C.O. grocery stores see business boom, offer special ‘senior shopping hours’

Bend's Food 4 Less has set daily sales records for the past 6 days

(Update: Adding Fred Meyer to list of special shopping hours for seniors, others at risk)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Many Central Oregonians are doing the right thing, officials say, by staying home -- and are able to do so because they have stocked their food pantries. And that's made for a somewhat silver lining for some businesses and job-seekers, amid the frightening clouds of uncertainty over COVID-19.

While bars and restaurants have been forced to only serve takeout, drive-thru and delivery, they are no such restrictions -- yet -- on grocery stores.

Some stores have seen such a boom in business in the past week that they have begun hiring more employees to meet the demand. Albertsons, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less and Safeway are all looking to hire more employees.

The store director for the Food 4 Less in Bend said Wednesday his store hired five people in the last few days, just to keep up with demand. Food 4 Less has been so busy, it’s beat its daily sales record six days in a row.

“We are working 60-hour weeks and 12- or 13-hour shifts,” Aaron Price said. “People are coming in on their days off. Everybody is putting in overtime. I just had to hire like four or five more people.”

Food 4 Less and other Central Oregon stores are sending home their employees if they feel sick, but they have no such authority when it comes to their customers.

Food 4 Less has 70 employees at the moment; that’s 10 more than it usually has at this time of the year. The employees are on the front line, interacting with guests on a daily basis. Any customer could be carrying the a flu, a cold -- or these days, the new coronavirus.

 “It makes me a little concerned to be on the front lines, and I kind of wonder what’s going to happen next,” said Jeff Nash, the store's manager.

A few of the employees Food 4 Less has hired are there for one job, and one job only: cleaning. They are sanitizing and cleaning anything a customer could come in contact with: bathrooms, kiosks, shelves and store samples. Cashiers at the Food 4 Less have also started wearing gloves.

 “I think my employer has really stepped up, as far as taking care of our health,” checker Debbie Huber said.

Meanwhile, several Central Oregon stores are reserving special shopping hours for seniors.

Newport Avenue Market is opening at 6 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for people over the age of 65 and at highest risk.

Safeway and Albertsons will reserve after Tuesday and Thursday between 7 and 9 a.m. for vulnerable shoppers.

Fred Meyer announced Saturday they also will have reserved Senior Hours 7-8 a.m. at all stores, Mondays through Thursdays.

Whole Foods Market will let people over age 60 in an hour early each weekday morning.

Market of Choice will have senior shopping hour on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7-8 a.m.

Target is reserving the first hour every Wednesday for shoppers at highest risk of COVID-19.