Empty supermarket shelves are the result of consumer apathy and corporate control (2024)

Last week I did my pandemic monthly grocery shopping tour. Because I can’t readily get fresh food locally or dependably that I can eat, I shop at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods in Portland. When available, I fill in with locally produced produce, dairy, eggs, and milk. My flour purchases are from Skowhegan’s Maine Grains. It’s the “possible” part that causes me to travel to buy food because while more is coming available from local farms, there are still issues.

Last month at Trader Joe’s, the shelves had notable bare spots. Not glaringly obvious, but indicative of problems. The entire areas of chocolate and nuts were vacant, several options of cereals were not available, and lesser supplies of canned tomatoes and sauces. Mammoth aisle bins were no longer present, but mostly, everything was sufficient.

At Whole Foods, shortages were not evident, but “sleight of hand” tactics made it look like there were no supply problems. Instead of three lettuce rows filled front to back, there were still three rows, but each had only two packages. Employees were busy pulling options to the front of shelves and rearranging products.

The gloves are off! Last week when I shopped both stores, the number of bare shelves and freezer bins had increased significantly. Trader Joe’s appeared to be the worst, although I still had no difficulty buying what I needed. Whole Foods had fewer bare spots, but many same products were redundant instead of copious varieties. An ongoing pandemic issue, I couldn’t buy Whole Foods 365 Organic White Grape Juice, on which I depend to digest my food.

At Trader Joe’s, my favorite cheese from England wasn’t available. The latter issue presented the opportunity to try a new cheese, the upside of not having available your usual options. Try something new or make do. The downside is you might be allergic to that new cheese.

Trader Joe’s employees cited warehouse labor issues, supply chain coordination, and trucking issues from slowed deliveries and lack of drivers. No one mentioned Omicron, staff shortages, or the weather. When I asked Whole Foods employees, they shrugged.

As food shortages increase and prices escalate, the poor are inequitably affected. On whiteboards, supply and demand theories work efficiently but leave out crisis management and the lesson that the wealthy can pay the higher prices or do without luxuries. For the poor, everything is a luxury.

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