Sacramento-area supermarkets are employing a variety of safer-shopping measures to get customers into stores as the coronavirus pandemic continues to loom over the grocery landscape.
From social distancing to Plexiglas barriers to sanitizing stations, supermarkets and club stores are working for shoppers’ seal of approval as California counties start to relax their stay-at-home restrictions.
Here is a list of Sacramento-area grocers’ responses to keeping people safe from COVID-19 and what you need to know before heading to the supermarket:
Costco
Costco hours:10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
No more than two patrons are allowed to enter the store with each membership card.
Shopping cart handles are sanitized, as well as merchandise shelves, checkout belts and registers.
Warehouses open 9 to 10 a.m. daily for Costco members 60 years and older and those with disabilities. Pharmacy is open, but food court is closed.
All Costco members, guests and staff are required to wear face coverings at all times while at the location. Children under 2 years and those who cannot wear masks due to a medical condition are exceptions.
Social distancing must be observed.
All beef, pork and poultry products temporarily limited to a total of three items per member.
Members can bring reusable bags, unless prohibited by local health rules, but must bag their own items.
Costco has limited service at or closed its hearing aid, optical, floral and jewelry departments, depending on location.
Food 4 Less
Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Exclusive shopping for shoppers 60 and older: 6 to 7 a.m.
Food 4 Less in April began limiting the numbers of customers in its stores at one time to 50 percent of the building’s capacity.
Pharmacy drive-thru and walk-up services remain available. Protective barriers have been erected at pharmacy and checkout counters, as well as Food 4 Less’ The Little Clinic and Starbucks counters.
Signs and floor markers encourage physical distancing.
Stores are enhancing cleaning and disinfecting of common areas, equipment and “high-touch” surfaces.
Nugget
Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. until further notice.
Nugget customers and employees are required to wear face coverings, masks or scarves covering both nose and mouth.
Dedicated shopping hours for seniors 60 and older are 6 to 8 a.m. or 7 to 8 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, depending on location.
Only single-use or reusable bags purchased during checkout are allowed.
Nugget has ended its reusable cup redemption program at its coffee and juice bars. Self-service foods and bulk self-service bins are unavailable. Prepackaged hot and cold meals are available.
Checkout areas are disinfected every half hour. All “high-touch” areas, including door handles and service counters, are sanitized every two hours.
Floors are marked at 6-foot intervals to promote social distancing and Plexiglas shields have been installed at registers and service counters.
Smaller Nugget locations post one-way directional arrows to guide traffic flow.
Nugget monitors its buildings’ maximum capacity and has designated waiting areas for guests outside the store.
Nugget asks customers to shop alone whenever possible and avoid socializing or lingering while inside the store.
Raley’s
Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
People showing signs of fever and cough are asked not to enter the store.
Raley’s stores are limiting capacity, monitoring the numbers of people inside at any one time and asking customers enter and exit through one door.
Protective shields have been posted at all checkstands and pharmacy counters.
Social distancing is managed with signs at checkstands and floor markings that show where shoppers should stand in line. Shoppers are asked to maintain 6 feet of distance from other customers.
Reusable bags are no longer allowed inside the store. Bags are provided at no charge.
Shopping carts are regularly disinfected by employees outside the store.
All employees are required to wear masks or other face coverings.
Pharmacy curbside pickup is available at some locations.
Raley’s eCart parking lot pickup and delivery is available for grocery items.
Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
Store hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. until further notice
Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op offers curbside pickup service and home delivery is available through Instacart and Postmates.
Cooking classes are suspended until further notice.
No more than 50 people are allowed in the store at any time to allow for social distancing
The hour of 7 to 8 a.m. is reserved for shoppers 60 and older, pregnant or otherwise at high risk of infection.
Every hour co-op staff sanitize surfaces, including refrigerator door handles, drinking fountains, door handles and elevator buttons. Employees regularly sanitize checkout stands and other public areas.
No reusable bags, mugs or cups, personal containers or water bottles are allowed.
Self-serve water refill station is closed. Bottled, filtered water is available.
Cashless credit card and debit card purchases are encouraged, but checkers will accept cash.
Bulk goods are now prepackaged. A hand-washing sink is available in the store’s bulk department.
The co-op’s coffee bar, grill, sandwich bar, smoothie and juice bar and taqueria remain open.
Safeway
Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Safeway’s “Golden Hours” for seniors and shoppers at risk, including pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems, are 7 to 9 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Grocery and pharmacy delivery, along with the store’s Drive Up & Go services remain available. Employees use no-contact delivery procedures.
Stores have increased how often departments, restrooms, checkstands, service counters and other “high-touch” areas are cleaned.
Cart wipes and hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the store.
Customers are encouraged to wash fresh and packaged produce before eating.
Save Mart
Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Save Mart’s special shopping hours for seniors and customers with compromised health are 6 to 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pharmacy hours for seniors and those with compromised health are 7 to 9 a.m.
Sneeze guards have been installed at all checkstands.
Surface cleaning in stores has increased, including at checkout and on shopping carts.
Employees are given gloves and are allowed to wear masks or other face covering.
Floors are taped off in 6-foot intervals at checkout lines.
Home delivery and curbside pick-up through Instacart.
Meal delivery through DoorDash.
Sprouts Farmers Market
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sprouts markets are installing Plexiglas barriers at checkout; implementing measures to encourage social distancing and increasing staffing to clean “high-touch” areas and shopping carts more frequently.
All store employees must wear gloves and masks during their shifts. Managers will regulate the numbers of shoppers inside stores in the event they become crowded.
Purchases of fresh ground beef, chicken, pork, eggs, gallons of milk, bath tissue and paper towels are limited to two per customer.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Doors open at 8 a.m. daily for customers 60 years and older, as well as customers with disabilities who may need extra assistance.
Staff are increasing routine cleanings, including “high-touch” areas such as restrooms, checkout registers, grocery carts and hand baskets.
Employees are provided gloves and masks. Temporary Plexiglas shields have been installed at all checkout registers.
Trader Joe’s is limiting the numbers of people in its stores while monitoring and marking distances of customers in line at checkstands and outside the store.
Every other register is open. Registers are opened alternately while others are cleaned.
Reusable bags are not allowed inside the store.
Walmart/Sam’s Club
WALMART
Hours: 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Employees must wear masks or other face coverings at work. Customers are also encouraged to wear masks.
Walmart limits the numbers of people inside the store at any given time to no more than five per 1,000 square feet – roughly 20 percent capacity.
Sneeze guards have been installed at pharmacy counters and at checkout; floor decals are installed at entrances and checkouts to help shoppers maintain proper physical distancing.
Single entrances and exits are designated for customers to enter and leave the store.
A special shopping hour for seniors 60 and older is 6 to 7 a.m. Tuesdays.
Pharmacies are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Vision center is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
SAM’S CLUB
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays
Sam’s Club employees are required to wear masks or other face coverings. Visual aids mark 6 feet for social distancing.
Members are encouraged to limit to two people per membership. Store occupancy is limited to 300 people. Exceptions are made in jurisdictions mandating smaller occupancy.
Shopping carts are regularly cleaned.
Special shopping hours are 7 to 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for seniors and those with disabilities or compromised immune systems. Pharmacies, hearing aid and optical centers are included. Seniors can also place shopping orders from their car during those hours from designated parking locations.
Sam’s Club pharmacies are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday.
Optical centers are open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 7 a.m to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Most hearing aid centers are open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The centers are closed Sundays and Mondays.
Whole Foods
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Whole Foods has implemented social distancing and crowd control measures limiting the numbers of shoppers based on a store’s size. Plexiglas barriers have been installed. Shopping carts and credit card readers are disinfected between customers.
Customers 60 years and older, those with disabilities and those determined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be at high risk can shop at Whole Foods stores one hour before the stores open to the general public.
Stores have increased the numbers of hand sanitizer stations available.
Winco Foods
Winco Foods hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays
Senior shopping hour is 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for shoppers 60 and older and vulnerable populations.
Store entry is metered to allow for physical distancing. Customers may have to wait in line outside.
Winco has discontinued use of all bulk barrels and bins, self-service beverage stations, olive and soup bars.
Winco does not offer curbside pick-up or delivery. Online ordering has been temporarily halted.
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