THE RESULTS OF a March 17 INSTORE Brain Squad survey reveal that many jewelers have found it’s impossible to find anti-bacterial wipes, hand sanitzer, cleaning sprays or toilet paper, unless they had planned well ahead of the COVID-19 crisis or had happened to stock up recently. In fact, 44 percent said they had considerable difficulty on the cleaning-supplies front.
“We stocked up by ordering all of this from Amazon back in January, not because of Covid-19 (before we knew) but because of flu season in general. Our protocol is to sanitize on a regular basis to keep my staff well,” says Pamela Rossi, PJ Rossi Jewelers of Lauderdale by the Sea, FL.
“We order toiletries and cleaning supplies regularly so there was never a moment we didn’t have anything,” says Nathan George of Joshua’s Fine Jewelry in Russellville, AR. “I credit our staff with being on top of that on a regular basis.”
Others expressed mounting frustration.
“Crazy people are hoarding like a hurricane is coming,” says Matthew Clark of Spath Jewelers in Bartow, FL. “How much TP does one person really need!!!!”
“Freaking toilet paper hoarders! We are making hand sanitzer from vodka. Seriously,” says Theresa Peregoy of Classic Facets in Edgewater, CO.