The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Like many other stores in the US, Cathlamet Market Fresh employees recently had their own experience with panic shopping, but according to Store Manager Michael Kirby, it’s beginning to show signs of easing.

Meanwhile, some shoppers are starting to take advantage of a program that will not only make things a little easier for them but possibly keep everyone a little safer during the public health emergency brought on by the novel coronavirus: curbside pick up.

“It’s really picked up for the last few days,” Kirby said of the new program on Monday. They are even considering adding the service on weekends.

To take advantage of curbside pick up, available Monday thru Friday: Cathlamet Market Fresh takes orders by phone, text, email, or Facebook Messenger. Call 360-795-3511, text 360-269-3842, email cathlametmarketfresh@kirbyco.net or send an order to Cathlamet Market Fresh on Facebook Messenger. If the order is paid in advance, it can be picked up at any time during store hours.

If a customer plans to pay when the order is picked up, they must call the store by 2 p.m., to pick up by 4 p.m. the same day. If an order is made after 2 p.m., the order can be picked up the following day by 4 p.m. This does not include alcohol or tobacco, which must be purchased in store or curbside following ID verification.

Michael, and his father, David Kirby, who owns the store, are concerned about keeping their employees safe while simultaneously keeping their customers happy.

“We’d like to see the government do more to provide protective gear for our employees,” the elder Kirby said. “We interact with the public all day. I’d like them to have masks.”

Employees are now wearing gloves, and local volunteers have been busy making masks for them. The gloves are changed regularly, and employees are required to wash their hands before putting on a new pair. They have been sanitizing all the hard surfaces around the store two times an hour and wiping down baskets and carts after every use.

There is hand sanitizer for employee and customer use, but there is none for sale.

Like toilet paper, flour, and in some stores, dried beans, hand sanitizer is hard to come by.

They were fully restocked on Monday, except for some of the hard to find aforementioned items. Produce was back in, but some paper goods were coming in a little slower. Dried beans were selling out at other stores, but there were still some on the shelf in Cathlamet.

The Kirbys have stores in several communities. They remarked that morale seemed to be pretty good in Cathlamet and that the panic buying wasn’t as bad as they had seen it elsewhere. Still, because of the panic buying and hoarding they have experienced, the store has had to limit the purchase of some goods.

“Buy what you need,” the Kirbys implored. “Don’t hoard. Do you need toilet paper? Take one. Don’t need any? Don’t take any.”

If shoppers continue to act in that manner, their supply system will catch up.

“We’re doing our best to get things to everybody,” Michael said.