Stores Trying To Keep Up With Groceries, Gas Demand

Columbia, SC (WOLO)–  People across the Palmetto state are preparing for worst but hoping for the best.  Since Tuesday, stores said there has been a lot of shortages of bottled water in the Midlands, but should people be panicking?

BI-LO said they have trucks coming Thursday night and multiple more trucks of necessities throughout the weekend to keep them stocked up.

“We have a truck coming tonight, another truck load tomorrow. I was actually just ordering some more for this weekend. We’re trying to get out in front of it, our customers are trying to as well. But we’ve still got some time, but we don’t want to disappoint anybody,” Tim Smith said, store manager for the BI-LO on Knox Abbott. 

“We had 3 full pallets which were probably about, chest high,” Tommy Gossett said, a manager with Big Lots. 

Big Lots said they do not have any special water shipments coming in, so when they are out, they might be out until after the storm.

“Not that it’s not going to happen, we just haven’t heard anything yet,” Gossett said.   

People are picking up everything from non-perishable foods, water, prescriptions, and pet food. And the folks at BI-LO say you should be preparing for at least a week’s worth, just in case.

“Have water, fill up both cars, and just preparing for any extra food we might need if we’re home bound or anything like that. Got a generator,” Tim Thompson said, a local. 

“People coming in buying a whole bunch of little snacks because they can pack them for travel. A lot of people are already evacuating from Columbia,” Kay Cole said,  store manager at the Hop In Sonoco.   

Sonoco said they had $700 more in fuel sales than they usually do on a weekday Wednesday night.

“It was not just for fuel sales, we sold a lot of ice. Matter of fact we sold so much ice we had to lock cooler up because people were stealing extra bags when they bought one,” Cole said. 

Sonoco’s district manager said gas prices could skyrocket if Irma hits the Columbia area, and even stores are preparing for the worse.

“We’re feeling Harvey on one end, and potential for Irma on the other. So it’s the top of everybody’s mind right now in southeastern grocers. The great thing is though, we still really got three good days of shopping before we know it’s right on top of us. So there’s still a lot of time to get water and the items they need,” Smith said. 

It’s never a bad idea to give the store a call to make sure they have something before you run out there.