It is destined to be crowded Tuesday at grocery stores as shoppers stock up on both Thanksgiving essentials and those extra gallons of milk and loaves of bread for the impending snowstorm.
Be prepared for gridlock in the aisles, lines at the cash registers and busy parking lots.
"It's falling before the holiday. It's going to be a busy day," said Bob Finn manager of Wegmans in Silver Spring Twp.Supermarkets across the region said they are prepared for an onslaught of shoppers Tuesday. Stores have bumped up deliveries and called in additional staff to handle the extra business.
On Tuesday morning, Finn said they were seeing more shoppers than usual inside the store. He said he suspects people are shifting their Thanksgiving Day shopping from Wednesday to Tuesday to avoid driving in the snow.
He said extra shipments of essentials such as bread and milk had arrived at the store, and additional staff were called into work.Scott Karns, CEO and president of Karns Quality Foods, said they noticed shoppers reacting on Monday night and coming into the stores early to purchase Thanksgiving foods. Also, shoppers are calling to see if they can pick up pre-ordered foods early, he added.
It's a trend Karns said he predicts will continue all day Tuesday.
As far as the best times to beat the crowds, both Finn and Karns recommend staying clear of the 5 p.m. Tuesday time slot when people leaving work will be patronizing stores to do their shopping.
Karns suggested to avoid crowds, shop after 7 p.m. Tuesday or early Wednesday morning before the snow starts.
Dennis Curtin, spokesman for Weis Markets, said they anticipate a surge of shoppers Tuesday and also expect a higher than usual turnout at the stores on Thanksgiving Day.
For those who can't get out Tuesday or Wednesday, Curtin said Weis stores will be open until 6 p.m. Thursday.
