Loblaw Cos. Ltd. sent an email to its head office staff in early March, asking for volunteers to leave their jobs and work in grocery stores instead.
Angie Kim, a senior director of finance, used to be a store manager years ago, so she knows how they work. She volunteered and has since been working 12-hour days at Toronto-area stores, cleaning carts, stocking shelves and assembling online orders for curbside pickups.
In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, grocery chains are scrambling to bolster their ranks as demand spikes, hiring thousands of people and redeploying hundreds of corporate-office volunteers to pitch in on the front lines, despite the increased risks of getting the virus and being hassled by customers.
I do struggle every day when I wake up, like, Can I do it again? Kim said. Because Im scared. Right? The pandemic is real. I see hundreds of customers every day. I get selfish sometimes thinking, I dont have to do it. I volunteered. No ones expecting me to show up. Can I do it again?
Still, she continues to do it, remembering the words of a colleague who told her that all well remember when the crisis is over is how we treated each other.
I know Ill regret it if I take the easy way out, Kim said. I want to be proud of myself looking back.
Even the chief executive of Longos, an Ontario chain of supermarkets, has made a point of working in the store.
Everyone in our business is all hands on deck, said Anthony Longo, who regularly visits stores and distribution centres, helping to stock shelves if new shipments come in, or bagging groceries when check-out lines are long.
Longos chief financial officer has also jumped in at the call centre to help with a surge in online grocery orders.
Part of the reason Longo and his fellow executives do it is to calm the jitters that are growing in his labour force. About seven or eight per cent of his store staff are healthy, but wont come in.
I do struggle every day when I wake up, like, Can I do it again? Because I'm scared
Angie Kim
We do have quite a number of people who dont feel safe, and thats an issue in the industry, he said. We want people to know that it is safe. Im out there.
At Loblaw, roughly 400 corporate-level staff now work at stores. Walmart Canada said it asked its head-office employees to shift to in-store work in mid-March and has since had dozens of volunteers. And, late last month, Empire Co. Ltd., parent company of the Sobeys, Safeway and FreshCo chains, sent a note asking interested corporate staff to fill out a survey about their relevant experience, so they could be placed in the right job.
Not only can you feel proud of stepping up during this crucial time, youll gain valuable visibility and insight into a different part of the business, the emailed note said.
Ryan Skelton was one of more than 200 employees who, as of Friday, had answered Empires survey. He usually works as a chef, designing take-home meals at head office.
I have so many friends and colleagues currently working at the stores now, he said, so I dont see why I shouldnt also step forward and take those chances.
The transition into the store can be startling.
Kim, the Loblaw finance director, was in charge of the lineup outside a No Frills in downtown Toronto last week. The store only allows 30 customers inside at a time now, so she was doing crowd control, only letting someone in when someone else left.
A woman at the front of the line, who had waited maybe 10 or 15 minutes in the cold, didnt look well and was coughing, Kim said. As a result, she had to stop the woman from coming in.
She offered to take the womans grocery list and shop for her. But the woman started cursing, Kim recalled. She was in a motorized scooter and started trying to push past.
Standing there by myself Im 52, 100 lbs Im not the most intimidating person, Kim said. I had to get a little bit of back up because she refused to leave Those interactions leave an impression. It stays with you throughout the day.
What concerns Kim is how often those flare-ups are happening. Customers will be mean or inconsiderate dozens of times a day, upset about the inconvenience of the new rules or angry about a missing product or a long wait to get in. Some ignore social distancing protocols and lean in too close to ask questions of a clerk.
Im used to showing up to work at the head office where everybody is super kind and polite and respectful, she said. Theres zero tolerance of abuse or harassment of any kind.
Kim, concerned about the full-time clerks who seem too used to the cruelty to complain, wrote a post on LinkedIn that asked shoppers to speak up if they see clerks being mistreated.
I am not hiding any stock in the back room, she wrote. I am not making you wait outside the store for fun. Im trying to protect everyone.
Galen Weston, Loblaws executive chairman, is apparently concerned, too. In one of his regular missives to customers last month, he scolded those who were reportedly ignoring requests to keep their distance, or making uncomfortable jokes about being COVID-19 positive while leaning around protective screens.
Fortunately, most customers are just grateful they can still shop.
Theres going to be the odd customer comment or behaviour that may weigh you down, but there are so many more customers who tell us were doing a good job, Kim said.
Last week at a No Frills on Parliament Street in Toronto, a customer gave the store $50 to buy lunch for the staff, just as a thank you. Kim went out and bought pizzas.
There is definitely a sense of fear,Kimsaid. But there is more a sense of pride.
Financial Post
Email: jedmiston@nationalpost.com | Twitter:
Go here to see the original:
'All hands on deck': Grocery store executives get a taste of the hard life on coronavirus front lines - Financial Post
- How Pokemon TCG Pocket's Best Deck is Adapting to Win Even More - Game Rant - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- One of Pokemon TCG Pocket's Best Decks Finally Has a Way Out Against Its Worst Matchup - Game Rant - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Deciding the Face of the FFXIV Commander Deck Wasn't Easy, Says Developer - But Why Tho? - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Forget Switch 2, ROG Xbox Ally has Steam Deck in its sights here's why - Tom's Guide - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Supply chain issues are making the Steam Deck OLED go out of stock - GamingOnLinux - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- You'll Want To Have These 10 Cards From Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy Commander Decks - TheGamer - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Not Sure Which Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Commander Precon Deck To Use? We've Got You Covered - TheGamer - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- I've been gaming on the Switch 2 and Steam Deck since launch and I didn't expect it to be such an even battle - PC Gamer - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- How One Time-Limited Pokemon TCG Pocket Card Suddenly Skyrocketed to the Top of the Meta - Game Rant - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Dune: Awakening is out now and works well on Linux Desktop but rough on Steam Deck - GamingOnLinux - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Starter Kit Restocked Ahead Of Friday's Release - gamespot.com - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- I just don't care about the Steam Deck 2 anymore - XDA - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- One New Pokemon TCG Pocket Card is Bound to Keep Tipping The Scales in Meta Decks - Game Rant - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- The Xbox Ally is more comparable to the Steam Deck than I initially thought - Windows Central - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- This is the best $20 I've spent on my Steam Deck - XDA - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- The Xbox Ally needs to compete with the Steam Deck on price if it's going to be a winner - Windows Central - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Why the Boeing 747-8F Has Such A Shorter Upper Deck Compared To The 747-8I - Simple Flying - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Customize decks with artwork from other games in the poker-inspired roguelike deck-building game Balatro. - Nintendo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- How To Pick The Right Commander Deck For Magic The Gathering's Final Fantasy Set - Kotaku - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Chef Tzarina Reveals Where Her Relationship with Captain Jason *Really* Stands Today (EXCLUSIVE) - Bravo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- I Just Realized Star Trek: Lower Decks Brilliantly Foreshadowed Captain Freemans Season 5 Fate - Screen Rant - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Greensboro plans to demolish 2 parking decks and bring new options to the city - FOX8 WGHP - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Exciting Things On Deck at Daiquiri Deck - SRQ Magazine - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- The End of An Era: Where Is the Below Deck Down Under Crew Now? (EXCLUSIVE) - Bravo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Austin moves forward with plan for parks over I-35 - KUT - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Where Is the Below Deck Season 12 Crew From? - Bravo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- These ex-Uber managers just raised $13 million to bring AI teammates to the workplace. Here's the pitch deck they used. - Business Insider - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Every PC Handheld is a Steam Deck Now With SteamOS Support - Gizmodo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Top Decks And Winners From SCG CON Hartford - Star City Games - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- 10 Best Pokmon TCG: Destined Rivals Cards You'll Want To Add To Your Deck ASAP - Screen Rant - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Elgato is letting you stick a Stream Deck on anything - The Verge - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Every reprint MTG fans need to know about in the Final Fantasy Commander decks - wargamer.com - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Disney Lorcana: Reign of Jafar Starter Deck A Harmonious Team - Bleeding Cool News - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Doom: The Dark Ages is surprisingly playable on the Steam Deck - Ars Technica - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Man accused of attacking, sexually assaulting woman in Tuscaloosa parking deck restroom - wbrc.com - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- With Brock Purdy paid, C.J. Stroud is on deck (after the 2025 season) - NBC Sports - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Valve made a Steam Deck Verified program for things that aren't Steam Decks - Engadget - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy Commander Decks Are Packed With Fun, Surprising References - IGN - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Why Two Pokemon TCG Pocket Cards Have Suddenly Skyrocketed to The Top of The Meta - Game Rant - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Pokemon TCG Pocket Needs to Bite The Bullet Its Deckbuilding Has Long Dodged - Game Rant - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Aldi Is Selling These Outdoor Storage Gems for Only $50 (Theyre So Spacious!) - Apartment Therapy - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Shroom and Gloom is a first-person fungus-filled deck-builder with a demo you need to try - GamingOnLinux - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Denuvo will lock you out of games on Linux, SteamOS, Steam Deck if you keep changing Proton versions - GamingOnLinux - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Steam Deck / SteamOS hits 19,000 games rated Verified and Playable - GamingOnLinux - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- New Florida-based cruise ship has 22 decks and a mall - Tampa Bay Times - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Temur Roar is the new must-have Commander deck for MTGs Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Polygon - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Top Decks And Winners From SCG CON Denver - Star City Games - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- One Pokemon TCG Pocket Shining Revelry Deck Makes Ranked Accessible to All - Game Rant - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Fire Damages Deck And House Tuesday Evening - Chattanoogan.com: Breaking News - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Decks at Modesto condo complex fighting against HOA fee increase red-tagged by city - CBS News - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Walmart Has a Waterproof Deck Box on Sale for Over 60% Off Right Now, and Shoppers Say It 'Looks Great' on a Porch - Men's Journal - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Create the ultimate deck with Integrity Decking Co. - WLUK - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Our curated guide to the 9 best turntables we've reviewed and highly recommend for every budget - What Hi-Fi? - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas Cruise Ship Tour - Business Insider - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- I'm waiting for the Steam Deck 2, not the Nintendo Switch 2, and I know I won't regret it - XDA - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- The highest observation decks in the world for spectacular views - MSN - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Potential Steam Deck prototype spotted in the wilds of eBay with AMD Picasso APUand an asking price of $3,000 - PC Gamer - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- GIVEAWAY: Win Two Cute and Helpful Card Decks of Granny Square Designs! - Early Bird Books - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Upper Deck and WSL Partner Up to Release Surfing Trading Cards - The Inertia - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Walmart's bestselling $100 deck box is on sale for $30, and it's a 'must-have' for extra outdoor storage - TheStreet - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Grab three top-rated Steam Deck games for just $3.69 in this Fanatical bundle - PCGamesN - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Step Aside Pole Wrap, This $25 Costco Find Will Help You Kick Off Your Outdoor Projects - Apartment Therapy - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- New Real Housewives of Sydney star decks herself out in Chanel as she meets up with a talent agency to discuss - Daily Mail - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- This Stunning Tiny House Has a Roomy Rooftop Deck Thats Made for Warm-Weather Entertaining - Food & Wine - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- There's no denying the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has better performance than Steam Deck - Windows Central - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Disney Lorcana's Best Set 7 Deck is The Most Expensive Ever - GameRant - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Assassins Creed Shadows is the Steam Deck surprise of the year so far - Rock Paper Shotgun - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Top Decks And Winners From SCG CON Charlotte - Star City Games - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- 49ers clear the decks for Brock Purdy: Say goodbye to the Mr. Irrelevant storyline - The Mercury News - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- 'The future of hardware at Valve is bright': Valve celebrates the success of Steam Deck and Steam OS - PC Gamer - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- 5 best decks for Evolutions Mayhem event in Clash Royale - The Times of India - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Why Now is The Best Time to Get One Disney Lorcana Legendary, The Worst For Another - GameRant - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Interview: Hearthstone team talks Into the Emerald Dream decks, slower meta, and more! - Esports.gg - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- See The Department Of Temporal Investigations Drop By In Preview Of Star Trek: Lower Decks #5 - TrekMovie - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Steam Deck hits 18,000 games playable and verified - GamingOnLinux - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Upper Decks First DC Annual Trading Cards Are Finally Here - ComicBook.com - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- As Epic Games continue ignoring Linux / Steam Deck for Fortnite they're putting it on Windows Arm - GamingOnLinux - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- LETTER: 'All hands on deck' needed to address climate change - Rocky Mountain Outlook - Bow Valley News - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Disney Lorcana: Archazia's Island has one major advantage over MTG, and the new decks prove it - Gamesradar - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Where a Witch moves, tarot decks are soon to follow - The Wild Hunt - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]