Dozens of grocery stores will close for 30 minutes Monday afternoon in two states in observance of the total solar eclipse.
On Monday, the moon will be positioned so that the sun's entire disc will be blocked in 13 states, plunging millions of people into darkness in the early afternoon. The path of totality will start in Mexico and extend across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before heading into Canada and over the North Atlantic.
The spectacle is expected to draw crowds around the nation as people head to areas in the path of totality to witness the event. Meanwhile, officials across the country have voiced concerns about stretched public safety resources and an "enormous strain" on local hospitals and congested roadways. At least four states have urged residents to stock up on groceries and gas and to fill medical prescriptions in the days before the eclipse, as traffic could overwhelm local roads.
Some businesses have decided to close for the eclipse, such as supermarket chain Wegmans, which said it would close 48 of its stores in New York and Pennsylvania from 3 to 3:30 p.m. Monday to give employees a chance to observe the celestial phenomenon. During the closure, all grocery services, including the pharmacy and pickup and delivery, will be unavailable.
"The opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse comes once in a lifetime, and we don't want our employees to miss out," Wegmans regional manager Patrick Bourcy said in a press release. "We appreciate all that our employees do to help our customers prepare for and enjoy events like this, and in return, we welcome the opportunity to make this a celebratory and memorable occasion for them."
In New York, the stores will close in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, the Finger Lakes area and the Southern Tier region. The closed stores are listed below:
Rochester:
- Brockport
- Calkins Road
- Chili-Paul
- East Avenue
- Eastway
- Fairport
- Holt Road
- Irondequoit
- Latta Road
- Lyell Avenue
- Marketplace
- Read
- Penfield
- Perinton
- Pittsford
- Ridge-Culver
- Ridgemont
Buffalo:
- Alberta Drive
- Amherst Street
- Dick Road
- Jamestown
- Losson Road
- McKinley
- Military Road
- Niagara Falls Boulevard
- Sheridan Drive
- Transit Road
- West Seneca
Finger Lakes:
- Auburn
- Canandaigua
- Geneseo
- Geneva
- Ithaca
- Newark
Southern Tier:
- Corning
- Elmira
- Hornell
- Johnson City
Syracuse:
- Cicero
- Dewitt
- Fairmount
- Great Northern
- James Street
- John Glenn
- Onondaga
- Taft Road
Two stores will close in Erie, Pennsylvania, at Erie Peach Street and Erie West.
Other supermarket chains plan to remain open, but those within the path of totality are preparing in different ways for the eclipse.
In Ohio, store managers at Kroger are stocking up on essential items because they expect a surge of customers as people flock to the state to view the eclipse. Kroger also plans to offer special deals on sun- and moon-themed products, such as bakery items.
Newsweek reached out to Kroger by email for comment.
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