Target, Walmart, Costco ordered to stop in-person sales of nonessential items in Vermont

[PoliticAverse]

Last edited Thu Apr 2, 2020, 10:27 PM - Edit history (2)

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WZTV) - Big box retailers like Target, Walmart and Costco are being ordered to stop in-person sales of nonessential items in some areas.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott added this to his original executive order amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Such nonessential items, as detailed by the state, include things like beauty supplies, arts and crafts, clothes, electronics and more.

Rather, according to The Agency of Commerce and Community Development, these stores are being asked to stick to items like food, pharmacy and beverages.

Read the rest at: https://fox17.com/news/local/target-walmart-costco-ordered-to-stop-in-person-sales-of-nonessential-items

Direct link to the order:
https://accd.vermont.gov/press-releases/agency-commerce-and-community-development-directs-%E2%80%9Cbig-box%E2%80%9D-retailers-cease-person

Montpelier, Vt. – The Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) is directing large “big box” retailers, such as Walmart, Target and Costco, with in-store sales of food, beverage and pharmacy, as well as electronics, toys, clothing, and the like to cease in-person sales of non-essential items in order to reduce the number of people coming into the stores.

“Large ‘big box’ retailers generate significant shopping traffic by virtue of their size and the variety of goods offered in a single location,” said Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lindsay Kurrle. “This volume of shopping traffic significantly increases the risk of further spread of this dangerous virus to Vermonters and the viability of Vermont’s health care system. We are directing these stores to put public health first and help us reduce the number of shoppers by requiring on-line ordering, delivery and curbside pickup whenever possible, and by stopping the sale of non-essential items.”

The Governor’s Executive Order allows in-person business operations to continue at retail businesses for the following:

f. retail serving basic human needs such as grocery stores, pharmacies, other retail that sells food, beverage, animal feed and essential supplies, provided, these retail operations shall be conducted through on-line and telephone orders for delivery and curb-side pickup to the extent possible;

g. fuel products and supply;

h. hardware stores, provided, these retail operations shall be conducted through online and telephone orders for delivery and curb-side pickup to the extent possible;

i. transportation sector and agricultural sector equipment parts, repair and maintenance, provided these retail operations shall be conducted through on-line and telephone orders for delivery and curb-side pickup to the extent possible;

Large “big box” retailers must cease in-person sales of non-essential items not listed in the Executive Order, including, but not limited to: arts and crafts, beauty, carpet and flooring, clothing, consumer electronics, entertainment (books, music, movies), furniture, home and garden, jewelry, paint, photo services, sports equipment, toys and the like.

Large “big box” retailers must:

Restrict access to non-essential goods. Stores must close aisles, close portions of the store, or remove items from the floor.
Only offer non-essential items via online portals, telephone, delivery, or curbside pickup, to the extent possible.
Except in the event of emergencies threatening the health and welfare of a customer, showrooms and garden sections of large home improvement centers should be closed.

[brewens]

1. Beverages better be in. If they take away my baba, I start making molotov cocktails out of

all the empties I have around!

[Liberty Belle]

2. I oppose this. If you need a new computer keyboard, or your shoes wear out, you need a store.

Office supplies are essential for people working at home. Clothes don't last forever especially for a growing baby or child. With closures dragging on for months not everyone can do without everything. Older people don't have the internet.

I hate ordering online because nothing ever fits right.

Arts and crafts are essential if you have kids cooped up at home and the weather is bad, or even for seniors alone for days or weeks on end now. And what if your coffee maker or toaster breaks?

WE do need at least one place where we can go if we absolutely must have something. They should limit how many are allowed in the store at one time, keep shorter hours and do deep cleaning.

Beauty supplies also help us keep our morale up; I personally don't want to do without those either.

[spooky3]

6. good points -- and for us non-toddlers, underwear and other clothing wears out

or can get ruined. If we were talking about a few weeks of restrictions, that would be one thing. But we are already past that, and looking at months of restrictions in the future.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. Quite frankly, that makes no sense. If the store is open,

You should be able to buy whatever is in it.

Take clothes. What if your two-year old has suddenly outgrown everything? She gets to run around naked now? Shoes. Kids outgrow shoes. They are essential.

Similar arguments can be made for pretty much everything else.

[spooky3]

5. exactly nt

[spooky3]

4. I have a hard time understanding the rationale for this. When I go to

Target, for example, I have 20+ items on my list. Some are "essential"; some help us get by without losing all semblance of normal life and mental health. "Beauty supplies", for example, are necessary if I'm to put forward a professional appearance online, which I am required to do, to do my work. Why prevent people from buying these items, and add to their stress, given that this is going to continue for MONTHS? I'm going to be in the store either way and buying more items helps preserve the jobs of those there. How does it keep others or me safer to restrict me from buy some stuff when I am already there to buy other stuff?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. Right.

I don't happen to wear make-up any more, but I have very dry skin and I need lotion for it. For me, it's an essential, just as for someone else make-up is essential. These things are available to buy. Let us buy them.

Oh, and I'm one for whom ordering clothes by mail simply doesn't work. I'm a reasonably standard, fairly common size, but different versions of that same size fit me differently, so I must try on. And as for shoes, oh, dear lord. I have a serious bunion on my right foot, and so trying on shoes is utterly essential.

[AlexSFCA]

7. we need non essentials to keep entertained at hime

otherwise our mental health will negatively affect our immune system. On the other hand, we have Amazon for all non essential. Much better service than any of those stores.

[Doreen]

9. I wonder if this asshole considers animal food and care

nonessential?

Obviously Alchohol and guns are extremely essential.

[madaboutharry]

10. There should be major push back against this stupid plan.

This is idiotic. Human beings have basic needs.

[niyad]

11. Interesting that the link is to a fox station in TN.

[larwdem]

12. I agree

I don't want Walmart to have a monopoly on non food.
This evens the playing field by making every one shop on line at the store of your
choice. AKA not Walmart. I know not every one has a computer. That is a problem.