The Pittsburgh City-Paper looks at Panda Supermarket and other smaller ethnic groceries staying open during this pandemic and the ways they are adapting.
Panda Supermarket in Squirrel Hill has altered its entire business to operate by delivery and pickup orders only. Customers order through Facebook messenger or WeChat app, then employees do the shopping, masked and gloved.The article notes the store is paying its employees extra during this time.
“Before [the outbreak], it was really busy,” says Shelley Fan, one of the owners of the Asian supermarket. “But because of the difficult time, with the pickup, we cannot handle a lot of people.” Fan says they’re taking in about a third of their usual traffic.