As grocery stores get more crowded with Thanksgiving shoppers at the same time that COVID cases are on the rise, not everyone is comfortable heading to their favorite spot – which is why one San Francisco store is getting creative.
Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco has enacted an after-hours reservation system to help their customers stay safe.
“We are shopping tonight, not coming next week,” said Lisa Rofel of San Francisco. “We’re skipping the holiday madness.”
As cases rise, infectious disease expert Dr. Krutika Kuppalli said avoiding crowded stores is a good idea.
“When people are in enclosed settings, ventilation is not great,” she said. “We know that the virus that causes COVID can aerosolize and increase the risk of infection.”
Cody Frost, an employee at Rainbow Grocery, said that the store did a customer survey and found that people were hesitant about coming in, which is why they decided to set up the reservation system.
Starting on Saturday night, 35 people will be allowed to shop after closing.
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“We are seeing a steady increase of people asking for it, hoping to extend not just for Thanksgiving but into December too,” Frost said.
Shoppers approve.
“I think it’s a good system, I appreciate it,” one customer said.
