Whole Foods, Target Offer Exclusive Shopping Time for Vulnerable Residents

Whole Foods and Target are temporarily adjusting store hours to accommodate vulnerable shoppers during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak starting Wednesday. 

Whole Foods will allow people who are 60 and older to shop for one hour before stores open to all ages, the supermarket chain announced in a statement. If store hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., people 60 and older will have the store to themselves from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Whole Foods’ website has information on store hours. 

“We are setting aside this time to help these customers, who national health authorities have identified as among the most vulnerable to COVID-19, feel more comfortable shopping our stores and helping to ensure they are able to get the items they need in a less crowded environment,” the statement reads. 

Stores will close up to two hours early to give staff time to restock and sanitize. Stores that offer pickup and prime orders will still be open to carry out those functions.

Important Update to Store Hours. For information on your store, please visit https://t.co/dxzcZkw1wy. pic.twitter.com/j469cHZ0Le

— Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) March 18, 2020

Target will close all stores by 9 p.m. for restocking and cleaning, it announced in a statement. The retailer’s website has updated store hours. 

For elderly shoppers and those with underlying health concerns, Target offers the first hour of shopping every Wednesday exclusively for them. “The retailer is encouraging other guests to plan their shopping trips around this timeframe,” the statement reads.

We’re so proud of our Target teams working to keep stores open for guests during this challenging time. Read about our latest efforts, including new reduced store hours to add time for cleaning & restocking, & dedicated shopping time for vulnerable guests: https://t.co/8sAyrJ9e56

— Target (@Target) March 17, 2020

About Maryam Shahzad

Maryam is a reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Previously, she was an intern with MCM. She can be reached at mshahzad@mymcmedia.org or on Twitter @maryam_mcm.

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