Grocers Speed Up Hiring To Fill eCommerce Orders, Operate Stores

As staffers need time away from work to tend to their children, or they become ill, supermarket companies are speeding up hiring to have workers able to fulfill eCommerce orders or operate stores. The leaders of big chains had a call with the White House on Sunday in which they asked President Donald Trump to tell U.S. consumers to refrain from stockpiling merchandise and noted they were committed to remaining in operation, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Chief executives for Tom Thumb/Albertsons and Kroger, among other leaders, told the president that shoppers are putting pressure on the supply chain and purchasing three to five times typical volumes. Trump, for his part, said at a White House briefing that “there’s no need for anyone” to stockpile basic merchandise. His commentary occurred as U.S. consumers continued to stock their shopping carts with toilet paper, cleaning supplies, tuna and soup.

In a general email to shoppers, Kroger noted that it is hiring. The grocer’s website reportedly notes that it has 6,546 positions around the country, with the inclusion of 519 in Texas. Albertsons and Tom Thumb per the report will be bringing onboard 3,000 individuals, or approximately 30 per location, to remove the strain from staffers and assist with heightened demand.

Tom Thumb/Albertsons overall will reportedly bring on 4,000 part-time and temporary workers in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Louisiana and Austin. The hiring procedure at Albertsons and Tom Thumb is typically more formalized and starts with digital applications. Now, however, many temporary workers will be hired immediately.

In separate news, large British grocery chains are aiming to simplify their operations by scaling back services like cafes and counters to allow staffers to support basic supplies amid the coronavirus outbreak. The nation’s grocery retailers, with the inclusion of Tesco and Sainsbury’s, among others, have been challenged to maintain their stock for more than a week as shoppers panic-buy products.