ST. LOUIS — Grocery stores are struggling to keep the essentials stocked on shelves. Amid the coronavirus concerns, demand is unlike anything we've ever experienced.
At about noon Tuesday, 5 On Your Side's Brandon Merano took a trip to Fields Foods to see if he could find the big five: bread, milk, eggs, cheese and — of course — toilet paper.
"You know, I think that comes from the panic mode," said Fields Foods owner Chris Goodson. "It's like, you're going to be shuttered up and closed off so you want the basics. It's like the old adage that was said to me as a backpacker, if you've got toilet paper and good shoes you're going to be okay."
Brandon was able to get all the essentials at Fields Foods, but how do you know when the right time to shop for those items is?
The answer might disappoint you, stores like Dierbergs, Schnucks and Costco said delivery times for products to their stores vary, so you might need a little bit of luck to get all the items you want.
"A lot of our crowd is younger, the Millennials, and they haven't really cooked before at home. So, they're learning how to do stews and chicken noodle soup, so a lot of ground beef. But yeah, I think they're learning to cook at home," said Goodson.
If it's slim pickings at the store, there are still options to get the things you need.
Texas Roadhouse is selling meat they'd normally cook in their restaurant, and you can buy day-old bread at Jimmy John's for just 50-cents a loaf.