TEWKSBURY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — With thousands of people across Massachusetts preparing to stay home for several weeks amid coronavirus-related closures, grocery store workers are moving at double speed to keep up with demand for supplies.
Despite employees' efforts, many essential items like toilet paper, soap, and hand sanitizer are proving difficult to keep stocked.
Joseph Schmidt runs the Market Basket in Tewksbury, where those items have been flying off the shelves amid growing coronavirus concerns. That means the shelves need restocking much more than usual. But according to Schmidt, it's not the first time his staff have worked under this kind of pressure.
"We see these increases in business usually with a snowstorm," Schmidt told WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal. "It's something we're accustomed to."
Stores across the state are reporting selling out of cleaning products like surface wipes and sprays, with many locations not expecting new shipments until next week.
Schmidt said his team at Market Basket in Tewksbury are hard at work trying to keep up with the increased demand.
"We've seen the impact for four or five days now, which is something that's new to us," Schmidt said. "However our store and our team is doing such an exceptional job, and they're really taking care of business."
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports:
(Photo: Getty Images)
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