Facing shortages, grocery stores make changes
Leader photos by CALEB DANIEL
Pictured is one of the bare paper product aisles at the Walmart Supercenter on the north service road in Ruston Monday afternoon.
Pictured is the sanitation product policy at the Walgreens on California Avenue in Ruston.
As closures, cancellations and gathering restrictions continue to take effect in efforts to delay the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, Lincoln Parish has not been immune to the effects of increased demand for paper and sanitation products at area grocery stores.
Walmart, Super 1 Foods and Walgreens locations in Ruston have all enacted various per-customer limitations on purchases of high-demand items like toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Despite these measures, both chain and local stores in the area reported widespread shortages of these products.
Walmart and Super 1 have also shortened their hours for the time being to allow for more cleaning and restocking to take place each night.
Below is a quick list of stores and their current status as of late Monday afternoon.
• Walmart (Both the Supercenter and Neighborhood Market locations): Reduced hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and a limit on paper products to three per customer.
• Super 1: Reduced hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and a limit on sanitation and paper products to three per customer
• Walgreens (both Ruston locations): Regular hours and a limit on sanitation products to four per customer.
• Legends Market in Grambling: Regular hours and no purchasing limit, but workers noted no sanitation products were available as of Monday afternoon
• Gibson’s Fresh Grocer: Regular hours and no purchasing limit, but workers noted sanitation items and water were running out quickly
• Shoppers Value in downtown Ruston: Regular hours and no purchasing limit. Toilet paper supplies were low Monday afternoon.
