Local grocery stores accommodate senior citizens to counter coronavirus hoarding

PALMER — Local grocery stores like Three Bears Alaska are working to support Valley seniors amid concerns and hoarding over COVID-19.

“I think it’s awesome because I have a mother and mother-in-law that’s 82 and that would be perfect for them,” Three Bears customer Vicky Sanderson said.

A number of Three Bears locations are currently offering a special senior shopping time that runs from 7 to 9 a.m. Any senior 60 and older is eligible to take advantage of these shopping times.

“It’s good to take the seniors into account. It seems like the obvious thing to be doing,” Three Bears customer Donavon Watkins said. “I appreciate it. My mom lives out in the Butte and she has kinda quarantined herself; said she appreciated being able to come in and shop and feel safer."

Three Bears staff is also setting aside items for seniors. After 9 a.m., stores open back up to the general public. There are no special hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Three Bears has also started implementing item restrictions to keep inventory up. There is a two-item restriction per customer and that applies to all food items, toilet paper, baby wipes, and other high demand items only (excluding alcohol and ammo). These restrictions are subject to change as circumstances arise.

Senior hours only apply to the following Three Bears locations: Kenai, Palmer- 4 Corners, Pittman Road (Meadow Lakes), Knik-Goose Bay Road, Chugiak, and their Butte, Montana location.

CARRS Safeway is also offering special shopping times for seniors and at risk shoppers, according to a recent press release.

Seniors and vulnerable citizens like pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems are eligible to shop any Alaskan CARRS Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 a.m.

They ask that all other members of the public respect these hours so they can maintain these temporary operation guidelines, thanking everyone in advance for their “compassion and understanding toward their neighbors.”

Shopping isn’t an easy thing to do right now so other grocery stores across the Valley are working to serve the community best they can.

Major box stores including CARRS, Target, Walmart, and Fred Meyer offer delivery and pick up services. Local customers are heavily utilizing pickup services in wake of the coronavirus outbreak, and that trend is sure to pick up from here.

Three Bears regularly posts updates on their Facebook page. For more information, call the corporate headquarters at 907-357-4311 or email them at jkolb@threebearsalaska.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com