A steady stream of people bought flats of Ramen noodles and Spam at Wal-Mart Supercenter on Thursday night, and a Smith's spokeswoman warned the supermarket chain may have a bit of trouble keeping toilet paper in stock due to high demand. I don't think anything is going to happen, but it's better to prepare. If it passes, it's food I'll use later. Late Thursday, store shelves around Albuquerque remained fairly well-stocked, and the crowds at shopping centers and gas stations were no larger than usual for the day before a long holiday weekend.
Retailers say they have plenty of replenishment staples in the warehouse, just in case.
Y2K has created some unusual buying patterns, though. There was a midnight run on potted meat and vienna sausage at Wal-Mart Supercenter on Wednesday night. And bottled water is flying off the shelves of many stores faster than employees can put it out. Smith's made headlines earlier this year for being the only grocery chain in the country to set up Y2K readiness aisles in stores. On Thursday, Smith's stores in Albuquerque had replaced the gift wrap and Christmas lights in its seasonal aisles with flats of canned vegetables, gallons of water, first aid kits, macaroni and cheese, matches and firewood.