Local grocery stores have ‘had to adapt’ in face of ongoing pandemic

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis showing no signs of letting up, grocery stores have found themselves high on the list of essential services, adapting and servicing communities as best they can.

Here in Bolton, Zehrs is one of the many grocery stores residents in the Caledon community turn to for groceries and other essential products. With online orders and pick-ups booming, and high volumes of customer traffic in-store, Zehrs is actively searching for potential employees.  

Zehrs employees have had to endure a series of challenges while adapting to what has essentially, for the time being at least, become our new normal. At the beginning of the pandemic, employees struggled with staff control, customer traffic and adapting to the panic and fear that was rampant throughout the community. 

“Everyone was shopping at the beginning and there was a lot of crowd control while making sure people were social distancing,” said Geraci. “We have a lot of things in place that help the staff, but it's kind of hard to police customers.”

Zehrs has put new protocols in place to provide a safer space for all staff and customers, and to meet the requirements of the provincial and federal governments, such as limiting the amount of people allowed in the store at a time and introducing enhanced sanitation and cleanliness. But still, employees couldn't help but be worried.

“There was a fear of getting the virus themselves. We did have multiple colleagues that expressed their fears, this was more so in the beginning. They still came to work, but one of our biggest problems was when Garden Foods got their first confirmed case,” said Geraci. “It hit a little close to home because we basically share a parking lot.”

Garden Foods in Bolton closed down temporarily on March 25 after an employee testing positive for COVID-19. Store management confirmed with the public that the employee had not been in the store since March 18 but closed down temporarily to ensure proper cleaning and sanitation. Garden Foods has since then reopened on April 3. 

To keep Zehrs employees safe and comfortable coming to work, Geraci allowed several employees to work overnight shifts, where there's no customers in the store. With such a high volume of customers and work to be done, overnight shifts allow several jobs to be completed before customers arrive when they open in the mornings.

“It gives people the opportunity to come in and work after 8 p.m. once the store closes to work that way. We have multiple colleagues right now that are working overnight still maintain the social distancing with themselves, still washing their hands and all that kind of stuff,” he explained. “It eases their fears of getting the virus themselves.” 

From the beginning of the pandemic until now, Zehrs employees have adapted to their new surroundings, protocols and safety measures are able to provide an essential service for their community and residents in a more organized and safe matter. 

Community response has been, as Geraci said, surprisingly positive. Panic and fear has the ability to bring the worst out of people, but it seems to have brought customers closer and more aware of each other's safety. 

“You get the one or two people who will complain, who still don't think we're doing enough or whatever the case may be. A lot of the times they're complaining about other customers as well. I am actually very surprised, I thought we were going to get more complaints, but everyone's been super supportive. We've actually had customers bring pizzas for us, buy donuts and coffees for us, said thank you and give thank you notes,” said Geraci. 

Management is playing close attention to their employee's mental and physical health, and making sure that anyone who isn't feeling 100 per cent, is sent home to rest for a couple days. If an employee comes to work with even a sniffle, as a precaution, the employee is sent home. 

“I'd rather be safe than sorry,” said Geraci.