Know Before You Go: Revisiting & Re-Ranking Ardmore Supermarkets 1 Week Later

Last week we posted an article detailing our investigation into the practices employed by Ardmore-area supermarkets to protect their staff and customers from COVID-19. The article was widely shared and received over 1,500 views over a two-day period.

Our criteria for the article is based on Governor Cooper’s requirements and recommendations and each location was scored based on our personal observations.

We appreciate everyone’s positive response and your observations at different times that we had visited.

Today – one week later – we revisited all of the locations to see if the stores have improved their practices or let some standards slide. Overall, the bar has been raised – significantly. We are proud to say that there are no longer any “F” scores. And for that we say to all of those THANK YOU for your efforts to protect your staff and the public.

Please feel free to leave a comment if any of our observations differ from what you experience upon your visit.

New scores and observations are below:

Food Lion (Hawthorne Road)
Previous Score: A-
Adjusted Score: A

• √ – Designated entry/exit signage – enter from the right, exit to the left (or right as you are exiting the store)
• √ – Designated shopping hours for seniors and at-risk groups
• √ – Hand sanitizer/wipes/sprays at entry/exit points available for shopping carts/baskets – a staff member is present sanitizing carts
• √ – Employees wearing protective face coverings – reported by readers as inconsistent. Some do wear protections and some do not. At the time of our visit those who were wearing them vs. those who were not were about 50:50. UPDATE: Most of the employees were noted wearing protective face coverings.
• √ – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing
• √ – Enforcement of maximum capacity
• √ – Use of plastic or acrylic shields at registers
• √ – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing.

Harris Teeter (Thruway)
Previous Score: D-
Adjusted Score: B

Both Harris Teeter locations have greatly improved their practices. The only practice they are not encouraging is designated one-way aisles.

• √ – NEW: Designated entry/exit signage – enter from the left, exit to the right (or left as you are exiting the store)
• √ – Designated shopping hours for seniors and at-risk groups
• √ – NEW: Hand sanitizer/wipes/sprays at entry/exit points available for shopping carts/baskets – a staff member is present sanitizing carts
• √ – NEW: Most all employees were wearing protective face coverings.
• X – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing
• √ – Enforcement of maximum capacity – entrances are now staffed with employees who direct shoppers to the designated entranced and exists
• √ – Use of plastic or acrylic shields at registers

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Harris Teeter (Cloverdale)
Previous Score: F
Adjusted Score: A-

• √ – NEW: Designated entry/exit signage – with 2 entrances the left/produce side is now the designated entrance and the checkout side is the designated exit.
• √ – NEW: Designated shopping hours for seniors and at-risk groups prominently displayed at the entrance.
• √ – NEW: Hand sanitizer/wipes/sprays at entry/exit points available for shopping carts/baskets – a staff member is present sanitizing carts. BONUS: employees are placing a cart at the ready for customers to take upon entry
• √ – NEW: Most all employees were wearing protective face coverings.
• X – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing
• √ – Enforcement of maximum capacity – entrances are now staffed with employees who direct shoppers to the designated entranced and exists
• √ – Use of plastic or acrylic shields at registers

Additional observations:
The area around the deli counter has been cleared of displays to give way to other shoppers. Social distancing markers are also indicated on the floor. At the time of our visit the store had toilet paper in stock (not a health practice, just an observation). Also, some shoppers have no concept of social distancing. Again, not the store’s fault but come on, people.

NOTE: If both Harris Teeter locations implement one-way aisles they will get a solid “A”. Also, Harris Teeter is the only grocery store in this sample that does not offer contact-less payment which is likely a corporate decision. Still, this would be a great time to implement contact-less payments.

Trader Joe’s
Previous Score: A
Adjusted Score: None. Still an “A”.

• √ – Designated entry/exit signage
• √ – Designated shopping hours for seniors and at-risk groups
• √ – Hand sanitizer/wipes/sprays at entry/exit points available for shopping carts/baskets – an employee works at the front to sanitize shopping carts as well as enforce the maximum capacity
• √ – Employees wearing protective face coverings
• √ – Enforcement of maximum capacity
• √ – Use of plastic or acrylic shields at registers
• √ – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing – Partial credit – Trader Joes has very few aisles that are quite wide. Six-foot indicator markings are taped on each aisle and reminders to maintain a safe distance are prominently placed on each aisle.

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Publix
Previous Score: A+
Adjusted Score: A

• √ – Designated entry/exit signage
• √ – Designated shopping hours for seniors and at-risk groups
• √ – Hand sanitizer/wipes/sprays at entry/exit points available for shopping carts/baskets
• √ – Employees wearing protective face coverings
• √ – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing
• √ – Enforcement of maximum capacity (269)
• √ – Use of plastic or acrylic shields at registers
• √ – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing

Publix is the only location that loses their A+ rating as the arrows and X marks throughout the produce area and areas that are not cleanly delineated by proper aisles have been removed. Still, the store scores well on all other criteria.

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Whole Foods
Previous Score: A+
Adjusted Score: A++

• √ – Designated entry/exit signage
• √ – Designated shopping hours for seniors and at-risk groups
• √ – Hand sanitizer/wipes/sprays at entry/exit points available for shopping carts/baskets
• √ – Employees wearing protective face coverings
• √ – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing
• √ – Enforcement of maximum capacity
• √ – Use of plastic or acrylic shields at registers
• √ – One-way aisles to encourage social distancing

BONUS: Two noticeable changes to Whole Foods practices:
1. An employee is now working to sanitize the checkout area after a customer completes their transaction.
2. As noted in the photograph above they are no longer accepting cash.

If you visit a grocery store or pharmacy that is in violation of the requirements you are asked to report it to CityLink through their web site (preferred) or by calling 3-1-1.

We welcome your thoughts and feedback if a store improves their efforts or if they relax their standards.