No large crowds at supermarkets

With two days left before Christmas, supermarkets were not overly crowded on Wednesday afternoon as many stores worked to ensure shoppers observed physical distancing.

Massy Stores’ West Mall location had a decent turnout as customers took advantage of its 12 Days of Christmas sale. Massy Stores will close at 6 pm on Thursday having opened its doors at 6 am on Wednesday.

One customer was very happy with the service she received saying she was in and out of the store quicker than expected. “It was easy shopping,” she said, only identifying herself as Gail.

She said she was able to park right away, which she said came as a surprise as West Mall’s parking lot had been jam packed for days.

“It’s good to see life getting back to some form of normalcy.” She said she has only been shopping for essential items since March for fear of contracting the covid19 virus. “I have young grandchildren at home. I have to be careful.”

Another Massy shopper, who requested anonymity, said the turnout was not as bad as people had told him. He said he was in and out of the store with all his goods in under an hour.

He cautioned shoppers, however, to remember to keep a safe distance from each other.

“Physical distancing is out the window,” he said.

“People feel because they have on a mask, they’re safe.”

Other groceries in Port of Spain and environs such as Tru Valu and PriceSmart also had several customers browsing through its stores, but not in very large crowds.

Long lines were only observed at the cashier at PriceSmart, but not longer than usual.

PriceSmart customer Mike Mendez said customer turnout was higher than usual compared to the past few months. He said physical distancing protocols were in place, with only a few wayward customers gathering closely together.