Coronavirus: SoCal stores adjust hours to restock, meet high demands amid outbreak

ByLeanne Suter and ABC7.com staff KABC logo
Monday, March 16, 2020
Coronavirus panic buying prompts SoCal stores to adjust hours
Southern California leaders urged against panic buying as stores adjusted store hours to meet demands of concerned customers.

Some grocery stores adjusted business hours on Sunday to meet the high demands of customers swarming aisles to stock up on items amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Stater Brothers, a grocery store chain of 169 stores, will open two hours later and close two hours earlier so employees can restock and clean. Stater Brothers stores opened at 8 a.m. on Sunday.

RELATED: Officials urge smart shopping as SoCal stores see shortage of supplies

Stockpiling and hoarding have created problems with essential items like toilet paper being sold out many places.

Hundreds of people lined up at a Walmart in Burbank Sunday morning. Those looking for toilet paper, cold medicine or disinfectant were met with empty shelves.

Stores like Walmart and Ralphs are also implementing new hours to give employees more time to restock.

From crowded grocery stores to kids being out of school, the fallout from the coronavirus emergency can take a toll on people's mental health. Psychiatrist Dr. Jena Lee of UCLA Health joined ABC7 on Sunday via Skype to answer questions.