Top 10 Coronavirus Tips for Shopping at the Grocery Store
Although most of us are at home as we try and social-distance and flatten the coronavirus curve, essential errands like going to the grocery store for supplies still need to be done. With the help of the subject matter experts over frontlineer.com, this article will look to list the top 10 tips for shopping at the grocery store, to ensure that one is safe when they do go to their local grocery store for supplies.
Organize your shopping list by aisle or family of items
Grocery stores will have various items in specific aisles to make shopping easy and chances are you are familiar with the arrangement of items in the store if it is your local grocery store and it is where you normally shop. Therefore, as a tip by the gurus over at frontlineer.com to help you in your shopping during the current coronavirus crisis, you should arrange your shopping list by aisles or by a related family of items to ensure that you won’t spend too much time in the store looking for items and will be in and out within no time.
Try to go to the store during off-peak hours
Obviously, the emptier the store is, the better for you as you will have fewer people to interact with hence the chances of contracting the coronavirus will be reduced. Thus, as a tip for shopping at the grocery store, you should try and go to the store during the off-peak hours, avoiding evenings and lunchtime hours when you can b sure the store will be full as that is the time when most people do their grocery shopping.
Be aware of and respect “senior hours”
As per discussions on the same over at frontlineer.com, most grocery stores have set aside specific hours for older and at-risk shoppers to come and do their grocery shopping. An important tip during the current coronavirus crisis is to ensure that you are aware of these special hours and stay away from the grocery store if n you are not part of these groups, something that will ensure the safety of everyone concerned, particularly those in the said groups who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.
Read the labels and avoid touching the items
The gurus over at frontlineer.com are also clear that one should avoid touching items in the grocery store unless they plan on buying them. You should therefore try reading the label without touching the item. It is also important to know exactly what you came into the store to buy so as to avoid having to do research in the store, which will put yourself at an increased risk of getting infected by the coronavirus.
Wear gloves or wipe the shopping cart down
Grocery stores are also supplying wipes for shoppers to be able to wipe down the handles on the cars and baskets and you should make sure you do so before you begin shopping as per the folks over at frontlineer.com. Some are even wiping the carts down for their customers as they walk in, which is very helpful. You should however have a pair of latex gloves or any other single-use gloves on you just in case this facility is not available, which you can use while shopping and then dispose of them as you leave the store. Be very careful when removing your gloves to limit exposure to the virus, and wash and disinfect your hands afterwards.
Go shopping alone if possible
As per the gurus over at frontlineer.com, you should also go to the grocery store alone if possible, to limit the number of people who will be in the grocery store at one given time, making it easier to social-distance. You should particularly avoid bringing children with you to the store as they are likely to touch more things at the store since they lack the self-discipline to stop themselves from grabbing things. Try to find someone to watch your kids as you go shopping at the grocery store, and if you are unable to find someone, make sure they don’t touch anything while at the store.
Put your shopping list on paper
The subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com also advice that one uses a piece of paper to write their shopping list rather than using their phone so that one can limit the amount of time they touch their phone while at the store. By wring the shopping list on paper, you get to keep your phone away while browsing the aisles and at the same time you can dispose of the piece of paper as when leaving the grocery store.
Maintain your distance in the store
As per discussions on the same over at frontlineer.com, you should also make sure you maintain you distance while shopping, ensuring that you are at least 6 feet away from fellow shoppers. If you are looking to grab something in an aisle, you should wait until any other person who is after what you’re after is done. Maintain the same 6-foot when checking out to ensure that you are not within striking distance if one of your fellow shoppers happens to have the virus.
Use contactless payment methods
The gurus over at frontlineer.com also recommend that you use contactless payment methods like Apple Pay or Google Pay when checking out, rather than swiping your card or paying through cash. If fact, many grocery stores are not allowing cash payments to prevent the spread of the virus. If contactless payment methods are unavailable at your grocery store, make sure you wash and sanitize your hands immediately after touching the PIN pad, while also making sure you sanitize your debit card as well immediately after.
Grab items from the back of the shelf
Another useful tip for shopping at the grocery store during the current coronavirus pandemic is to grab the items that are at the back of the shelf, taking care not to touch the other items as you try and access said items. This is because items at the back are likely not to have been touched or handled as much by fellow shoppers.
Hopefully the above tips will help keep you safe as you do your grocery shopping during the current coronavirus crisis, with there being more information on this and other related topics to be found over at the brilliant frontlineer.com.
