Virus concerns alter Hatch’s operations

Hatch’s Super Foods has decided to close its front doors Tuesday morning in order to protect staff and the community during the spread of Covid-19.

The local store is now providing groceries through phone order only after having over 700 customers on Monday, and over 600 customers a day for the last week.

On a typical day, Hatch’s might see 350 customers in a day.

Those who normally shopped online or at other stores were coming into the store to get supplies their delivery websites no longer had in stock.

Hatch’s has been struggling to keep up with the amounts of paper products, cleaning supplies, and baby products that customers were purchasing.

Hand sanitizer was the first product to be cleared from the store two weeks ago, followed by disinfectant wipes, which have been empty for a week.

Potatoes and bread were also hit hard by shoppers, and sugar and flour appeared to be the next target.

To reduce the damage of a local toilet paper shortage in stores, Hatch’s began limiting customers to one package of toilet paper per family.

The impact of consumers clearing the shelves can be felt through the supply chain, from consumer all the way to manufacturer.

Truck drivers transporting these extra products have been severely affected, as well as the stores lacking enough supplies bevause of shipping delays.

Manufacturers are even having a difficult time keeping up with people’s demands, and Charmin, Bounty, Lysol and Clorox have contacted Hatch’s with notices stating they are behind.

“They just can’t keep up,” said store manager Valerie Hochstein.

The store had been considering their options since hearing of the spread of the coronavirus. Hochstein’s main concern was with their older staff and how to best keep them safe.

With concerns from staff in mind, Hatch’s Super Foods decided to implement a different way to do their business and lower risk of infection.

Phone orders will need to include sizes, flavors, brands and other relevant information for each of the items customers would like.

Customers will also need to provide information such as rewards numbers, time of pick-up, a phone number, and the number and expiration date of the credit or debit card used in the purchase.

Cash and checks will not be accepted during this time, nor will in house charging.

Due to demand, some items may need to be limited and substituted.

To place a phone order with Hatch’s, customers can call 308-352-4520, 308-352-4526 or 308-352-2729. Other options for ordering groceries are texting 308-352-6298 or emailing hatchs@gpcom.net.

To pick up orders, simply pull into the parking lot and open the trunk for staff to place groceries in the vehicle.

With these measures, Hatch’s hopes to keep its staff and the community a little safer from the potential spread of the coronavirus.