Dear Customer,
The initial intent of this letter was to give you some guidance on how to best navigate what will surely be a fall and Christmas season unlike any other. The truth is, we just don’t know what will happen, but we have spent much of the summer preparing to continue protecting the health of our staff and customers while making sure we can get you the items you need.
Here’s what we do know:
- There are manufacturing supply problems and shortages of some products, but overall, goods are still arriving … eventually.
- There will be parcel delivery delays – our carriers are signaling that their performance will get worse the closer we get to Christmas (and we believe them).
- There are distortions in typical purchase patterns that will create item shortages/outages earlier than usual. (Tried to buy a freezer recently?)
- The long-heralded “second wave” of COVID-19 is just beginning and will result in some closures, shutdowns, or restrictions in capacity.
If you are shopping for Christmas, we recommend you shop as early as possible to ensure the product you want is available and can be delivered ahead of when you need it. We will continue to update the COVID-19 status page on our website with how we are doing.
We encourage store customers to order for curbside pick-up. It is fast and convenient for you. You can still come into the store to browse (if still open to the public!).
As we head into the busy season, we anticipate possible lineups as our indoor capacity may be regulated. Masks are mandatory in all our locations; we wear them to protect you and each other – please wear one to protect us (we get that no one likes wearing them).
No matter what the next few months bring, know that we are all committed to doing our best for you in trying and uncertain circumstances.
Customer Service
- Customer service call center hours of operation are:
- Weekdays: 9:00am – 5:30pm EDT
- Saturdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
- Call volumes are very high, and we have reduced staff
- Emails are being answered continuously. Due to the high volume of messages, we continue to have a backlog.
Shipping
- Order processing is currently running 2-3 days slower than normal
- Major carriers are reporting some service delays