GA Coronavirus: Grocery Stores Set New Hours, Senior Guest Hour

GEORGIA — Grocery stores around the metro Atlanta area are altering their normal hours to give employees more time to clean and restock shelves after customers shopping for coronavirus essentials have wiped out shelves.

Several chains, including Publix, said that hours would be shortened for more cleaning, restocking and the health of employees. Publix Super Markets adjusted company-wide store and pharmacy hours company-wide to close at 8 p.m. nightly until further notice.

Publix stores and Publix Pharmacies will open early two mornings a week to allow seniors to shop ahead of the crowds. Customers aged 65 and older can shop from 7 a.m. - 8 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Here's a look at the latest grocery chains announcing updated hours:

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Aldi: ALDI stores across the country will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, which began on Monday. Some stores may have limited hours to accommodate restocking and cleaning.

BJ's: All BJ's Wholesale Club locations in Georgia will begin opening one hour early every day for members who are age 60 or older. This special opening hour will be from 8-9 a.m. daily and there will be a designated entrance for them to use.

Costco: Limits have been implemented on certain items, controlling the number of members in warehouses and reduced some services.

Lidl: As of Monday, all stores will open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. until further notice. This temporary change in store hours will give team members extra time to restock shelves, clean stores and recharge during these busy times. The company said it will return to its regular hours as soon as it can.

Kroger: All Georgia locations will now be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Beginning Monday, March 30, all pharmacies in Kroger’s Atlanta Division, which includes Georgia, will open at 8 a.m. Kroger’s stores in Georgia already block off 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays as designated shopping hours for seniors over 60 and high-risk individuals as defined by the CDC. To see the latest update with store information, visit here. Kroger's Atlanta Division is also hiring associates to help keep stores stocked with food and essentials.

See more: Kroger's Georgia Stores Hiring, Store Hours

Sam's Club: All club opening hours are now 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., Monday - Saturday. On Sunday, hours will remain 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Pre-scheduled Club Pickup orders will still be available for pickup starting at 7 a.m. The Tire and Battery Center hours will move to 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday - Saturday until further notice. If a member has an existing appointment, that appointment time stands. Optical, Pharmacy and Fuel hours remain the same.

Sprouts: Sprouts is now open from 7 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Target: All stores will close at 9 p.m. local time to allow more time for teams to clean and restock store shelves. Target will reserve the first hour of shopping each Wednesday at stores nationwide for vulnerable guests – including those over 65-years-old, pregnant women or those defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as vulnerable or at-risk.

Trader Joe's: All Trader Joe’s stores will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Walmart: Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets will be open 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. until further notice. Stores operating under more reduced hours will keep current hours of operation. Find more information here.

Whole Foods: Whole Foods Market stores will close up to two hours early. All Whole Foods Market stores in the U.S. and Canada will service customers who are 60 and older one hour before opening to the public, under the new adjusted hours posted on the store’s web page. (example: if a store’s new hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m., customers who are 60+ can shop starting at 8am.)

This list will update as new announcements are made.

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