Loblaws says supply chain remains functional

Loblaws says Kitimat’s No Frills isn’t going to run out of food or essential supplies any time soon.

Amid concerns about potential supply chain shortages in the meat industry, Loblaws told the Kitimat Northern Sentinel its supply chain remains functional and that in-store teams are responding to spikes in volume as they occur to make sure the most important items reach customers in a timely manner.

“Our distribution centres continue to move food and products through quickly, and governments are making the necessary policy changes to ensure more trucks can get on the road, which means more frequent deliveries to our distribution centres and stores,” the company said in an emailed statement on April 29.

READ MORE: Grocers reassure customers about food supply as demand increases

They added that while the situation is evolving daily they have dedicated teams to specific supply chain issues to ensure products are getting to shelves as quickly as possible.

“We have plans in place to address a number of potential future scenarios and are committed to continuing to serve our communities in their time of need.”

In terms of specifics the company said they saw giant spikes in toilet paper and disinfectants in March which has since tapered off, adding that in the first few weeks of April things like Easter turkeys, chickens and beef tenderloin were the big-ticket items, along with chocolate.

“Today, customers seem to have stopped stockpiling,” the company said.

Both the provincial and federal governments have cautioned against panic buying and stockpiling, adding that grocery supply chains remain strong. For weeks in March it became increasingly hard to buy toilet paper, with stores imposing limits following panic buying and many customers taking to lining up outside of stores before opening to secure themselves a roll.

The Northern Sentinel did not receive a response from Sobeys — owner of Safeway — however in an April 15 press parent company Empire Company Ltd. said its supply chain remained strong.

“The Company’s supply chain has been resilient to date, as automated distribution centres have enabled high-velocity restocking of stores,” the release said. “Empire’s supplier partners have responded to incremental demand by adding capacity, improving efficiency and finding innovative ways to deliver to stores.”

The conglomerate noted similar trends to Loblaws with regard to purchasing trends, with significantly higher sales in all formats except fuel beginning on February 28.

“Sales further accelerated from March 8 onward as customers began to stock up in preparation for possible stay-at-home requirements,” they said, adding that by March 22 the intensity had began to decrease but was still significantly higher than normal.

Empire says while initial demand was skewed towards shelf-stable grocery items, sales has returned to more usual levels across both grocery and fresh categories. They added that, while it’s hard to predict, they are anticipating sales to continue to be higher-than-average until the hospitality industry begins to get back to work en masse. “Management anticipates a percentage of consumption will shift from restaurants and hospitality businesses to grocery stores for as long as stay-at-home restrictions remain in force.”

Save-on-Foods did not respond to the Kitimat Northern Sentinel’s request for comment.