THIS TIME IN NOVEMBER BY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
>> WELCOME TO NEW HAMPSHIRE'S BUSINESS, I'M FRED KOCHER.
GROCERY STORES ARE CENTRAL TO OUR LIFE AS THE PANDEMIC.
THE SECOND WAVE ROLLS IN.
AND GROCERY STORES ARE MAKING CHANGES.
CHANGES, SOME ARE OBVIOUS AND SOME ARE NOT.
DEMAND IN SALES ARE UP, THE PRICES ARE, TOO, BUT HERE ARE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT THEY'RE MAKING, FEWER TRIPS AND MORE GROCERIES PER TRIP.
ONLINE SELLS ARE UP, CURBSIDE PICKUP IS MORE POPULAR.
PRODUCE SALES ARE HIGH.
STORES RECONFIGURED.
THEY'RE SANITIZED, WIDER AISLES, AND THEN FEWER CHOICES, RATIONING OF ITEMS.
FROZEN FOOD, A HOT ITEM RIGHT NOW.
A LOCAL FOOD SUPPLY CHANGE, SOURCING THE FOOD LOCALLY AND MEAL KITS, READ TO EAT AND TAKE O HOME.
WITH ME TO TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GROCER ASSOCIATION, WELCOME, JOHN.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.
>> YOU SAW THE LIST OF CHANGES I PUT UP ON THE SCREEN.
HOW MANY OF THOSE DO YOU THINK WILL BECOME PERMANENT AS WE GO TO 2021?
>> I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME IMPACT ON THE CONSUMERS AND STORES GOING FORWARD.
WE SEE THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE, CERTAINLY HAVING THE IN-STORE-- GOING TO THE STORE ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE-- SEE SOME OF THE SPECIALS GOING ON AND HAVE MORE VARIETY THAT'S
AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S ALSO BY HAVING LESS TRIPS TO THE STORE, WHICH IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING, IT'S LESS EXPOSURE AND THAT'S A REASON OFTEN THAT STAYING AT HOME.
THERE'S LESS-- >> WHAT WOULD YOU ADD TO THE LIST?
>> WELL, I'D SAY THAT DON'T FORGET THE PAPER PRODUCTS, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT MAY COME BACK AGAIN.
THERE'S ALWAYS THAT SHORTAGE THERE, THERE'S STILL NOT QUITE A FULL LAND OF THAT OUT THERE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE A LOT OF THE SANITIZERS ARE GOING TO BE IN SHORT SUPPLY, DISINFECTANTS, THINGS FOR CLEANING THAT NOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS FOR A
LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, THEY ARE HE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT REFILLING THEIR SHELVES WITH THAT AS WELL.
>> YEAH, SO, THERE COULD BE SHORTAGES AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE STOCKPILING TO TRY TO AVOID THAT.
>> RIGHT, I THINK THE BIGGEST LESSON EVERYONE HAS LEARNED SO FAR, IS THAT IT DOESN'T HELP TO STOCKPILE AN AWFUL LOT OF PRODUCT.
WE FOUND OUT IN THE FIRST WAVE, THOSE WHO DID IT, OVERBOUGHT AND THE PRICE ACTUALLY CAME DOWN AFTERWARDS AND THAT ONLY-- THAT DOESN'T ALLOW EVERYBODY TO HAVE ENOUGH PRODUCT AVAILABLE.
>> YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE GROCERY STORE MYSELF.
I ACTUALLY GO IN AND BUY WITH MY MASK ON AND SOCIAL DISTANCE AND I LEAVE, BUT WITH THIS PANDEMIC GETTING WORSE, I WOULD ASSUME SHOPPERS ARE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE LESS AND TAKE THIS
CURBSIDE SERVICE?
>> THAT'S A TREND THAT WE SAW COMING LONG BEFORE AND NOW IT'S GOING TO INCREASE MORE SO.
CERTAINLY HAVING CURBSIDE PICKUP MEANS YOU PAY FOR IT IN ADVANCE WITH A CREDIT CARD.
DRIVE UP, PUT IN YOUR CAR AND DRIVE HOME WITH IT.
A VERY SIMPLE SYSTEM, OEASY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE WORKING COUPLE AND THE FAMILY.
>> AND SPEAKING PAYING WITH THE CARD.
TECHNOLOGY IS PLAYING A ROLE AND I'VE SEEN A REPORT IN SOME OF THE PRESS ABOUT A NEW DEVICE, MAYBE NOT THAT NEW THAT LETS SHOPPERS PAY INSIDE THE STORE BEFORE THEY LEAVE AND DON'T HAVE
TO HAVE THE CHECKOUT LINE.
>> THERE ARE TWO, THERE'S A TUNNEL AND IT SCANS EVERYTHING IN THE CART.
THE OTHER THING, CLOSE DISTANCING ONE, WHERE YOU PROGRAM IS WHEN YOU GO INTO THE STORE AND TURN IT ON ON YOUR CELL PHONES, AS YOU PICK THINGS OFF THE GROCERY SHELF IT
AUTOMATICALLY SCANS THEM AND YOU'RE OUT THE DOOR.
>> FINALLY, IF YOU HAVE A PREDICTION FOR THE GROCERY STORE GOING FORWARD THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WHAT IS IT?
>> THE PREDICTION IS THAT THEY'VE LEARNED THAT THEY NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS.
CERTAINLY IN THE FIRST WAVE, THEY HAD TO REBUILD THE STORE WITH THE DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS, THE SAFEGUARDS OF THE PLASTIC SHIELDS AT THE CHECKOUT STAND.
ALL OF THOSE CRITERIA HAVE COME TO BE ALREADY.
BUT THERE'S MANY MORE COMING T