14 Hours And A Costco Card: How A Grocer In Alaska Feeds His Town In A Pandemic
Think your grocery store runs are tough these days?
In the remote Alaskan city of Gustavus, a small business owner, Toshua Parker, has started traveling 14 hours by boat to Juneau and back to stock up on critical supplies for his store during the coronavirus pandemic.
The roughly 450 residents in Gustavus rely on Parker's Icy Strait Wholesale for the bulk of their provisions, from fresh produce to hardware to home appliances.
Among locals, Icy Strait Wholesale is better known as "ToshCo," a play on the name of the store's owner, and Costco, where the Gustavus business originally sourced most of its items.
In normal times, Parker would rely on Alaska's ferry system to deliver goods. Gustavus, a peninsular region surrounded by Glacier Bay National Park, is only accessible by airplane or boat. But ferry services have stalled — partly due to coronavirus-related stoppages.
So, the owner decided to take matters into his own hands.
Parker and a crew of staff have been hauling supplies via ship from Juneau, 50 miles away, scheduling each trip around the tides. When Parker finds empty shelves at the local Costco, he gets orders shipped from out of state.
Parker credits his 15 employees with helping to keep the store running.
"They're coming to work every day, no matter what, during this pandemic to make sure the town has groceries," he said in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition.
The store has been keeping anxious locals updated on its Facebook page, uploading photos to share the status of the Gustavus-bound ship or a new restock.
"No reason for panic buying," reads one post accompanying a photo of a bulk supply of toilet paper. "Our supply chain may be occasionally delayed but it's holding. We've got you covered Gustavus!"
In the comments, grateful customers express their thanks.
"We are fortunate to have such dedicated people keeping us fed and supplied," wrote one commenter. "Stoked for flour!!!!" wrote another.
As the country faces meat shortages triggered by plant shutdowns and outbreaks amid suppliers, the general store is looking ahead. Last week, ToshCo notified its customers that it's stocked aplenty with ammunition for hunting. [Copyright 2020 NPR]
