Purchase limits work.
We ended shopping hours on Saturday with chicken and beef in the meat cases, bread and toilet paper on the shelves.
Wegmans has imposed limits on many items, ranging from diapers to spaghetti to carrots. (Precise limits are posted on the shelves.)
The restrictions not only calm frantic buying, they calm frantic buyers. Seeing stock on shelves can make us feel that if normalcy is not quite returning, a level of control and shared responsibility might be.
Yes, there are still empty shelves. Who knows when we’ll get a steady supply of Purell and other sanitizers.
And, yes, there are people who buy their limit, go home (or even their car) and return to buy more. But my suspicion is they’re in the minority. Social and commercial pressures tell them they’re doing wrong.
As an employee, I find it fulfilling to restock gaping spaces. It’s even more fulfilling to see these spaces with product at the end of the day.
Every pallet that we unload, every item we remove from shipping boxes is a reassurance. The supply lines are there. We will keep reordering and restocking.
Panic is both counterproductive and irrational. Kudos to Wegmans and other markets that have set limits, for helping to restore some sanity.
This is a phenomenal blog begun by someone that understands demographics and social policies. Keep it up; tis a breath of fresh air.