Illinois Valley Times

Grocery stores in Illinois are struggling to meet customers' demands as Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order remains in effect.

In Grundy County, several grocery stores are doing everything they can to provide enough supplies to the county, according to WCSJ News, all while engaging in best practices to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

“Although the CDC does not require our team to use gloves or masks, we are actively sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE) for our employees to use, upon request,” ALDI's website said. “Disposable gloves have begun deploying this week and over the next week we will start to ship masks, as supplies permit.”

Other grocery stores are ensuring they remain open, which will allow residents to purchase the items and food they need during the pandemic, WCSJ News reported. 

"Our stores are working very hard to maintain in-stock conditions for all items," a statement on Jewel Osco's website said. "We ask for your patience since customer demand has been unusually high and many items have been selling out quickly." 

ALDI grocery stores are also working to keep their store fully stocked, according to WCSJ.

"We've been focusing all of our efforts on ensuring essential food and household goods are available, as we know our service to the community is critical during this unprecedented time," ALDI's website said. 

Grocery stores are starting to limit the number of in-demand items customers can buy as well. Jewel Osco stores in Grundy County are filling online orders, but are making limitations for the quantity individuals can order online, the statement on the website said. 

“We’ve also instituted item limits for online orders (maximum quantity of 10 per item),” the statement said. “We also ask you to respect in-store item quantity restrictions so all our customers have a chance to purchase the items they need.”

Other grocery stores like Berkot's Super Foods are taking similar measures to ensure food and in-demand items remain stocked at their stores, WCSJ News reported. 

“Our stores continue to re-stock after the initial wave of buying has calmed,” the statement from Berkot's Super Foods said. “We are focusing on cleaning and bringing our stores back to ... normal.”