Local supermarkets struggle to meet demand as customers overrun shelves amid coronavirus threat

Supermarkets struggle to maintain stock amid coronavirus threat

Supermarkets in the DMV are struggling to keep supplies on their shelves as shoppers panicked by the coronavirus threat buy toiletries and sanitary products in bulk.

ROCKVILLE, Md. - A number of products are in high demand in our area as consumers rush to stock up in light of the coronavirus’ arrival in the DMV.

Shoppers are having a hard time finding toilet paper and hand sanitizer

Shelves are bare in many places - and supermarket chains say they’re having a hard time pinning down a time when they’ll be able to restock.

FOX 5 ventured to Costco in Wheaton on Monday - where a team was able to find toilet paper.

But shoppers at the Wheaton location said they had to wait between 45 minutes and an hour just to get into the store.

And as they rounded one of the turns in the line, they were greeted by a sign informing them of what was not in stock - no paper towels, no bleach, no hand sanitizer.

But they did have toilet paper.

Shoppers told FOX 5 that they found a good supply of toilet paper in the back of the store, but they were restricted to just one package.

At a number of Giant Food Stores, Safeways, and Targets in Montgomery County, FOX 5 found no toilet paper, and other high-demand products were also off the shelves - like bleach, rubbing alcohol, and hand sanitizer.

Some stores were better stocked than others when it came to frozen foods, pasta, and pasta sauce - products that are also in high demand.

Spokespeople for Giant, Whole Foods, and Costco told FOX 5 that they are working as hard as they can to restock shelves, but they had no timetable on when they would be.

Earlier on Monday, shoppers outside a Giant in Bethesda said they are concerned with amount of hoarding and being able to find certain products.

All of the local super market websites indicated that they had limited availability on some products for home delivery. Whole Foods’ website said consumers who are Prime members could still receive delivery within a couple of hours.