Thursday March 19, 2020 ~ SOOKE
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
Today Village Food Markets announced shorter hours at their store during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effective today Thursday March 19 and “for the immediate future”, store hours are reduced to 7 am to 8 pm daily (instead of 7 am to 10 pm). This is part of grocery retail working within the guidelines for ‘social distancing’ as directed by the BC Public Health Officer.
“We are using the additional closing hours for deep cleaning for everyone’s health and safety and replenishing our shelves for your needs,” it was stated in a message by email to customers.
We will be adjusting our policies in line with the recommendations of the Federal and BC Governments to protect our staff and customers to the best of our ability. Our policies will change, if needed, as the situation unfolds and whenever new information is available.
Some shortages and delayed deliveries are affecting our inventory stock levels. For the foreseeable future, we will not be posting ads in the Sooke News Mirror or on our website, as we are unsure of availability at this time and we want to ensure as much as possible that stock is available for those who need it.
This week’s specials will still be honoured, say store management.
While earlier this month there wasn’t much evidence of stockpiling or hoarding, now management says: “We strongly discourage stock piling or hoarding.”
It is easier on the supply chain if people gradually build up household supplies instead of making large scale purchases all at once. To do this, you can add a few extra items to your grocery cart every time you shop.
What Village Foods is doing:
• Increasing cleaning protocols with a focus on touch points
• Limiting quantities on some items to ensure availability for everyone
• Working with staff to restock shelves as fast as we can to keep up with demand
What customers can do:
• Stay home if you are sick and ask others to shop for you
• Wash your hands before coming to the store
• Practice social distancing – be respectful or each others’ personal space
• Be mindful of quantities and needs – do not hoard goods
• Be respectful on social media – as a community, we need to be supportive of each other
“Please be mindful of others and our staff during these trying times. Thank you for your understanding and patience.” Further COVID-19 updates on the Village Foods website.