(Well, not K-Mart officially, but a clerk.)

After reading panicky posts I jumped in my car to have a look about and see what was happening. The gas stations had normal traffic. Cal-Fed had a few customers walking slow as molasses to or from itself, B of A had normal brisk capacity (An illusion given by its Most Horrible And Badly Designed Parking Lot In The World), no lines were around any teller machines anywhere, the Staters Bro's parking lot was a bit brisker than normal, and I finally ended this tour by pulling into K-Mart which had more cars in its lots than I've seen on many a weekend. I parked and went in to see if this was due to any sales. It wasn't, the business was brisk, and I noticed toilet paper had been especially hit hard, but not its Charmin 24 pack that was on sale. There were mounds and mounds of Charmin 24 packs. I asked a clerk what was going on as K-Mart was so oddly busy and toilet paper was drained? She said this was a time period in which a number of people were paid and all perfectly normal. She said the weekend was a mad house of crowds. It'll start its slow fizzle soon.

So if the K-Mart employee is speaking from experience and one goes "out there," one will see some empty shelves all of which is predictable and normal business.

I returned home concluding: Nothing is happening "out there."

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), October 18, 1999

Answers

I just came home from my daily errands; one of them was a stop at Sam's.

Tremendous amount of people in the parking lot, especially so for a mid-afternoon Monday! Probably as many cars today as there are on a good Saturday.

Grabbed a cart and started 'cruising' the aisles. Surely with the number of cars in the lot, someone *had* to be prepping, and I was paying more attention than usual to what the other customers put in their carts.

Only one couple (probably late 20's or early 30's) 'looked' like they were prepping. They had three 'bundles' of the propane cylinders, toilet paper, rice, lots of canned items, etc. Saw them trying to find expiration dates. Everyone else, however, was shopping for... I believe the theme was either Halloween or Christmas. Lots and lots of Halloween/Christmas decorations, baked goods, lots of 'miscellaneous stuff'...nothing that would be especially useful nor needed if there were disruptions. I stayed there longer than I like to, just to see if maybe I was looking in the wrong places. Nope, no GI's at this Sam's today.

Maybe they weren't worried because the market didn't go below 10,000. This particular Sam's is located in the heart of suburbia; perhaps that made a difference?

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), October 18, 1999.

K-Marts' shoppers seemed to be Halloween orientated. Some appeared to be young mothers planning childrens' parties.

The pharmacy area was really hopping with people standing and sitting around it. They may not all have been prescription orders I've stood around before to talk with the K-Mart pharmacist about an infant cat recipe that required liquid childrens' vitamins be added. Usually there is a rolly polly type and sort of kick back. In short, very approachable. Not one of those other type's elsewhere who leap up with a stern sounding, "May I help you?" As one's trying to discreetly put together a Y2K kit.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), October 18, 1999.

I don't care if the DOW goes to zero, nobody's going to "panic" about Y2K until after Christmas.

-- Jim (x@x.x), October 18, 1999.

Wasn't there a thread about a month ago that said Hershey's chocolate was going to be in short supply and they didn't think they could fill orders in time for Halloween? WalMart must of got all the candy because I saw 5 huge bins 4x4x4 filled with bags of chocolate candy today. Maybe Hershey's meant they had too much chocolate.

-- choco freak (chocfreak@chocofreakk.xcom), October 18, 1999.

K-Mart, Smart & Final, and Staters has a ton of chocolate. A couple of weeks ago I had picked up some bags for my stash.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), October 18, 1999.

As soon as Halloween is over and all that candy goes to half price I'm going to buy tons of it. That stuff can keep you alive and happy even if you don't have any other food! It will be a good thing to give to neighbors to keep them happy, especially if they have kids.

-- @ (@@@.@), October 18, 1999.

@, I'm with you...out the door on November 1 to all the 1/2 price candy sales. Good barter, good, quick energy booster and an even better way to ease a down mood.

I was at my local Costco yesterday and it was a madhouse. I actually left and came back later in the day. Still a madhouse, just not as bad. I didn't notice any panic or baskets full of t.p. but I did notice a lot of guys hanging out in the generator isle. Kind of interesting.

Paula, if you don't mind the question, where are you? So Cal by chance?

Mike

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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 18, 1999.

I'm not sure what news you had heard about a chocolate shortage as far as Hersheys goes, but I had read months ago about a POTENTIAL shortage of chocolate in the coming years (not immediate) because of a fungus or something similar that has been killing cocao groves. It seems because the cocao growers have changed to having a large grove of trees instead of several, separated smaller groves..when the whatever it is hits a grove more trees are killed off. This fungus evidently doesn't jump to the next grove of trees.

beej

-- beej (beej@ppbbs.com), October 19, 1999.

Sorry about the double post...I probably should have done this in the first place. Here's a link to the info. I mention above.

Here's one article.

-- beej (beej@ppbbs.com), October 19, 1999.

Went to Safeway in No. CA to buy Surf detergent 100 oz for $3.49 reg. $7.49 when I say I didn't get the $4 discount I questioned the clerk, shetold me that I was allotted 2 per household, & that they were now able to keep track of people buying more than what is offered. I told her my husband bought 2 for his 80 year old mother who is unable to carry such a heavy container, she asked for her phone #, from there it went down hill, I did get my $4 after I clued her in that no where on the shelf did it state 2 per household etc. Regarding stocking up on chocolate, stay away from any that is prepared w/butter, it doesn't last as long, Hersheys carmel tastations is great stuff.

-- Judy (dodgeball@aol.com), October 19, 1999.

pay cash and they'll never know how many you buy...

-- me (i'm@work.now), October 19, 1999.

me It's set up by using a membership type card, they scan, no membership card no discount.

-- Judy (dodgeball@aol.com), October 19, 1999.