The shelves of some small-town grocery stores and pharmacies are being stripped by out-of-town residents.

With the media full of images of shoppers in large communities lined up around the corner of big box stores, and row after row of empty shelves inside, some big city residents are flocking to small outlying communities in search of supplies.

What started as anecdotal stories circulating in small towns is now being confirmed by those on the front lines.

含羞草研究社淎bsolutely, people are coming from somewhere else,含羞草研究社� says an employee at I.D.A. Pharmacy in Ashcroft. The town of 1,600 people is located an hour含羞草研究社檚 drive from Kamloops, and about an hour and a half from Merritt and Lillooet.

含羞草研究社淭wo women from Merritt who have relatives here phoned them and asked if we had toilet paper in Ashcroft. They were told 含羞草研究社榶es含羞草研究社�, so they came with about 20 of their friends in several vehicles and loaded up on stuff.含羞草研究社�

She says that the 含羞草研究社渂ig six含羞草研究社� things people come looking for are toilet paper, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, masks, gloves, and thermometers. The store has been making its own hand sanitizer, which has sold out twice, but toilet paper remains the number one item people are seeking.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e had people come up to me in the toilet paper aisle several times, telling me they含羞草研究社檙e from Merritt and Lillooet and they含羞草研究社檙e out of toilet paper there.含羞草研究社�

She says that most people have been understanding.

含羞草研究社淲e have a sign up saying two [packs] per person. On March 17, we found six packages of toilet paper in the back and put them out. A man and woman came up and one said, 含羞草研究社業 can buy two and you can buy two.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚 said that we have a lot of old age pensioners here, and asked if they could limit themselves to one each and they were absolutely fine.

含羞草研究社淧leasantness is a good way to get through these things.含羞草研究社�

Things may begin to change as of Thursday (March 26), following new rules set in place by the province. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced there would be limits set on how many of certain items you can buy, as well as fines of $25,000 含羞草研究社� and possible jail time 含羞草研究社� for resellers of medical and sanitizing supplies, personal protective equipment and food.

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Ashcroft Safety Mart has also seen an influx of people from outside the area, with the store manager noting he含羞草研究社檚 had people from Merritt, Lillooet, 100 Mile, and many from Kamloops.

含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e mostly here because the stores in their communities have empty shelves. They含羞草研究社檙e looking for hand wipes, toilet paper, sanitizers, canned goods, potatoes, flour, sugar and bread.含羞草研究社�

Traffic at the store is about twice as busy as usual, but shipments are not coming in as quickly as they normally would.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 understandable. All the suppliers and manufacturers have been caught off guard. A lot of our suppliers have seen their orders go up substantially and they含羞草研究社檙e behind the eight ball.

含羞草研究社淭hey weren含羞草研究社檛 prepared either. It含羞草研究社檚 not like a regular holiday like Christmas or Easter, where we start planning two months before for staffing and supplies. It should be no problem getting things, it will just take a little while to get everyone back on line.含羞草研究社�

At Clinton Budget Foods, about half-an-hour north of Ashcroft, new owner Nav Singh has seen people coming from out of town, as well as highway travellers driving between Kamloops or Vancouver and Prince George.

含羞草研究社淭he big cities are out of groceries so they含羞草研究社檙e stopping here to do a general shop.含羞草研究社�

The store has put a limit on toilet paper to make it more convenient for local seniors, but Singh says that otherwise people are finding everything they need. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e good on stock.含羞草研究社�

The AG Foods grocery stores in Scotch Creek and Chase, east of Kamloops, are also seeing an influx of people from larger centres.

含羞草研究社淪ome people are telling us they含羞草研究社檙e from out of town,含羞草研究社� says an employee at the Scotch Creek store. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e noticed some new faces. Someone put it on Facebook that we have stock, and people are buying quite the buggy full.含羞草研究社�

At Freshmart in Lumby, 25 minutes east of Vernon, head cashier Jo-Ann Parr says that they have been coping with orders coming in only half-filled and up to two days late. Staff are working as fast as possible to restock the meat cooler, and toilet paper is flying off the shelves.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 going out as fast as it含羞草研究社檚 coming in.含羞草研究社�

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An issue the store is facing is people from out of town coming to stock up.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e getting people from Vernon and Kelowna coming out here,含羞草研究社� says Parr, who doesn含羞草研究社檛 think it含羞草研究社檚 fair that some Lumby citizens are going without because out-of-towners are stocking up.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e trying to help our community,含羞草研究社� she says. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 a lot of seniors here and families who have to wait until child tax comes in.含羞草研究社�

Grocery stores in Cherryville, east of Lumby, report that they have not been immune to the toilet paper craze, but Lori Petersen 含羞草研究社� a cashier at the Cherryville Emporium 含羞草研究社� says for now staff haven含羞草研究社檛 noticed a big difference. Frank含羞草研究社檚 General Store was sold out of toilet paper, Lysol wipes, and hand sanitizer, but other than that things have been normal, according to owner Lisa Schwartz.

In Enderby, between Salmon Arm and Vernon, the IGA and Red Basket grocery stores have experienced shortages.

含羞草研究社淭he products are coming in, but they含羞草研究社檙e just going out faster than they come in,含羞草研究社� Red Basket general manager Seng Phung says, adding that people don含羞草研究社檛 need to panic.

含羞草研究社淚t just takes time to stock and it takes time to order.含羞草研究社�

IGA assistant manager Matt Briard says the store is seeing shortages of a variety of items, including toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, bleach, tomatoes, beans, and more.

He notes that around 60 items were either vendor-shorted or out of stock in a recent order.

含羞草研究社淲e had half our order pretty well shorted.含羞草研究社�

In McBride, more than two hours east of Prince George, the manager of McBride AG Foods says he hasn含羞草研究社檛 noticed many people coming from the city, although some people who are heading to Prince George are stopping in.

However, he added that while local customers are buying a little bit more 含羞草研究社� which he says is understandable 含羞草研究社� they含羞草研究社檙e not overstocking and there含羞草研究社檚 no panic. Others who were interviewed for this article say that local customers have been overwhelmingly calm, good-natured, and understanding during a stressful time.

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With files from the Vernon Morning Star.

editorial@accjournal.ca
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