COVID-19 Could they close us?

[ohsherrymylove]

If there were to be a state or nationwide lockdown, is it possible that our doors would close? With the amount of people coming into our store at one time, I feel like we’re working in a cesspool of germs, and potentially covid-19. I feel like since so much shit is closed down at this point, people are coming to Target to have “fun” and pass the time. Something’s gotta give, and this 9pm closing time and dedicated hour (once a week) to high risk and elderly guests is probably not going to make much of an impact. We had guests lined up before the store opened today, many of which seemed pissed off about the whole thing. One even said she didn’t give a f*ck about other people and needed to shop.

I’m hearing there’s no way in HELL we would close, but then again, we aren’t open on Christmas or Easter unlike most grocery stores and pharmacies...

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

No.

 

[FlowTeamChick]

No. People still need prescriptions, OTC products, groceries, cleaning supplies, pet food. Some stores - don't know if any Targets are, yet - are limiting the number of people allowed in the store at one time. My town isn't on lockdown but it's strangely quiet, like the Sunday of a 3-day weekend. A few people are getting out for walks, but otherwise seem to be staying holed up. Most seem to be taking it seriously here. Of course, when I go in tomorrow, I might find things to be very different.

 

[starfishncoffee]

They aren't here. I had a woman come in today to buy bathing suits because "the store wouldn't be crowded." Another who "just couldn't stand being at home for another minute." These are but two examples.

If I get sick (or worse, make my elderly mother sick) because of one of these selfish morons ....

 

[Rarejem]

My store was busy throughout my entire shift yesterday. Not everyone is taking this seriously or I wouldn't be hearing "just browsing" or watching someone check out 3 shirts and a monster drink. . . life's true necessity for someone, I guess.

 

[Fluttervale]

I don't believe they will fully shut down. The amount of panic that would occur if people felt that there would be no more food sales could crash society as we know it.

They could well switch to driveup and pickup only, but they will not make it impossible to sell food.

 

[SilentCrow]

If there were to be a state or nationwide lockdown, is it possible that our doors would close? With the amount of people coming into our store at one time, I feel like we’re working in a cesspool of germs, and potentially covid-19. I feel like since so much shit is closed down at this point, people are coming to Target to have “fun” and pass the time. Something’s gotta give, and this 9pm closing time and dedicated hour (once a week) to high risk and elderly guests is probably not going to make much of an impact. We had guests lined up before the store opened today, many of which seemed pissed off about the whole thing. One even said she didn’t give a f*ck about other people and needed to shop.

I’m hearing there’s no way in HELL we would close, but then again, we aren’t open on Christmas or Easter unlike most grocery stores and pharmacies...

That’s because most don’t shop on Xmas and Easter so they feel it’s better to close as they probably spend more to open on those days. In this case they’re making a killing by staying open so it’s going to take something drastic for them to close.

 

[seasonaldude]

For now it appears that Target is not only planning to keep the doors open, but is encouraging people to come in. I've been monitoring what items that are in stock can and cannot be purchased for pickup. The most desirable things typically can't be ordered. For example, when we get toilet paper in the largest packages have not been orderable. We might have a couple of pallets of the gigantic tp packs, but they are being reserved for in-store guests. Only the small packs can be ordered this week, at least so far. We got basically a pallet's worth of clorox wipes in this week. They could not be ordered. Hand sanitizer? Yeah, we got some in. Couldn't be ordered.

This is somewhat good for fulfillment metrics, so yay? But, it's also bad as the mass of in-store guests are routinely beating us to the last of other hot items like canned food and soap.

Far more important than fulfillment metrics, obviously, this encourages people to come into the store and to do so en masse when the doors first open. We really should be doing the exact opposite and doing everything we can to keep people out of the store. Screw metrics. Screw overall sales. We should all want people to stay home. Any temporary gains Target makes now by having busy stores will be wiped out if the overall health of the populace and economy gets too bad. So, Target should do it's part to make sure that doesn't happen.

I do think it's likely that eventually health and emergency management officials will take this out of Brian Cornell's hands in a lot of areas. They won't close us. We're necessary. They will, however, restrict how we operate if so many people continue to ignore the best scientific advice and keep swarming the stores.

 

[Shani]

For now it appears that Target is not only planning to keep the doors open, but is encouraging people to come in. I've been monitoring what items that are in stock can and cannot be purchased for pickup. The most desirable things typically can't be ordered. For example, when we get toilet paper in the largest packages have not been orderable. We might have a couple of pallets of the gigantic tp packs, but they are being reserved for in-store guests. Only the small packs can be ordered this week, at least so far. We got basically a pallet's worth of clorox wipes in this week. They could not be ordered. Hand sanitizer? Yeah, we got some in. Couldn't be ordered.

This is somewhat good for fulfillment metrics, so yay? But, it's also bad as the mass of in-store guests are routinely beating us to the last of other hot items like canned food and soap.

Far more important than fulfillment metrics, obviously, this encourages people to come into the store and to do so en masse when the doors first open. We really should be doing the exact opposite and doing everything we can to keep people out of the store. Screw metrics. Screw overall sales. We should all want people to stay home. Any temporary gains Target makes now by having busy stores will be wiped out if the overall health of the populace and economy gets too bad. So, Target should do it's part to make sure that doesn't happen.

I do think it's likely that eventually health and emergency management officials will take this out of Brian Cornell's hands in a lot of areas. They won't close us. We're necessary. They will, however, restrict how we operate if so many people continue to ignore the best scientific advice and keep swarming the stores.

I wish ours would be able to close to foot traffic and just do pickups or something. I'm sure it won't happen. But we don't have a pharmacy and we don't have an expanded grocery section. We were actually the last of the stores in my area to start seeing the effects of the hoarding because customers can't get a lot of their preferred products here. We're a tiny store compared to many, so I feel like we'd have a better chance of getting away with it. Plus we have a Wally World and six other grocery stores nearby.

 

[ManMythMachine]

They could limit hours further or just have order and pick up as long as they can enforce limits so hoarders can't buy.... AN ENTIRE PALLET OF TOILET PAPER!*

* Emphasis = mine

If a couple drives up and gets toilet paper and then drives up again wearing fake mustaches (woman included).... it's a red flag for sure. I like mustaches on women, but... NOT FAKE ONES!*

* Emphasis = mine

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Tried placing an SFS order and got a message at checkout that none of the items could be delivered to my zip code. I do not live in a war zone or a remote location, although we are sheltering in place. Wally World has no problem shipping an order here, nor does Amazon. WTF Spot?

 

[KarmaToBurn]

Our store has been as busy as Christmas Eve for a week straight now, and the hour for the elderly was a total fail.... store full of Karens and millennials during that time.....

 

[IWishIKnew]

Tried placing an SFS order and got a message at checkout that none of the items could be delivered to my zip code. I do not live in a war zone or a remote location, although we are sheltering in place. Wally World has no problem shipping an order here, nor does Amazon. WTF Spot?

That's weird. Is UPS having shipping restrictions in your area or anything, due to the shelter in place?

 

[Luck]

Our store has been as busy as Christmas Eve for a week straight now, and the hour for the elderly was a total fail.... store full of Karens and millennials during that time.....

Excuse me they are a part of a vulnerable group and completely allowed to be in there.

But yeah. It's a cute idea but there is no identification for "pregnant". Doctors dont hand out cards as proof for immune disorders. It's a completely unenforceable idea. And the idea of stores making the earliest hour available for the elderly is sort of a joke to me. The whole problem is that they couldnt get there early to compete with crowds anyway.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

That's weird. Is UPS having shipping restrictions in your area or anything, due to the shelter in place?

No, business travel/ deliveries are o.k., but some businesses are saying there might be shipping delays. The weird thing is that I just had an SFS order delivered today, but now I can’t do an order. Hope this is just temporary, like a system overload or something. I can see how they could stop taking orders if they are overwhelmed, but the zip code part is just strange. (The order wasn’t for TP😂)

 

[GoForLeech]

I think they should cordon off the “non-essential” areas of the stores so that Karen and Kyle don’t bring in their 3.2 kids because they’re bored. Has anyone seen people in masks and gloves? I had a few today. Really wanted to ask why and then say “if you’re so worried why are you here shopping for a bath mat?”

 

[Times Up]

Could they, yes.

Will they, no freakin' way!

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Even if the stores close, some staff will stay to pick and pack. Heck we could make tons of money just doing drive up. That horn on the zebra is constantly honking all day.

 

[jackandcat]

If the local, state or Federal government ordered closure, our stores would close. That is unlikely to occur. As others have mentioned - even for the targets lacking a CVS pharmacy - we qualify as a grocery store and we do sell a lot of health-related items and "essentials" like cleaning supplies. So if the government were to shut down Targets, what stores would remain open for people needing essentials? Amazon Fresh doesn't have any available delivery dates when I tried to place an order and the other online delivery places are backlogged...... plus not everyone in the USA is proficient with or trusts using online ordering, paying their bill online, and so forth.

 

[CrosstrainInsane]

Target should definitely not close. We provide essentials. We, along with other providers of groceries, OTC and pharmacies, will be the last to close. If things get worse we might even see competitors come together for the greater good.

 

[AmICrazy]

My grocery store won't close, as we sell food and have a pharmacy. I can't believe at the grocery store I work that we are making sales and then some, despite not everything being in stock. It was just announced that we will no longer be ordering any product or milk. We will get a certain number of pieces each load day based on our sales volume. This will be on the basic essentials and this will mean for the time being we will not be carrying many specialty items. We have yet to learn if are an A or B volume store. I hope to learn more when I return for our late arriving truck.