ShopRite Sets 2-Per-Customer Limits Amid Coronavirus Spread

As frustrations have grown with empty store shelves across New Jersey amid concerns over the new coronavirus, ShopRite announced Sunday that it will limit how many items people can purchase in various categories.

Meat cases, paper products and cleaning supplies have been wiped out repeatedly in stores throughout the area, and people have been crowdsourcing on social media, trying to find basic items, especially toilet paper.

ShopRite, like other stores, began limiting purchase quantities on Saturday, and on Sunday announced chainwide limits.

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"Our teams are working tirelessly to replenish shelves as quickly as possible. To help everyone get what they need, we have placed limits on the following key categories," the announcement said:

• Household disinfectants
• Cold & flu medicines
• Soaps and hand sanitizers
• First aid supplies
• Bottled water
• Chicken, turkey and ground beef products
• Eggs

A list on the ShopRite website said most of those items would be limited to two per purchase.

"We’re working with our suppliers to keep these items on the shelf for you and we appreciate your cooperation in limiting your purchases so that everyone can get the products they need," the company said.

In addition to limiting purchases, the company has stopped all in-store product sampling and is cleaning and santizing frequently throughout the stores.

"We follow a routine of frequent, thorough cleaning of restrooms and public areas with a special focus on check-out stations and conveyor belts, credit card keypads and other surfaces regularly handled by customers," the company said. Food-contact surfaces also are being frequently cleaned.

People are being encouraged to use their ShopRite from Home service, which has had a significant increase in demand, and they urged patience among users. A new option is to have orders dropped off at their home without needing contact with the delivery driver.

"Your driver will call or text you when they are on their way to make your delivery. Your delivery will be left at your door unattended. Please read instructions in the checkout process and provided your mobile phone number in the Delivery Instructions field at checkout when placing delivery orders. Note, payment options may have changed to accommodate this service," the notice said.

As of Sunday, there were 98 cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey, and two people have died from it, according to the state health department.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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