The new grocery store normal
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The times of social distancing has grocery store shoppers experiencing a new normal when it comes to their shopping experience.
Lazy Acres, Trader Joe's and Vons are among the grocery stores in Santa Barbara that have changed in-store procedures. From changes to store hours to customer lines to reusable bags, they've all seen changes.
At Lazy Acres near the corner of Meigs Road and Cliff Drive, they have new store hours, 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., for senior shoppers, 62 and older, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the general public. The store also stopped taking returns to prevent items from returning to shelves after being handled. Reusable bags are no longer allowed and customers will no longer be charged for bags.
Trader Joe's on Milpas Street on Thursday also stopped allowing reusable bags. They, like Lazy Acres, won't charge for in-store bags. Lazy Acres has 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shopping hours, while Trader Joe's is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. with an extra early hour of 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for senior guests.
Inside and outside of grocery stores there are markers telling customers where they can stand in line in order to keep a six-foot distance.
Employees are cleaning and sanitizing shopping carts more frequently between customers. And many customers are wearing masks or bandanas to cover their nose and mouth.
