BY EMILY GOLD (‘20)

Village businesses are empty, however, Ross’s Granville Market is bustling with customers. While this pandemic is happening, the customers at Granville Ross’s keep coming back to the little store because of fast service and a wide selection of many products shoppers cannot get at larger grocery stores such as Walmart or Kroger. 

The store has been staying open during this time but has adjected the opening and closing to 8 a.m.-8 p.m. every day, when normal hours are 7 a.m.-10 p.m. They changed this schedule to help the products get restocked and for the workers to clean the most-touched surfaces, such as the registers.

The employees have been taking precautions through this time. The store now has plexiglass in front of the registers to help the cashiers, and they also only have three registers open, so there is a space between each of the lines. 

“IGA is using handmade face masks that have been provided for us workers,” junior Kristen Hall stated. “Managers must take each employee’s temperature before clocking in to ensure they are well enough to work.”

Many employees say that the busiest times was when governor Mike Dewine made his daily conferences. One of the most hectic nights was when Dewine announced all of the school would be shut down, because many parents came in buying hundreds of dollars worth of groceries since their children will be staying home. 

The items sold the most during this time are the necessary cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer, and also stable food items like bread, milk, yeast, and eggs. Toilet paper has also been on high demand, since the beginnning of March from people preparing.

“Toilet paper is usually gone in the morning so I do not really see anyone buy it,” junior Isabel Dawns said. “We have put a limit on the most popular products to ensure that there aren’t any customers putting others at a disadvantage.” 

There have been signs placed around the store and at check out for the items that are on a limited supply. These items include limits on milk, bread, toliet paper, cleaning supplies, and everyday products that many people hoarded before this panademic. 

Like many Americans, unemployment has sky-rocketed due to the virus, so Granville Market has been hiring many teens looking for work during this time off. 

Senior Maggie Phillips got a job two weeks ago. She used to work as a lifeguard as Deinson University, however when the college was shut down for the rest of the semester, Phillips had to find a new job.

“This job pays really well and it is one of the only places that is open right now, so I thought it was a win-win”