Grocery shopping ain’t what it used to be

Wilma Kenny | Apr 15, 2020

Anyone who shops regularly at the Foodland in Sydenham (or Verona or Northbrook) will have noticed a lot of big changes: we can no longer come in exactly when we please, wander randomly around pawing through the produce bins, or chat in the aisles.

Now we may wonder whether this trip could cost us our lives, or someone else’s life. It’s beyond strange that this last comment, which would have been dismissed as irrational hysteria a month ago, is now a fact, a very real possibility.

Yesterday when I asked Dave Stacey, the manager of Sydenham Foodland, about the changes the store had had to make in order to adapt to the Covid threat, he referred me to the Sobey’s online site for further information.

“Some of our stores have temporarily adjusted their hours to appropriately manage physical distancing, while ensuring we’re sanitized and restocked for the next day. (Sydenham: 8-8 on weekdays, 8-6 Sat & Sun. See exception for seniors below.)

To date, we’ve Installed plexiglass cashier shields as a safeguard to protect our staff and customers. (In Sydenham, shower curtains provide protection between adjoining cashiers.)

Introduced “Seniors Shopping Hour” for the first hour of the day. (7-8 am)

Installed floor markers at check out to help facilitate a two-metre distance between customers.

Created a process for our staff to wash their hands every 15 minutes.

We’re supporting our staff who need to be away from work because of self quarantine or to care for family members at home so they do not need to choose between their health or family and their income.

Our stores have rolled out additional “Physical Distancing” measures to facilitate safety in our stores. We will limit the number of customers in our stores based on a calculation of our square footage and the number of available open cashier lanes.

When a store is at capacity for safe shopping (in Sydenham, this is 25 shoppers), customers will be asked to line up outside.

Our staff will reinforce physical distancing in the lineup and, when necessary, follow a one-in, one-out protocol.

“One-way aisles” (see arrows on the floors) will ensure customers do not pass too closely together when going in opposite directions

We’re encouraging customers, to the extent they are able, to designate one family member to shop for their family.

To minimize contact, we are asking customers who bring reusable bags to pack their own groceries.”

It’s my personal observation that most people have accepted these changes very well, and are grateful to their neighbours who are facing the risk of working with a large number of the public on a daily basis.

I’m also sure there are some few who because of fear, disbelief, cabin fever, or a combination of all three have shown their distress through anger and rudeness toward these restrictions and the people tasked with enforcing them.

At a time like this, some days I find it hard to get past just wishing this whole nightmare was not real. Overall though, since it is real, I feel very fortunate to be living in this community.