Grocery Stores Again Setting Purchase Limits To Prevent Shortages, Hoarding

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA) — Several major grocery store chains have started to limit the number of items shoppers can buy as coronavirus cases continue to surge and fears of hoarding and shortages return.

On Friday night, shelves at a Target in the San Fernando Valley looked eerily similar to scenes from the beginning of the pandemic.

"I wasn't worried before, but I kind of am right now," Debora Neff, a shopper, said.

Paper towels and toilet paper have been selling like hotcakes, and even some food items like spaghetti sauce have been in high demand.

With coronavirus cases surging across the nation, shoppers said they wanted to stock up in order to limit their trips outdoors. Some also said they were concerned about winter with both the flu and COVID-19 going around.

"I'd rather start getting stuff now than later," Sophia Lee, a shopper, said.

Stores like Target, Whole Foods, Kroger and others have started posting signs limiting the number of certain items shoppers can buy in hopes of preventing another round of hoarding and shortages.

According to a recent study by Inmar Intelligence, 60% of shoppers surveyed said they plan to stock up again as winter approaches.

And while many stores still have plenty of inventory, other places have started to see a run on certain items.

"Vons right now is actually pretty stocked, so you would think nothing is going on," Lee said.

"I noticed that they have plenty of flour and yeast and baking supplies, but canned tomatoes, for example, I had a hard time finding and egg noodles for chicken noodle soup," Neff said.

Many stores continue to urge people to buy only what they need at the time and say they will adjust limitations on items as needed.