BUFFALO, N.Y. — As Buffalo continues to dig its way out of the storm, Western New Yorkers grocery stores are now dealing with what they are calling a rare triple whammy.
“It has been a tough few days, to say the least,” said Kristen Hanson, Vice President of Tops Market.
They are now seeing the effects of last week’s storm prep that cleared the shelves, this week’s Thanksgiving rush flooding the stores and Western New York’s recent truck ban limiting supply across the region.
“New product wasn't coming in. Current product wasn't going out. Everything slowed to a standstill,” said supply chain expert Jack Ampuja.
Many holiday items like frozen turkeys and cranberry sauce will still make their way home for Thanksgiving, but experts are saying perishables like milk and eggs could be harder to come by.
“Those are supplied daily and have to be moved very quickly. And obviously, if the trucks weren't coming in, there was nothing to receive,” Ampuja said.
That forced those in areas like Hamburg and Orchard Park hit hardest by the snow to take a drive in order to get those key ingredients.
However, experts say those stores should be fully stocked again by Wednesday, just in time for any last minute thanksgiving needs
“Our stores are extremely busy today, extremely busy tonight,” Hanson said. “They will be tomorrow they will be Wednesday, so it will be a continuous catch-up.”
“There are bound to be some spot shortages,” Ampuja said. “But those big retail grocery chains, they’re use of this kind of thing. They have tremendous resiliency and a bounce-back capability.”
Wegman’s was also impacted by the storm and had to close a number of its stores but said it is working to get back up and running normally.
Our stores are getting better as we head into Thanksgiving week,” the chain said in a statement. “They spent yesterday and continue to replenish shelves today into tonight. The stores that really felt the impact from a stocking perspective were our stores in the Southtowns.”
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