PHOENIX — Challenges for many grocery stores - from keeping shelves fully stocked, to staffing shortages. It's being seen across the country and, hitting here locally.
Related: Bashas stores seeing 'perfect storm' with staffing, struggling to keep shelves stocked
Those challenges are being seen across Bashas' Family of Stores, including AJ's Fine Foods and Food City. They ask that you remain patient since it will likely be a few more weeks before things are all caught up.
"See here, you've literally just, you're wiped out of that completely," says Ashley Shick, director of communication and public affairs, Bashas' Family of Stores.
Keeping shelves fully stocked right now is a challenge.
"Some of the items have been very, very limited," says one shopper at Basha's.
Bashas' Family of Stores says it's not as extreme as what we saw two years ago but, you'll notice products missing down certain aisles and no telling when they will be restocked as the supply chain is strained.
"Whether or not it's a product that is delivered directly from the manufacture to a store or if that is being delivered to our distribution center and then being distributed through our internal distribution channels. That's a similar experience that you'll see within the grocery industry as a whole. So, the times are going to vary," says Shick.
That, coupled with a staffing shortage, creates even more challenges. Bashas' says it's an issue they've never dealt with before at their distribution center in Chandler - a lack of workers plus, those calling out due to the rising spread in COVID cases.
"We have to look at how fast can we go, how many workers do we have, how many hours are in the day versus, how many cases does every single store need of XYZ product and, balance that out," says Shick.
Things are improving though, as the grocer says they've increased the number of cases of food that stores can order. Keep in mind, it might take a little longer for you to see the outcome.
"The last like week I've come and they'll be like… 'oh, we're out of tomatoes or we're out of lettuce', you know, just the simple things," says one shopped at AJ's Fine Foods.
The local grocer stresses that they are not running out of food, they just encourage folks to take what they need and not overbuy.
