SAN ANTONIO – UPDATE: In response to the delayed wait times for curbside service, H-E-B officials sent KSAT the following statement:
“We know customers may be seeing longer than usual availability on time slots. H-E-B Partners are working diligently to design multiple solutions for all Customers to access the food and supplies they need with limited public interaction.”
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ORIGINAL STORY: KSAT 12 News has received several inquires from viewers wondering in light of limited hours and purchasing restrictions at grocery stores, why don’t retailers provide a senior hour for senior citizens?
Viewers said they see many elderly people struggling to compete with younger people to purchase their groceries and many end up last in line.
We asked the folks at H-E-B if some sort of senior hour could be implemented at their grocery stores. Here was their response in a statement to KSAT:
"At H-E-B we are working hard to address all customer needs, especially those of our most vulnerable populations.
As health and government officials continue to recommend social distancing, we feel that offering a senior hour is not the safest option.
We are looking at better options to help our vulnerable populations get the items they need, including using Curbside and Home Delivery.
Additionally, we are supporting our nonprofit partners like the San Antonio Food Bank and Meals on Wheels, who are providing valuable services to these populations."
H-E-B is currently open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in order to allow the grocer time to restock items.
Dollar General on Monday night announced it will dedicate the first hour of the shopping day for senior citizens beginning Tuesday.
"Dollar General wants to provide these at-risk customers with the ability to purchase the items they need and want at the beginning of each day to avoid busier and more crowded shopping periods," the retailer said in a statement.
The retailer also plans to close an hour earlier than current closing times to allow for cleaning and stocking.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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