St. Louis grocery stores brace for winter storm demand

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Call it the rush before the winter storm hits. Grocery stores are sure to have some busy times before this first big winter storm of the season moves in.

The Schnucks at Dorsett and McKelvey, not far from I-270, opened at 6 a.m. Friday morning and by 7 a.m., people were out shopping and stocking up before the storm. Schnucks officials are fully prepared to meet the needs of shoppers ahead of the storm.

A Schnucks spokesperson said the supermarket chain is already seeing an uptick in customers and they expect that increase to continue as the storm approaches. Schnucks officials say they have been monitoring the weather so they know what’s coming.

Local shoppers said they wanted to come early to beat the rush and make sure they have what they need in case they can’t make it to stores for a few days after the storm hits.

“I heard about Snowmageddon so I know that between Saturday and Sunday, I’m going to be off limits and that’s when I normally shop so I did come early for that," Maryland Heights resident Maria Desloge said. "It’s not just going to be Sunday; it’s probably going to be Monday also. And if you do your grocery shopping on the weekends, it’s going to be crazy.”

Sandy Birrittier, also from Maryland Heights, added, “I come out early whenever there’s a possibility of sleet, rain, snow, freeze and so I want to be stocked up so I have something to cook for four or five days without having to leave the house. And so you have to prepare for everything.”

A Schnucks spokesperson said that for the safety of customers and workers, they are monitoring the incoming weather to see if they need to change store operations because of the storm. Schnucks will of course notify customers if any changes are needed.