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Grocery Stores Limiting Household Items Grocery Stores Limiting Household Items

By Douglas Cortese

DOUG CORTESE: Here at Tops some of the items they are rationing are bath tissue, paper towels, and hand soap. I spoke to the manager here who said its hit or miss as to whether the store gets the products.

CHRISTY KERCADO: Sometimes it shows up and sometimes it doesn’t and unfortunately we don’t have a good way of tracking when it will or when it won’t so you never know its just kind of luck of the draw.

CORTESE: Tops Markets gets three deliveries per week and does not stock pile any items to make them available for customers. However, empty shelves like these have caused the store to implement a limit. Tops Spokesperson Kathy Sautter says getting products from local vendors will help keep the shelves stocked.

KATHY SAUTTER: While you might not see the name brand items on the shelves we are able to bring in some non name brand items on the shelves to make up for shortages that might be forth coming

CORTESE: Other grocery stories in the aread have taken similair steps in an effort to make sure they can serve all customers. For the full list of limited items visit NCCnews.com. Reporting in Syracuse, Doug Cortese, NCC news.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Tops, Wegmans and Costco are limiting the number of household items a customer can buy. The following is a list of items along with how many each customer can purchase from Tops:

Bath tissue multi packs: 1
Oatmeal: 2
Disinfectant Wipes: 2
Peanut Butter: 2
Sugar, All Brands and Sizes: 2
Liquid Hand Soap: 2
Paper Towel multi packs: 1
Paper Napkins: 2
Household Cleaners: 1
Baby Wipes: 2
Kitchen Trash Bags: 2
Disinfectant Sprays: 1
Freezer Bags: 2
Storage Bags: 2
Disposable Paper Plates: 2
Disposable Latex Gloves: 2
Rice: 2
Microwave Popcorn: 2

The limitations come as the COVID-19 rates in Onondaga county are above 8% in yellow zones. Yellow zones are areas in which the government has put restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. Tops Spokesperson Kathy Sautter said the limitations are put in place as a precaution.

“As a whole, the industry is just trying to keep up with the trend as people are bracing themselves perhaps for a second wave,” Sautter said.

The manager at Tops Markets on Nottingham road, Christy Kercado, said some days they receive household products while other days they don’t.

“Sometimes it shows up and sometimes it doesn’t, and unfortunately, we don’t have a good way of tracking when it will or when it won’t, so you never know. Its just kind of luck of the draw,” Kercado said.

To keep the shelves stocked, Tops receives shipments over twice a week. They also purchase from local vendors which gives them more products although it may not be a name brand. Sautter’s advice for families worried they will be impacted by the limitations is to not wait for the last minute.

“Make sure you get out and get the things that you do need,” Sautter said. “We’re not saying there’s panic buying going on, which is a good thing, but making sure you have the items you need so that you’re not in the situation where you need to find something at the very last minute.”

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