STX Shelves a Little Light but More Goods Are On the Way

Toilet paper at Plaza East on St. Croix. (Elisa McKay photo)
Toilet paper at Plaza East on St. Croix. (Elisa McKay photo)
A partially full aisle at Pueblo in Golden Rock shows some gaps. (Kelsey Nowakowski photo)
A partially full aisle at Pueblo in Golden Rock shows some gaps. (Kelsey Nowakowski photo)

Like many places all across the country, some supplies like paper towels, toilet paper and hand sanitizer are sold out of many U.S. Virgin Islands stores, but the territory does not seem to have experienced the same degree of panic-buying and hoarding as many stateside localities.

People flocked to the stores after Gov. Albert Bryan declared a state of emergency Friday. But many residents shop regularly on Wednesdays anyway, as cargo ships often come in Monday and goods get to the shelves Tuesday.

Plaza East had plenty of paper products and groceries, though snack foods sold out for some reason. A smaller supermarket near Richmond Post Office was fully stocked with very few customers on Friday.

Things were similar on Monday. Kelsey Nowakowski found Pueblo in Golden Rock on St. Croix to be calm, with no lines, and generally well-stocked. But the same popular items: hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol and peroxide were out of stock.

Similarly, Home Depot sold out of hand sanitizer, paper towels and toilet paper. But employees said more was on the way with the next cargo ship.

Over at Food Town, shelves were well stocked, including toilet paper and paper towels. Small, gas-station stores also continued to have some of these basic necessities.

A video on Youtube shows some of the chaos in stateside stores.

Snacks were in short supply at Plaza East. Source photo by Elisa McKay)
Snacks were in short supply at Plaza East. Source photo by Elisa McKay)
On Sunday, Home Depot on St. Croix was out of paper towels, toilet paper and hand sanitizer, but more was on the way, staff said. (Source photo by Linda Morland)
Food Town had full shelves Monday. (Source photo by Linda Morland)
Food Town had full shelves Monday. (Source photo by Linda Morland)
There was plenty of product available in the baking goods aisles at Food Town. (Source photo by Linda Morland)
There was plenty of product available in the baking goods aisles at Food Town. (Source photo by Linda Morland)