CORONA Vermont now restricting WHAT open stores can sell

I predict this is going to catch on with the other states, fast.


April 1, 2020

Vermont Says Target And Costco Sales Of Clothes, Toys, And Beauty Supplies Is Non-Essential


by Nina Bookout in People 4 Comments

"Vermont has decided to go even further with deciding what is or isn’t non-essential. And quite frankly, I believe the state has gone overboard.

“Large Vermont retailers such as Target, Walmart and Costco are now required to limit the sales of non-essential items in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The directive was announced by the Agency of Commerce and Community Development on Tuesday. The agency hopes it will reduce the overall number of people going into stores to purchase items such as clothing, electronics and toys during the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order.
“Large ‘big box’ retailers generate significant shopping traffic by virtue of their size and the variety of goods offered in a single location,” said Lindsay Kurrle, secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development in a news release.”

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Want to know what the list is?

“Arts and crafts items.
Beauty supplies.
Carpet and flooring.
Clothes.
Consumer electronics.
Entertainment (books, music, movies).
Furniture.
Home and garden.
Jewelry.
Paint.
Photo services.
Sports equipment.
Toys.”

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Wow!! Let’s unpack this shall we? People have been ordered to work from home. What if they don’t have an office desk or chair? If online ordering is going to take weeks, why not go to Costco, Walmart, or Target and get yourself set up more quickly?
Kids at home because the schools are shut down. GUESS WHAT? They need paper, pens, pencils and other school supplies. What if there is a need for an additional laptop to run their schoolwork on? And they need it right away. A run to Costco is in order!
Shampoo, soap, facial cleanser, and deodorant all fall under the “beauty” category. NOT Pharmacy!
Keep kids from going stir-crazy, get a few more games, toys, and sports equipment for them to use in the back yard. Same with purchasing books, movies, and arts & crafts to keep the horde from tearing the house down out of boredom.
Clothes? Guess what? Folks do need clothes. And kids grow like weeds, and we are moving into summer. How many kids could still fit into their last year’s summer clothes? NOT MANY. Yet Vermont has deemed CLOTHES as non-essential!
And don’t get me started on restricting me from getting what I need to put a garden in this spring!
Quite a number of new restrictions have been put in place by Vermont’s Governor Phil Scott.



Here’s the order in full.

“Large “big box” retailers must:
Restrict access to non-essential goods. Stores must close aisles, close portions of the store, or remove items from the floor.
Only offer non-essential items via online portals, telephone, delivery, or curbside pickup, to the extent possible.
Except in the event of emergencies threatening the health and welfare of a customer, showrooms and garden sections of large home improvement centers should be closed.”

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There is so much wrong with this order. First of all, those in the government don’t realize that online ordering of literally ANYTHING is so slow right now that in some cases the backlog isn’t days, it is weeks. Secondly, there are better ways to accomplish keeping people at a distance than closing major sections of stores and essentially shutting down significant parts of those company’s business. Third, telling people what is an isn’t essential to purchase for their own homes is overstepping boundaries big time!

Céline McArthur

✔@CelineTVNEWS
· Mar 31, 2020

Vermont is cracking down on stores selling non-essential goods, ordering places like @costco, @Target & @Walmart to stop selling items including arts and crafts, makeup & electronics. What do you think? Email me at mcarthur@wcax.com. I’ll dig deeper on @wcax news at 11. #COVID19

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K-mo@CallMeIshmayl

Yes, let’s crack down on me buying a coloring book for my 3 year old.

3
7:03 PM - Mar 31, 2020
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Stacey - Queen of #CorporateMediaDistancing@ScotsFyre
https://twitter.com/ScotsFyre/status/1245376637715300353

So parents trying to homeschool & entertain kids with cabin fever can just screw off in these states. I guess you can just throw your kids a box of Twinkies & tell them to deal. http://fox17.com/news/local/target-walmart-costco-ordered-to-stop-in-person-sales-of-nonessential-items …

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Target, Walmart, Costco ordered to stop in-person sales of nonessential items
Big box retailers like Target, Walmart and Costco are being ordered to stop in-person sales of nonessential items in some areas. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott added this to his original executive order...
fox17.com
https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1245376637715300353
10:45 AM - Apr 1, 2020

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https://twitter.com/ScotsFyre/status/1245376637715300353

Stacey - Queen of #CorporateMediaDistancing@ScotsFyre
· 19h

So parents trying to homeschool & entertain kids with cabin fever can just screw off in these states. I guess you can just throw your kids a box of Twinkies & tell them to deal. http://fox17.com/news/local/target-walmart-costco-ordered-to-stop-in-person-sales-of-nonessential-items …

Target, Walmart, Costco ordered to stop in-person sales of nonessential items
Big box retailers like Target, Walmart and Costco are being ordered to stop in-person sales of nonessential items in some areas. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott added this to his original executive order...
fox17.com

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Mean Wee Old Woman Deb@mddebm

Who the hell are these politicians to tell me what’s nonessential? 2 yr old outgrew his clothes needs new ones. We’re trying to make up for missed school & keep toddlers entertained w parks closed & on rainy days. And don’t get between me & box of hair color rn!
https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1245433441509916673

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https://twitter.com/mddebm
Instead of ordering national retailers to shut down entire sections of their stores, why not do what many stores are doing out here in my neck of the woods. Restricting the number of people in the store at any given time is working very well in a large number of cases.

Did anyone in the Vermont government consider that as a solution? Sure doesn’t seem like it. I along with others, including Narcissi, are getting more and more concerned that the restrictions are upending our Constitutional Rights.

Look, I get it. This damned Chinese Wuhan Coronavirus has turned the world upside down, and is decimating businesses of all sizes. However, rational thinking seems to have gone flying out the window on numerous levels. It is past time, WAY past time for everyone, the state of Vermont included, to take a big step back and grab hold of some major common sense."

Happening on this side of the water too - among the things banned "gardening supplies" (I'm not kidding) thankfully not all stores were locking up entire sections and housemate was able to fill up the "extra" last minute seeds we wanted at a local Irish chain store.

The Farm Store, on the other hand, refused to sell garden seeds and Ireland (and England's) largest retailer had beauty, craft, sports, clothing and other sections walled off with ropes.

They did, however, have shampoo and the like in the pharmacy section (I asked my housemate).

I gather part of the reason for this is to keep down trips and part of it supposed to be to limit the number of staff needed in the stores and allow more space for spacing people out in line.

I suspect, however, given the nature of some of the decisions that there is also some unofficial rationing going on, along with hiding the desperate state of the supply chains as international shipping collapses.

"There is so much wrong with this order". Painfully prescient. "This will not end well."
"Government" at all levels is proving to be our worst servant and harshest enemy.

I have a problem with the 'state' dictating what is essential. This is a slippery slope that many are willing to jump onto.

Sam's and Walmart have pick-up service, so why limit sales? If you want to limit shoppers in the store, I can 'sort of' understand that, but to completely limit sales with pick-up service available is, IMHO, going a little too far. Gives an unfair advantage to Amazon and other mega online retailers.

So is Vermont just going to sit there and take it? Probably so.
Our side has ZERO fight in them and that’s why Liberals get practically everything they want as they just do it.
Pathetic.

Next it will be Lowe's & Home Depot, then grocery stores. They take a bit more every week it seems.

Maybe people under a stay at home order to prevent the spread of a deadly disease should, ummm

STAY AT HOME.

instead of shopping for junk at Walmart and Target.

My understanding is that you can still get curbside pickup of the items, at the store.

The reason they did this was because families, off work and out of school, were showing up en masse and using the stores as a babysitter. Kids were running wild and barely supervised in the toy and electronic sections.
Plus many people were using it as a recreational opportunity, not a quick trip out for necessities.

It was a dumb order but if people hadn't been a-holes and had a) left their kids at home or kept them in check and b) made it a quick hit for just what they needed it never would have been issued.

The selfish entitlement mentality of so many in our society is really apparent during this crisis, even up here. And as a result, "this is why we can't have nice things" .

I read this AM that Costco is now limiting the number of people who can shop on 1 card, discouraging minors, and limiting how many in the store at once. That is a saner approach to this.

Honestly, if people weren't jerks these rules never would have even been conceived of.

Now they are take things a little to far and so what they have it on the floor to sell to begin with.

It's to discourage "tourism". Unnecessary traffic and EXPOSURE.

After talking to my brother who is manages a retail store currently deemed "essential" ...too many people are using shopping as entertainment. Kids home, not working? Hey...it's vacation time! We MUST be entertained! Bring all the kids, Mom AND Granny out to the stores to poke around and expose everybody (including other customers and the store staff) to their cooties.

The world is awash with stupid, selfish people, and as per usual, they are gonna ruin it for the rest of us. Look to stores first to limit the number allowed in at one time, then to go to phone order and curbside pickup. If that deosn't work some states are simply gonna shut 'er ALL down for a yet-to-be-determined period of time. I've said from the beginning, the real binders won't clamp down IF people behave themselves. Well...guess what.

The reason they did this was because families, off work and out of school, were showing up en masse and using the stores as a babysitter. Kids were running wild and barely supervised in the toy and electronic sections.
Plus many people were using it as a recreational opportunity, not a quick trip out for necessities.

It was a dumb order but if people hadn't been a-holes and had a) left their kids at home or kept them in check and b) made it a quick hit for just what they needed it never would have been issued.

My children (two 7-YOs) have not been to ONE store since a week before they were last in school over two weeks ago. Likewise, the playgrounds are already nearly deserted, even pre-lockdown. It's not everyone.

WalknTrot said:

It's to discourage "tourism". Unnecessary traffic and EXPOSURE.

After talking to my brother who is manages a retail store currently deemed "essential" ...too many people are using shopping as entertainment. Kids home, not working? Hey...it's vacation time! We MUST be entertained! Bring all the kids, Mom AND Granny out to the stores to poke around and expose everybody (including other customers and the store staff) to their cooties.

The world is awash with stupid, selfish people, and as per usual, they are gonna ruin it for the rest of us. Look to stores first to limit the number allowed in at one time, then to go to phone order and curbside pickup. If that deosn't work some states are simply gonna shut 'er ALL down for a yet-to-be-determined period of time. I've said from the beginning, the real binders won't clamp down IF people behave themselves. Well...guess what.

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That has already started some places here (NW FL). Yesterday, Sports Authority was only allowing 35 customers inside their fairly large store. Others had to wait outside til an earlier one left before admission.

EMICT said:

I have a problem with the 'state' dictating what is essential. This is a slippery slope that many are willing to jump onto.

Sam's and Walmart have pick-up service, so why limit sales? If you want to limit shoppers in the store, I can 'sort of' understand that, but to completely limit sales with pick-up service available is, IMHO, going a little too far. Gives an unfair advantage to Amazon and other mega online retailers.

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Almost like a left-wing plan.

MinnesotaSmith said:

That has already started some places here (NW FL). Yesterday, Sports Authority was only allowing 35 customers inside their fairly large store. Others had to wait outside til an earlier one left before admission.

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I heard from my son in Orlando that home desperate and lowes are doing this too - only so many inside the store.

I'm not going to complain about the COMMON SENSE application of certain precautions - no interstate travel to escape from the virus with those caught being held in enforced quarantine; social distancing, hand washing etc. I don't think restricting access to the number of peeps in your store is out of line - in fact I'd say its a GOOD IDEA . . . but when you start telling me what I CAN and CAN'T buy - its out of hand and overeaching.

beginning to feel like we went to bed in the new-nited states of 'murKKa last night and woke up this morning in SOVIET RUSSIA . . . next we'll be standing in line for the train ride to the gulag

Raggedyman said:

I heard from my son in Orlando that home desperate and lowes are doing this too - only so many inside the store.

I'm not going to complain about the COMMON SENSE application of certain precautions - no interstate travel to escape from the virus with those caught being held in enforced quarantine; social distancing, hand washing etc. I don't think restricting access to the number of peeps in your store is out of line - in fact I'd say its a GOOD IDEA . . . but when you start telling me what I CAN and CAN'T buy - its out of hand and overeaching.

beginning to feel like we went to bed in the new-nited states of 'murKKa last night and woke up this morning in SOVIET RUSSIA . . . next we'll be standing in line for the train ride to the gulag

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As of the same day, Home Depot here was NOT limiting #s inside, according to a relative here.

They better ramp up the boarding over of store windows.

MinnesotaSmith said:

That has already started some places here (NW FL). Yesterday, Sports Authority was only allowing 35 customers inside their fairly large store. Others had to wait outside til an earlier one left before admission.

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There are Sports Authority stores? I thought that they went out of business a few years ago.

ARS1431 said:

There are Sports Authority stores? I thought that they went out of business a few years ago.

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I was in one yesterday that was still in business.

WalknTrot said:

The world is awash with stupid, selfish people, and as per usual, they are gonna ruin it for the rest of us.

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Quote of the Year, all of this bullshit boils down to SELFISH people, these idiots get up in the morning and think about nothing but themselves until they go to bed at night, these are same "self-important" idiots that drive 70mph in the damn passing lane and park their grocery cart right in the middle of the aisle so no one can get by, they live with "me" goggles on..hate them....

In times like these, they are now fair game and should be blasted with vocal voracity.

How effective is limiting customers?

They get in there and finger how many packages?

It would take sending an employee with them and making them buy everything they touch.

Or just online purchasing with curbside pickup.

The world has always had kids running amuck, and selfish people with carts blocking aisles. Humanity survived. Has nothing to do with anything. I can't believe people are even debating it.
Our country has gone full blown retard.

Millwright said:

How effective is limiting customers?

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Probably in hopes that people get the message not to bring 6 clingers in with them when they enter the store. The more they bring, the longer everybody else waits outside.

Thing is, most assholes are immune to mere social pressure these days.

EMICT said:

I have a problem with the 'state' dictating what is essential. This is a slippery slope that many are willing to jump onto.

Sam's and Walmart have pick-up service, so why limit sales? If you want to limit shoppers in the store, I can 'sort of' understand that, but to completely limit sales with pick-up service available is, IMHO, going a little too far. Gives an unfair advantage to Amazon and other mega online retailers.

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Especially since those with power will have access when we do not...

Our local Wal-Mart apparently suspended their pick-up service about a month ago so it's either go inside and shop or do without.

Fenwick Babbitt said:

Quote of the Year, all of this bullshit boils down to SELFISH people, these idiots get up in the morning and think about nothing but themselves until they go to bed at night, these are same "self-important" idiots that drive 70mph in the damn passing lane and park their grocery cart right in the middle of the aisle so no one can get by.

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For years now, when I have encountered that, my response if the buffoon is not currently attached to the cart is just to immediately unceremoniously shove the cart out of the way without so much as a look or a word. (If they ARE attached, they get a loud "EXCUSE ME [MADAM]", followed 5 seconds later by a "TODAY".

Perhaps lawsuits will stop the ridiculous shutdown orders.

I mentioned this on a local facebook group for our town, and wow.. the reaction. There were a few sheep that were of the opinion that this was a good thing... but the rest sounded ready for all out war. At least people have some fight left in them here. Also limits? There are no limits when there is self check out.. trust me i tested it by buying 2 baby wipes instead of one.. the faster you are in self check out the less they see and know.

MinnesotaSmith said:

unceremoniously shove the cart out of the way without so much as a look or a word

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This is exactly my approach as well

Vermont moved early to shut things down and thus far the number of cases & deaths has been low. I don't know today's #'s but the last I saw 40% of our cases were out-of-staters who brought it here with them. Those who can't do regular shopping at Walmart can get it from Walmart online. I don't see this move restricting what those stores can sell as a big deal. It'll reduce the number of people in the stores and make it safer for those trying to do their grocery shopping there.

I don't know how far they have carried it in other States, but I got a call yesterday from the property management people that I hired to do most of my property maintenance that they too are closed and can't come do the spring cleanup until the restrictions are lifted.

WalknTrot said:

Thing is, most assholes are immune to mere social pressure these days.

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That comes from their lifelong narcissism, taught them by their parents.

Hmmmm do you suppose the Wuhan Flu is Nature's way of getting rid if stupid, ignorant and selfish people?!? Oh, excuse me....not Nature, but China's?

I WISH they would do this at our store. You should see the pajama shoppers coming in with full family in tow to cure their home boredom and let their kids run a muck. Hundreds a day. I’m so over it.

Ok, beyond understanding (sort of and slightly!) the rationale of "if there isn't any "fun stuff" for sale, people won't go shopping just for fun... they've banned the sale of SOAP AND SHAMPOO?!! Are they nuts?! In a pandemic, where everyone is supposed to be washing their hands every 10 minutes?! They're utter morons!

Summerthyme

MinnesotaSmith said:

The reason they did this was because families, off work and out of school, were showing up en masse and using the stores as a babysitter. Kids were running wild and barely supervised in the toy and electronic sections.
Plus many people were using it as a recreational opportunity, not a quick trip out for necessities.

It was a dumb order but if people hadn't been a-holes and had a) left their kids at home or kept them in check and b) made it a quick hit for just what they needed it never would have been issued.

My children (two 7-YOs) have not been to ONE store since a week before they were last in school over two weeks ago. Likewise, the playgrounds are already nearly deserted, even pre-lockdown. It's not everyone.

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DD reports full playgrounds in areas around Kansas City. How stupid can a parent be?

summerthyme said:

Ok, beyond understanding (sort of and slightly!) the rationale of "if there isn't any "fun stuff" for sale, people won't go shopping just for fun... they've banned the sale of SOAP AND SHAMPOO?!! Are they nuts?! In a pandemic, where everyone is supposed to be washing their hands every 10 minutes?! They're utter morons!

Summerthyme

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My thoughts exactly SOAP.. they are mentally ill

EMICT said:

I have a problem with the 'state' dictating what is essential. This is a slippery slope that many are willing to jump onto.

Sam's and Walmart have pick-up service, so why limit sales? If you want to limit shoppers in the store, I can 'sort of' understand that, but to completely limit sales with pick-up service available is, IMHO, going a little too far. Gives an unfair advantage to Amazon and other mega online retailers.

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Here in Texas, HEB (a grocery store chain) has curbside service. You sign up for it online. When I last checked appointments were already being scheduled for the middle of April. Too much overload of it and not enough product or people to run it.

Raggedyman wrote: "beginning to feel like we went to bed in the new-nited states of 'murKKa last night and woke up this morning in SOVIET RUSSIA . .."

Have been thinking this for weeks now.

Know a few people that work in those stores and they all were relieved by it. Too many people bringing the whole family in for an activity and to get out of the home. And people can call and pick stuff up, just no going in to browse around.

summerthyme said:

Ok, beyond understanding (sort of and slightly!) the rationale of "if there isn't any "fun stuff" for sale, people won't go shopping just for fun... they've banned the sale of SOAP AND SHAMPOO?!! Are they nuts?! In a pandemic, where everyone is supposed to be washing their hands every 10 minutes?! They're utter morons!

Summerthyme

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Made a food run last night and the Winco here in Tracy was out of toilet paper and cleaning supplies while a lot of the food shelves were still a bit thin, particularly beans, rice and such. They were limiting the number of people in the store and reminding people over the PA to social distance. They did have a white board up at the entrance posting what they were out of, postings that they'd limit purchases on what they were low on and they had posted specific days and hours that they were going to limit access, early in the morning, to those shoppers at medical risk, 60 and over. The line to get in went to the end of the building.

I only saw one mom with her kids, both young, with her. Besides them staying pretty close together, everyone else, myself included, was giving them a very wide berth.

The only place I've seen the whole family come in with the kids running amok was a week ago when I had to stop at O'Reilly's for a headlight bulb and there the staff jumped on it immediately.

An interesting addition at the Winco was the addition of plexiglass "sneeze shields" to separate the checkers from the shoppers and they were spacing the open check outs to keep spacing. The cashier did say that she wished the "sneeze shield" was a little wider but it was better than nothing.

summerthyme said:

they've banned the sale of SOAP AND SHAMPOO?!! Are they nuts?! In a pandemic, where everyone is supposed to be washing their hands every 10 minutes?! They're utter morons!

Summerthyme

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I agree, but I don't think shampoo/soap falls in the beauty category. It's usually classified as "health or personal care" and I doubt that would be on the list. I think they mean stuff like cosmetics and facial creams, etc

My area has curbside pickup for several stores, including Walmart. It is really hard to get a time slot for WM. Every time I check, it says no slots available at all. Yesterday I was able to do an order for another grocery store (Wed) and the earliest pickup date was Mon (5 days later) so who knows if any of my items will be in stock by the time they fill the order.