CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Health officials have advised minimizing all trips to the grocery store until further notice to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
As a result, grocery stores have seen a spike in shoppers opting to try curbside pickup and home delivery – which is causing a delay in the availability of these services due to increased demand.
Giant Eagle has come up with its own solution by temporarily closing their store in Cuyahoga Falls on Howe Avenue and transforming it into a "fulfillment center" for curbside pickup and delivery services.
"This temporary store transition will enable us to dramatically increase our capacity to take and fulfill curbside pickup and delivery orders for the surrounding Akron and Canton communities," Giant Eagle said in a statement last week.
Time slots will be available from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily, and all payments must be done online to limit person-to-person contact.
The chain said they plan to expand this strategy into the Cleveland area, too.
The Giant Eagle located at 5744 Transportation Blvd in Garfield Heights will close to shoppers at the end of business on Friday, April 17, to be temporarily converted into a fulfillment center for curbside pickup and delivery services for the Cleveland area. Guests will be able to shop in person up until that time.
The store will then reopen for curbside pickup on Sunday, April 19. Guests can begin to reserve slots for online orders starting Friday, April 17, but the earliest pickup would be two days later that Sunday.
Giant Eagle is among other local store chains, like Acme, that have increased safety procedures amid the coronavirus pandemic, including the installation of plexiglass dividers to physically distance cashiers from customers.
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