Line ups at stores.... still there?

[dancin Disney style]

I wouldn't say the lines are dying down....just changing. I haven't been to Costco in the last 2 weeks but the last time I did go they had started allowing more people inside at a time. This made the outside line shorter and the cash line longer. Prior to this the line was all outside....hardly anyone inside or at the cash. As far as I'm concerned Costco has done this whole thing spot on. They have had the most organized lines and staff.

Historically, Wednesdays are the slowest day of the week to shop anyplace. I've noticed lately that lines are very short or none at all in most places. Probably because more and more people are going back to work.

Wait....I lied....I did go to Costco last week but we pulled in the parking lot to see if there was a line and it was HUGE so we didn't even park. I think that was on Friday 5th.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Well that's a good sign. The stores were bare before, but I think they could have let a few more in than they did. I expect they've seen volume and profits decrease because of it. It's not sustainable to have that footprint and stock with fewer customers coming through your door.

That said, they should have opened a pick up option for the store to supplement the shopping. And while they do have grocery delivery, it's $3.00 an item if you don't spend $75. The one time I bought from them, my groceries were a mess, because they were not packed well. My box of halloween candy came duct taped closed and clearly had split open somewhere along the way. They were being delivered by UPS, but I'm not sure that makes any difference. Anyway, when other stores were lowering their delivery costs or waiving pick up fees, Costco was just developing a long line up area made of palettes.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Well that's a good sign. The stores were bare before, but I think they could have let a few more in than they did. I expect they've seen volume and profits decrease because of it. It's not sustainable to have that footprint and stock with fewer customers coming through your door.

That said, they should have opened a pick up option for the store to supplement the shopping. And while they do have grocery delivery, it's $3.00 an item if you don't spend $75. The one time I bought from them, my groceries were a mess, because they were not packed well. My box of halloween candy came duct taped closed and clearly had split open somewhere along the way. They were being delivered by UPS, but I'm not sure that makes any difference. Anyway, when other stores were lowering their delivery costs or waiving pick up fees, Costco was just developing a long line up area made of palettes.

I'm sure they had some decreased volume/profit but VERY minor. Their online delivery went from 2-3 days to 10-12 days due to volume and numerous items were out of stock for weeks. As to people physically in the store, IMO, the line was just outside the store rather than inside at the cash. It was a rare occurrence to not have 100+ people in the cash area.

 

[alohamom]

Well, I went to Guelph Costco today at 1:30pm. I walked right in. No exterior or interior line up. The store had an average amount of people but I also did not have to line up at the cash either. I did have to wait for the one person ahead of me to be finished before they let me put my items on the belt but otherwise it was one of the best shopping trips to Costco I have had. I might even try Burlington the next time.

 

[bcwife76]

I went to Costco yesterday here in BC (Langley) around 3:30, it was pouring with rain and the parking lot was packed. There were two lines to get in, mask or no mask. My husband and I brought our masks so we went in that line, though the other line was quite short too and it didn't really cut down our waiting time as I think both lines got right in. The store was PACKED, they didn't seem to be counting people as they went in. I was glad to have my mask on. Lines at the cash were long but moved quickly.

 

[isabellea]

Had to wait in a line to enter Shoppers tonight. First time I ever had to wait to go there. They were counting how many were in the store and I was happy to see most people were wearing a masks. Only saw young men (20-30s) not wearing one. Everybody else were.

 

[Fellowship9798]

I went to Costco yesterday here in BC (Langley) around 3:30, it was pouring with rain and the parking lot was packed. There were two lines to get in, mask or no mask. My husband and I brought our masks so we went in that line, though the other line was quite short too and it didn't really cut down our waiting time as I think both lines got right in. The store was PACKED, they didn't seem to be counting people as they went in. I was glad to have my mask on. Lines at the cash were long but moved quickly.

No line to get in the Langley Costco tonight at 6:00, but a crazy long wait to get into the Optical section because of how they are doing it now with one individual Employee serving one customer at a time.

 

[DisLiss]

Sometimes our grocery stores have a short wait and other times no wait at all. But places like Home Depot seem to always have a wait. Not an "around the building" wait, but a wait.

 

[bcwife76]

No line to get in the Langley Costco tonight at 6:00, but a crazy long wait to get into the Optical section because of how they are doing it now with one individual Employee serving one customer at a time.

I think 6pm is a good time to hit that particular location (optical section aside lol). I actually wanted to go later but hubby and I actually had a date night last night and I wasn't about to give that up

 

[FigmentSpark]

I just got back from Costco. Spent way too much money! I'd forgotten how expensive some things are and others have sure gone up in price in 3 months!

I got there around 1:30. No real line up. There were 2 people in front of me and we had to wait a few minutes to enter. That's all. By the time I got out (around 3ish - yes, I took my time, well things had been moved around, too!) there was a small line up. I say small because it wasn't winding around the building. Maybe it was a 15 minute wait? Don't know. The store was much more crowded this time than 3 months ago, when I waited over an hour to get in. So, they must be letting more people in to combat the line ups.

They had water and toilet paper, but not a large selection of fruits or veggies. They had some bananas, grapes, apples and some clementines, and peaches, but no strawberries, or berries of any kind. I didn't see peppers, but they did have carrots and asperagus and lots of lettuces. The baked goods was pared down, too. Not nearly the selection that they usually have. Also, the prepared foods, like lasagna and chicken pot pie were made on the 14th. Nothing after that.

Anyway, that's me for another month, I guess. Hitting the regular groceries instead. I decided impulsively to go to Costco today, because Google said my local grocery store was "busy", while it was showing the Costco as "not very busy". I imagined myself walking down narrow aisles in a "busy" store, versus walking down large aisles in a "not very busy" store and Costco won out.

Oh yeah, Costco had a 50 pack (1 per customer) of disposable masks for $27.99. Good price, these days.

 

[mshanson3121]

Still lines here (NB) at stores. Most stores are still only allowing 5-10 people in at a time.

 

[Pumpkin1172]

Oh yeah, Costco had a 50 pack (1 per customer) of disposable masks for $27.99. Good price, these days.

I just got back from Costco. Spent way too much money! I'd forgotten how expensive some things are and others have sure gone up in price in 3 months!

It seems some of the larger box stores ( northern Alberta ) are letting more people into the stores at a time. Costco, Superstore, Walmart, Home Depot. We went to Costco the other night, and we walked straight in. They have actually taken down the extra waiting line they had before ( where our carts go ) that they had turned into part of the waiting and distancing area back into their regular cart parking, and there were definitely more people than they allowed before.

Not many people here are wearing masks yet. I am starting to see more people wearing them. Some stores require them, so I always am carrying a few masks around with me. We don't see many masks I think due to the age of our population. We have the city with the biggest amount of young people. If you are over 45, you in the minority here. We are a very young, blue collar working city. Out of 80,000 people we have only had 19 cases so far, and in our rural county there have been even less I think. Some areas around here where the snowbirds are and when they came home, the virus got into a couple of senior living buildings, and it spread with lots of those infected passing away We have been extremely luck so far. Considering how many transient the oil and gas sector is,I figured our numbers would have been higher.

And YES...we buy the same things almost every week...and our grocery budget has had to be expanded. Groceries have DEFINITELY gone up in prices

 

[FigmentSpark]

No line at Walmart today, but it was busy. There was a guard, though, so you can see that they might have expected a line. They are charging for bags at Walmart again.

 

[gypsy_at_heart]

Costco in Coquitlam had a massive lineup yesterday when I finally ventured out there to get TP, paper towel and apples. I used the front of the line perk for healthcare workers for the first and last time... the glares make it super uncomfortable.

Luckily that's all I really needed and I'm getting the rest of my groceries delivered weekly, so I won't have to venture there again for quite some time.

 

[mouse575]

I avoid weekends and busier times in the evening when it is likely the worst, but stores still tend to seem crowded most times