55 Replies to "GROCERY SHOPPING: What's changed at West Seattle supermarkets this week"

• Colleen April 4, 2020 (7:10 am)

  The PCC is extremely well stocked, not too crowded, had plenty of paper products (as of Thursday) and has Plexiglas installed. As with other stores, you cannot use your reusable shopping bags.

  • Sb2780 April 4, 2020 (9:27 am)

    Does the Pcc still have bulk section items available? I know a lot of stores have eliminated this area, which on the one hand makes sense, but there are certain items that aren’t available in individual packages. 

    • Joan April 4, 2020 (11:37 am)

      The last time I was at PCC, maybe Monday, there were still  bulk items, though you cannot use your own bags or containers.  There were  plenty of compostable containers there. They are also selling olives in containers now, so at least we can still get fresh olives!

• HS April 4, 2020 (7:57 am)

  Shopped in the Junction at QFC and Trader Joe’s yesterday (Fri). A person offering to wipe carts and social distancing markings on floor for checkout at QFC. It was crowded and stock seemed normal. Trader Joe’s is controlling numbers within the store. I waited with about 15 other people outside, at 6’ intervals to be let in. It wasn’t a long wait. Once in the store you were given a clean cart, shelves were full, all employees were wearing gloves. If you bring a bag, you’ll need to bag your own groceries otherwise the cashier will bag with a new paper bag. It was possible to keep your distance from others in Trader Joe’s but not possible in QFC.

• John April 4, 2020 (8:51 am)

  Friday early AM shopping at Admiral Safeway was quiet and stocked. There was a decent amount of paper products available.

• AMD April 4, 2020 (9:19 am)

  Someone in an earlier thread asked about Meat the Live Butcher.  He IS open.  There is a hand sanitizer pump outside for you to use on your way in and again on your way out, limit of two people in the shop at a time.

• Michael B April 4, 2020 (9:32 am)

  Target’s grocery and household sections were very poorly stocked early yesterday. I ended up at Thriftway and should have just gone there in the first place, as they’ve been consistently well-stocked. 

  • Anne April 4, 2020 (11:19 am)

    Was at Westwood Village Target yesterday around 1-felt like they were pretty well stocked-
    Thriftway is the only other store I go to now as it’s just down hill.
    Been there when almost nothing on shelves-other times shelves full.
    Think it can be hit & miss depending on when they get deliveries & how fast they get shelves stocked.

• Grocery shopper April 4, 2020 (10:20 am)

  I noticed more shoppers covering their faces with masks or scarves.

• Curious April 4, 2020 (10:34 am)

  Has anyone found any hand sanitizer in the stores?

  • Lo April 4, 2020 (3:20 pm)

    Thriftway has organic spray hand santitizer. I bought 2 bottles yesterday 4/3.7.99 for a 4 oz bottle 

  • Pilsner April 4, 2020 (3:26 pm)

    I doubt any civilian will be able to buy sanitizer for quit a while.

    • Jeh April 4, 2020 (9:47 pm)

      They have hand sanitizer at rite aid on Ca ave

  • Hutch April 4, 2020 (5:31 pm)

    Oola distillery on Cap Hill has started selling FDA approved sanitizer…a bit spendy but it’ available. Get a bottle of their award winning Gin or Whiskey while there!

  • max rebo April 5, 2020 (8:55 am)

    PCC had small 2oz bottles of Sun-Lite hand sanitizer yesterday.   Looks like an airplane bottle of vodka.   PCC check-out person said they almost always have it up at the register.  $3 each.  

    • Eve April 8, 2020 (9:18 am)

      You mean like this?

• ScottAmick April 4, 2020 (10:53 am)

  When I was in the Thriftway a few days ago I thought the plexiglass dividers were well done.  Just a gap to talk/listen to the checker.  More interesting was the plexiglass installed  between the back side of the adjacent checker and the customer in the next line.  Seemed like a good way to minimize contact between people when adjacent checkstands are open.

• Westside Girl April 4, 2020 (12:06 pm)

  Roxbury Safeway has no dividers but has been decently stocked! 

  • chemist April 4, 2020 (5:39 pm)

    As of Monday evening, the Roxbury Safeway had plexiglass at the checkstand I used (I only noticed the ones between the cashier and customer being checked out).  They did provide me with a whole lot of plastic bags too.

• dcn April 4, 2020 (12:13 pm)

  I thought all Safeways were supposed to get plexiglass dividers? I haven’t been grocery shopping in 3 weeks. I was going to venture to Roxbury Safeway this Friday at the 4 week mark to stock up for another 4 weeks. I’d be happier if they had dividers, as I’m sure their checkers would be too.

• Joe Torres April 4, 2020 (12:23 pm)

  Roxbury Safeway has  dividers. 

• Sunuva April 4, 2020 (12:34 pm)

  I went to Roxbury Safeway on Wednesday and saw the opposite of mentioned above. They do have plexiglass dividers in the checkout line and markers for the 6 foot distance. They are not well stocked in many areas. There was no toilet paper, sani wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, kitchen sanitizer, etc. The supply of many more items was down to the strange ones that nobody wants.. like flavored vodka and super spicy ramen. YMMV.

  • waikikigirl April 4, 2020 (2:07 pm)

    I shop at Roxbury Safeway and yes they do have the Plexiglas dividers and they’re very clean so maybe that’s why some may not see/notice them!

• Trickycoolj April 4, 2020 (12:51 pm)

  Anyone been to Sodo Costco lately?  Friends sent pics of things at Shoreline last night, but we’d be interested to know what our closer store is doing and if it’s just crazy, normal busy, or slowing down.  Did see they’re marking out of stock items at the door in Shoreline so you can avoid searching if on your list.

  • WSB April 4, 2020 (1:38 pm)

    Via Twitter, someone tagged us on a photo from this morning showing a whiteboard there saying they are out of hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, rice, and more.

    • Trickycoolj April 4, 2020 (2:11 pm)

      Just found the tweet thanks! Sounds like they have less out of stock than the list I saw from Shoreline around 5:30pm Friday.

  • waikikigirl April 4, 2020 (2:10 pm)

    And at all Costco’s they are only letting 2 members in not your whole family on your visits. along with what WSB stated of what’s out of stock so is SPAM!!!! ;>)

  • MJ April 5, 2020 (10:04 am)

    I was at Costco earlier this week (maybe Thursday?) and it takes 5-10 minutes to get into the store. They didnt have TP or disinfecting wipes (TP seems to be hit or miss). They limit #s in the store, but it’s well stocked.

• Guillermo April 4, 2020 (2:06 pm)

  Just returned from Thriftway in the Morgan Junction.  Well stocked in produce & all other goods.  Paper towels & tp is limit 1 per customer (but they had it!). Also plexiglass & ❌ tape at checkout stands.. maybe 20% of customers using 😷.

• East Coast Cynic April 4, 2020 (2:17 pm)

  Disinfectant Wipes,  sani wipes and hand sanitizer are pretty much not there regardless of the store or supermarket you go to.  I don’t believe it’s a product of incompetence on the part of the retail outlet, but simply enormous demand.

  • Sue April 4, 2020 (8:06 pm)

    I did see disinfectant wipes at Jefferson Square Safeway earlier this week – first time I’d seen them in 2 months. They only had a few canisters left, but maybe there’s hope that it’ll be more readily available soon.

• Betty April 4, 2020 (3:38 pm)

  Met Market is out of paper products (TP and Paper towels) at 3:40 on Saturday. Also out of rice. Seems well stocked otherwise

• Morealex April 4, 2020 (5:06 pm)

  I work in the biotech hub of south lake union – I’m fortunate in that I can do my job from home in westwood/south delridge area.  Before our work-from-home mandatory order – my employer put their’s in place before Inslee did any orders for the state – I had ordered hand sanitizer for our department so we could have pump bottles in various places around the floor.  put on back order couple times.  Later I ran into our receiving manager and asked her if my package had arrived and missed the last internal deliveries to departments.  She told me a story that our office supply vendor had two truckloads of Purell arrive for their customers, but that it was immediately seized by the government for healthcare providers.  Between that and stories of opportunistic hoarder resellers, I thought… we regular civilian customers are not going to see any purell (or other brand) for a long, long, time.  We’ll see.

• Dan April 4, 2020 (5:10 pm)

  QFC at Alaska Junction has paper bags with no handles now.  Maybe they’re out of stock?  Until today, I had never noticed how much they help.  Arm-carrying two bulky, heavy bags of groceries is no fun.

• Chris April 4, 2020 (5:34 pm)

  Friend has been to Admiral Safeway twice lately.   The doors opened and about 20 people went in running to the cleaning products and TP aisle.   They went back when opened the next time and within 15 minutes it appeared the products were cleaned out.   People running still.    I was in there another day and about got knocked down by a guy running for the cleaning aisle.   I jumped out of the way quickly.   To get some things, you have to be early, however watch that you are not run over.    Though it is senior day, others still come in.  My early morning trips to Thriftway have been pretty good as I am not finding people running for whatever reason.    My family is talking about using Instacart.   Though people we know have had very good success with them, you just have to plan ahead as they are backed up with orders.   Last person I talked to it was 4 – 5 days out.    I am sure this fluctuates.  

  • Stina April 5, 2020 (10:41 am)

    The early hour is also for those who are immune-compromised, so you may see some younger people in there. Mostly, it sounds like people are respecting those early hours.

• steve April 4, 2020 (5:59 pm)

  I tried an online order for Fred Meyer. It was great!  You order your stuff a couple days early,  then at your pick-up time you pull into  a special parking stall,  call the number in the stall, they bring it to you in  a couple minutes. I liked it. I especially liked not having to go into the store.

• bloo April 4, 2020 (7:30 pm)

  Steve – Did you go to the one in Burien?  I plan on doing this as well, and was wondering, where is the pick-up parking area?  

  • Mrs. Watts April 4, 2020 (10:22 pm)

    We pick up our groceries at Fred Meyer in Burien and it’s great. The numbered parking spaces for pick up are on the north side of the building by the gardening area. I also love not having to go into the store at all. 

• West Seattle Guy April 4, 2020 (10:46 pm)

  I go to the store 1-2 times per day.  I live by four (Alaska junction)Late in the day certain products are out. Especially on weekends. But I’m not seeing anything like what’s being described in this thread. For the last two weeks I’ve seen hand sanitizer every time I go in to QFC (it’s in the fishbowl in the pharmacy). They do run out of paper towels and TP in the late afternoon but always have it in the morning and I got some today at noon (was on my last roll of paper towels).Flour seems to often be out. Pasta sometimes picked over. No flushable wipes for a few weeks. But everything else is there.  Don’t shop late. Shop weekdays over weekends. And don’t be that dumb family of five behind me at QFC that was always right on my rear end in line (even when I moved up a foot because they were crowding they also moved up and were licking my neck… Okay, it just felt like it…). They were the first to not respect social distancing I’ve seen in a few weeks. Also, don’t overbuy. 

  • Please Stay Home April 5, 2020 (1:31 am)

    “I go to the store 1-2 times per day.””They were the first to not respect social distancing I’ve seen in a few weeks.”

  • max rebo April 5, 2020 (8:58 am)

    WTF.   why are you going to the store twice a day?   that’s nonsensical unless you’re the one hoarding everything we need.  

    • Not flushable April 5, 2020 (12:32 pm)

      What is really nonsense is calling specialized alcohol soaked paper “flushable wipes.”  They should never be flushed folks.  Please put them in the garbage.Seattle City Utilitieshttps://www.seattle.gov/utilities/services/drainage-and-sewer/side-sewers/what-to-flushVideo (yuck)http://bit.ly/1bkanZw

• PDiddy April 5, 2020 (10:36 am)

  I think stores should leave an open 3 hour window for 60+. Its simply not enough time for some of the folks with limited transportation and dont move so fast. I dont think its unreasonable and it helps those most at risk. Same for costco. The hoarders can wait.

• soarringcam April 5, 2020 (10:50 am)

  Squeezing produce at supermarkets needs to stop.
  Handling produce with our bare hands needs to change.
  Everyone has witnessed people digging thru the artichokes, apples, peach’s and the like, digging with their greasy finger nails, probing and pounding, thumping and squeezing (yea). Watching a little old lady dig to the bottom of the watermelon pallet at Costco is my favorite.
  But everyone is not going to change their habits. That’s why we need gloves and also produce assistance helpers at all large supermarkets.
  Our vegetables need protection too.
  Our habits need to change.

  • Tiffany April 5, 2020 (1:03 pm)

    Agreed. My hubby came home with fresh vegetables last night and although they were not the prettiest, it didn’t matter. He told me, “I just picked the ones off the top so I didn’t touch them all.” I’ve done the same in the hopes that it helps with the bigger picture. Let the wonderful produce workers do their work and think about other people. I’d bet money you’ve got a few days for that avocado to ripen. 

• JES April 5, 2020 (12:41 pm)

  I don’t want to go to the store more than I need to, about once a week, but I will be completely out of toilet paper in a few days. Every store I’ve been to is still out every time I’ve gone. I heard Safeway had restocked so went just for that, but again, nothing. Drove to Costco today, but sign outside said they were out. I’m not sure how I will be able to get any, unless I check several stores each day…. any suggestions??

  • WSB April 5, 2020 (1:22 pm)

    Someone mentioned Walgreens in another thread a few days ago. Thriftway had some when we made our weekly trip early last Tuesday morning.

    • JES April 5, 2020 (3:16 pm)

      Thank you! I’ll try Thriftway in the morning. 

• Kathy April 5, 2020 (1:11 pm)

  I think that all stores should make face coverings mandatory for anyone coming inside. Even though our “fearless” leader doesn’t seem to care about anyone else and doesn’t plan to do it.  Follow public health guidance if you are serious about not infecting anyone else or getting infected. Do it for the front line workers, emergency and health care professionals.

• Andrea April 5, 2020 (1:15 pm)

  Where are the Clorox wipes??? I haven’t seen any for 4 weeks. 

  • waikikigirl April 5, 2020 (1:37 pm)

    You can always use some bleach diluted with water and an old towels/rag to wipe everything down, wear clothes cuz the bleach smell will stay on your hands forever! 

    • waikikigirl April 5, 2020 (3:12 pm)

      OMG!!! “wear clothes cuz the bleach smell will stay on your hands forever!” GLOVES, GLOVES wear gloves LOL!!!  Well I guess clothes can be optional when cleaning but I meant GLOVES! HA HA HA!!!

• Michelle April 5, 2020 (1:41 pm)

  Target had generic wipes when I went last week… 9 am ish. I think it was a Tuesday.

• Bloo April 5, 2020 (4:33 pm)

  Mrs. Watts – thank you!  I read the FAQ about pick-up on their website but could find nothing about exactly where to go for the pick-up.  That’s a good location for it too –  away from the main parking lot in front.  I may just pick up some potting soil as well, while our local nursery is closed.  

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