NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Super Value’s owner Rupert Roberts said yesterday he hoped the government’s decision to allow food stores to open from 6am to 9pm was the “beginning of the end” for reduced operating hours and ‘panic shopping’.
Roberts told Eyewitness News: “There’s definitely no need for it”.
His comments followed Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ reversal of increased restrictions in New Providence, allowing food stores, pharmacies, water depots, gas stations and hardware stores to open from 6am to 9pm beginning Wednesday.
Roberts said: “I hope this is the beginning of the end.
“I hope the panic shopping is over. Panic shopping should be a thing of the past, depending on how long we are allowed to go from 6 am to 9pm.”
He said: “We’re back to normal shopping.We had 99 hours before now we have a 103. We’re better off than we ever were with shopping. We have the merchandise. We just have to check ourselves with perishable orders. We have been rushing orders and canceling orders. Now we have straightened it out.
“There is definitely no need for panic shopping. We have a three month supply. There is no shortage on groceries. There may be a shortage of certain items. We ran out of spaghetti and meatballs but we had two containers come in. The main supplier hasn’t been shipping but we found spaghetti and meatballs in Brazil. We found tuna fish all over the world. We switched evaporated milk to Canada. We found some cream in Europe. As shipments come in we are selling out on corned beef. We are selling three times the amount of corned beef than we’re used to.”
Roberts noted that with the closure of hotels and restaurants due to the pandemic, his grocery store chain has benefited from increased business.
Minnis said the reversal on the total lockdown was due to public feedback and the development of a weather system that could potentially impact the country by the weekend.
Grocery stores, pharmacies, water depots, gas stations and hardware stores will be allowed to open from 6am to 9pm, until further notice.
“Food wholesalers and manufacturers will also be allowed to operate during this period. The National Insurance Board will resume cheque distributions on Wednesday 19 August at the National Stadium,” Minnis said.
Minnis said he will provide further details on adjustments to the New Providence lockdown when he addressed the nation later in the week.
