SEYMOUR, Tenn. (WVLT) – Grocery stores across East Tennessee are experiencing a rush of customers as people prepare for winter weather expected this weekend.
Food City and other grocery stores have seen items fly off shelves as shoppers stock up on essentials and non-essential items alike.
“Getting everything you can get before it gets gone,” said Benny Brown, a Seymour shopper at a local Food City.
Kenny Greene, store manager at Seymour Food City, said customers are purchasing more than the traditional milk and bread associated with storm preparation.
“They buy anything. When it comes to snow, they pretty much get anything they can get their hands on,” Greene said.
The store is seeing three times its normal business volume, according to Greene.
Some shoppers, like Faye Norton of Seymour, are taking a prepared approach.
“I got most of my groceries yesterday and I’m just getting ready to stay in,” Norton said.
Others are deviating from their usual shopping habits.
“Getting the bread I don’t normally get and getting a lot of stuff I don’t normally get,” Brown said.
To keep up with increased demand, Food City is receiving daily shipments.
“We’re pretty much getting shipments everyday. Certain days you get dry goods, other days you get more of the perishable items. So we always got a truck coming in,” Greene said.
Shoppers are also stocking up on pet food as pet owners prepare to keep their animals indoors during the weather.
Despite the preparation efforts, some residents hope the weather won’t be as severe as predicted.
“I’m hoping it don’t do nothing and we’re all fooled about it,” Brown said.
WVLT’s First Alert Weather Team is tracking out both a winter storm warning and a winter storm watch for our area.
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