planes from the states, and very little is sourced locally. There is also different rules for shelf life extensions for OCONUS foods.