Grocery stores across the country are opening later, closing earlier, and eliminating 24-hour operations as they struggle with staff shortages due to the spread of COVID-19.
Sierra King says she is disappointed she can’t go to the grocery store after a late night of work.
“I would say they are closing at 10 or 11 now, but they used to be open 24 hours,” she said.
Mary Wright can no longer shop late at night either.
“The stores would be open till 11, and now the stores have gone down further from that,” she said.
Ray Dietrich, the owner of the Rivertown IGA grocery store in Ohio, reduced his hours to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the winter. However, hopes to stay up until 10 p.m. this spring.
“A lot of people are sick, and the more people that are sick, the tighter supplies get, the less truck drivers we have,” Dietrich said.
Dietrich says every day is an unknown, not knowing whether the truck they expected will show up. He says it’s even unclear what will be on the truck.