All Carrs Safeway Alaska stores are implementing one-way aisles, as well as limiting the number of people in the store at one time to 30% of its capacity. The changes come as a direct response to preventing spread of COVID-19.
Among the other changes implemented by the grocery store chain is to shorten store hours to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to allow staff more time for deep-cleaning of store shelves as well as restocking products. Carrs Safeway is also providing employees with cloth masks and has installed plexiglass barriers at checkout lanes to limit the interaction between cashiers and customers.
This is not the first major retailer in the area to modify store policies because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kroger made nationwide changes, including to its Fred Meyer grocery stores in Alaska.
Erin Rolfes of Kroger discusses some of the other changes made in their Kroger and Fred Meyer stores, including closing seafood and meat counters, changing hours, as well as limiting the number of key items to be purchased by each customer: “We’ve got plenty of food, we’ve got plenty of things coming in. You’ll see some closures of our service departments, so our meat, salad bars. No concerns about spreading any kind of disease, it’s all just to reallocate resources. With that being said, all of that product is goin to be wrapped into trays and put out on the shelves. Reduced hours will allow our associates some extra time to stock shelves. Limiting toilet paper, clenain gsupplies, water, eggs, and milk. Really, it’s just to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to purchase things.”