BUFFALO, N.Y. — Wegmans is changing its store hours temporarily to better prepare for a surge in shoppers in response to the coronavirus.
Stores that are open 24 hours will now close at midnight Friday night to allow employees to clean and restock products throughout the store.
Wegmans is also increasing the amount of times they clean and sanitize their stores, restricting the use of reusable cups to the self-serve coffee bar, and enhancing its short-term disability leave program to support people impacted by COVID-19.
For more information on the new hours and Wegmans' response to the coronavirus outbreak, please click here.
For the past couple of days, many people in Western New York have been scrambling to buy food and supplies, fearing a shortage as the coronavirus potentially spreads.
2 On Your Side spoke with a Niagara University professor, Jack Ampuja, who is an expert in supply chain management and logistics, which is the flow of goods and services in commerce.
He said people should not panic.
"There may be spot shortages," Ampuja said. "It could be a week, a couple of days, but we're not looking at something like a month or two months to respond, unless unless we tell people don't go to work, stay home and we shut things down. Then there's nothing in the supply chain and it runs dry."
Ampuja also said a positive sign is that China, where the virus started and hit the hardest, is already recovering and, within a couple weeks, will be back to full capacity.