EMPORIA (KSNT) – As a winter storm approaches, people across the area are making last-minute trips to the store to stock up on essentials.
Some retailers are already seeing a major spike in demand. A Walmart employee in Emporia said pickup orders have nearly doubled, with about 3,000 orders scheduled every hour — compared to the usual 1,500.
Customers are focusing on necessities like toilet paper, bottled water and ice melt as they prepare for potentially hazardous conditions.
For college students, the rush is also about making sure they have enough food if slick roads make travel difficult. Students at Emporia State University say limited access to kitchens in dorms means they’re choosing foods that don’t require cooking.
“I live in the dorms, so we don’t have a readily available stove at all times; it’s usually shared,” said Emporia State student Hayden Gust. “So mainly chips and whatnot. I will be getting a few cold meals that I can eat. So produce, stuff like that that I can eat in my dorm room.”
Grocery stores nationwide are now preparing for continued high demand as shoppers prepare for winter weather moving in.
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