Community Restaurants

Harris Teeter to limit the number of shoppers in local stores

The move is part of an effort by the brand’s parent company to reduce the coronavirus risk for employees and shoppers.

Harris Teeter stores in Loudoun County and elsewhere are expected to soon begin limiting the number of shoppers allowed in the store at any one time.

Kroger, the parent coming of Harris Teeter, has announced the new restrictions for all of their brands and properties. They are calling it “customer capacity limits.”

“Beginning April 7, the retailer will begin to limit the number of customers to 50% of the international building code’s calculated capacity to allow for proper physical distancing in every store,” a Kroger press release read. “As an illustration, the standard building capacity for a grocery store is 1 person per 60 square feet. Under Kroger’s new reduced capacity limits, the number will be 1 person per 120 square feet.”

The release goes on to say that that camera systems already in place that monitor customer traffic will be used to determine how many shoppers are in the store at any given moment.

According to reports, traditional stores in the Kroger portfolio are in the 60,000 to 75,000 s.f. range. This would allow somewhere between 500 and 625 shoppers in the store at any one time.

A quick look at the listed square footages of Harris Teeters in Loudoun County (below) shows that none of them are over 60,000 s.f., so based on the formula above, local stores would allow roughly 406 to 486 customers at any one time.

Those figures seem high, so it’s likely the actual number allowed in would be less than that.

  • Harris Teeter — Southern Walk Plaza, Ashburn — 48,756 s.f.
  • Harris Teeter — Ashbrook Commons , Ashburn — 48,756 s.f.
  • Harris Teeter — Brambleton Town Center, Ashburn — 58,922 s.f.
  • Harris Teeter — Lansdowne Town Center, Lansdowne — 55,000 s.f.
  • Harris Teeter — Stone Ridge Village Center, Aldie — 58,372 s.f.
  • Harris Teeter — East Gate Marketplace, Chantilly — 52,757 s.f.
  • Harris Teeter — Purcellville Gateway, Purcellville — 53,407 s.f.

A call to several local Harris Teeter locations Tuesday afternoon found that they had not yet received any formal direction from their corporate headquarters regarding limits on shoppers and had no information on how many would be allowed in.

Based on social media posts on various Loudoun Facebook groups, it sounds like some local residents have experienced frustration while shopping at area grocery stores due to other shoppers not maintaining a safe distance, being bumped into by other shoppers, and so forth.

*NOTE: Giant Food supermarkets made a similar announcement this week. See that story here.

 

 

 

 

5 Comments
  1. Tim 4 years ago

    You left the Goose Greek Village Harris Teeter off your list. Of course we also don’t get sent the Ashburn Magazine over here either so maybe I’m just imagining we are part of Ashburn. 😉

  2. Lesley Moore 4 years ago

    It’s a great idea but I don’t think you are reducing it enough. The cross traffic is the main concern. People walking passed you. Walmart is putting directional arrows in the isles. I have seen this more than enough. The public is not practicing enough of the set in place social distancing. Stores really need to monitor this.

  3. Ted 4 years ago

    Can’t recall ever seeing more than 50-75 people shopping in a Harris Teeter. For numbers, Wegmans probably tops the list at having 500-750 in a store at any given time(not including the 200+employees working). Felt the gov should have made grocery stores only allow pickup, place order online or by phone.

  4. Gary V. Corcoran 3 years ago

    Hi Chris Wadsworth, I Can’t Thank You Enough for All of Your Guides and Tips on Shoppers in Local Stores They Are Like a Goldmine for Me, Keep Rocking On, You Are Helping So Many.

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