Last-minute shoppers in Texas raided the largest grocery chain in the state Thursday, spurring long lines and chaos over coronavirus panic buy items including toilet paper, frozen goods and hand sanitizer.
After a spokesperson for Texas-based grocer H-E-B announced they were “limiting product purchases to protect the supply chain,” all hell seemed to break loose.
Long lines awaited customers who seemingly never expected the panic buys to affect the Lone Star State.
#HEB #HEBlines #CoronavirusPandemic #HoustonHEB #vintagepark Every line is packed and long. pic.twitter.com/mXzKnskIJd
— kim 💋 (@aunty_kimmy) March 12, 2020
I work at the biggest HeB in Texas and this is our store on a Thursday at 2 pm pic.twitter.com/x5VmTJeb8T
— JΛRΞD (@ForzaFireBear) March 12, 2020
Came to get some groceries and the lines at my @HEB are jammed! Cannot believe the rush at 11am on a Thursday!!! Almost all of the 20 lanes are open. pic.twitter.com/CpfeWPghJs
— Molly Baker Cuculich (@MollyCuculich) March 12, 2020
“I’m usually [an] HEB guy, but there was just too much damn pandemonium in that spot today,” one man said.
I’m usually in HEB guy, but there was just too much damn pandemonium in that spot today
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 12, 2020
Embattled Texans documented their stories on Twitter:
The fact that Heb is INSANE rn is giving me anxiety
— Brittani (@brittaniroliva) March 12, 2020
Panic buying in #Houston #HOUNEWS #Covid_19 #heb pic.twitter.com/BMzRRyzIx1
— Shelby #Persist #Resist #Yankees #USWNT (@SoaringAurora1) March 12, 2020
My @HEB Four Points— same with paper towels, TP, anything @Clorox. Good news it appears there is no limit to wine purchases. #TheCorona pic.twitter.com/149ov9na2l
— Megan Moricoli Haywood (@MegEMH) March 12, 2020
Dude. That’s what HEB neat me looks like. No goddamn toilet paper! pic.twitter.com/VoIKhIYc5r
— stuchbery (@stuchbery) March 12, 2020
Okay but we actually need toilet paper @HEB 😅 pic.twitter.com/oCAN9yUrha
— christina lautele garza (@xtinalautele) March 12, 2020
HEB in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of Houston. Lines wrapping around the store just to check out pic.twitter.com/qms71ITgu3
— Kendall Hogan (@KBTXKendall) March 12, 2020
My Neighborhood HEB!! This is crazy… pic.twitter.com/zYvjife0rl
— Adraylle Watson (@iamalwatson) March 12, 2020
This is the most insane thing I've ever seen. Just went to HEB to get frozen food and pasta just to be safe. A woman tried to steal a jar of sauce out of my cart! Way crazier than any pre-hurricane or pre-snowstorm shopping I've ever seen. Wow. pic.twitter.com/s5lxP7kPn3
— Jilly (@ThoughtsByJilly) March 12, 2020
This is where the toilet paper usually is at the local HEB in North Austin. pic.twitter.com/a2uTcSszpE
— Gordon Shumway ATX (@elGordonShumway) March 12, 2020
I was embarrassed to tell the cashier at HEB I’m doomsday prepping so I said I have 6 siblings
— Sarah Moore (@SarahMooooore) March 12, 2020
If anyone wants to light a candle for heb workers now would be a good time to do so
— .:gina:. (@gina_abigail) March 12, 2020
It took me 12 mins to try to find parking at heb… y’all wildinnnnn
— ashlita (@ahyy_95) March 12, 2020
College Station HEB right now. Parking lot full. These workers are still smiling and helpful. They calmed me. pic.twitter.com/NJ4MrpUYQz
— Debra Corpora (@RockportBirder) March 12, 2020
PSA: STAY TF HOME DONT COME TO HEB!! WE DONT HAVE THE SHIT YOU WANT! YOU MAKING IT CROWDED FOR NO FUCKING REASON!!!! 😤🤬 pic.twitter.com/S7Hs1QnUjA
— 🌼Christina🌼 (@95Tina_g) March 12, 2020
day 1 of the Apocalypse: i’ve just been run over by an electric scooter in the milk aisle at HEB. stay tuned for updates.
— alyssa (@tpwkalyssa) March 12, 2020
The toilet paper aisle at HEB right now pic.twitter.com/lCQZAGRWB7
— Devynn Rizo (@Devynnjcr) March 12, 2020
My dad sent me this pic of the toilet paper aisle at the HEB in New Braunfels last night.
Has toilet paper become some underground currency that I don’t know about!? This is seriously ridiculous 😑 pic.twitter.com/6NsXuRhlLY
— Alex Stockwell (@alexrstockwell) March 12, 2020
PSA: please for the love of god be nice to grocery store workers during this time, I work at HEB and a man told my customer that he hopes she dies from the virus because shes old……this was all over an argument I had with him on the store limit for water…
— sarah (@Sarahsly_stop) March 12, 2020
Bad news: Frozen veggies are sold out. Good news: There’s one package of lavender-scented TP left, if that’s your thing. #groceryapocalypse #Austin #HEB pic.twitter.com/i2C9VhMn6U
— Carrie Murchison (@langdonmurch) March 12, 2020
The lines at the Saratoga HEB. People are buying water, paper towels and frozen groceries. Feels like hurricane-preparing weather. @callerdotcom pic.twitter.com/FSQYSoQ3dY
— annierice_photo (@annierice_photo) March 12, 2020
I went to @HEB and I. Can’t. Wrap. My. Head. Around. This! People are acting like the world is ending or the power is about to go out or it’s a major hurricane coming. Just wash your hands and don’t touch your face and you’ll be fine. 😞 pic.twitter.com/rfz5hQusKu
— This is MY Story! (@cosmicsailor1) March 12, 2020
HEB in Cypress 290 and Barker is going thin in food and supplies.
My sister in-law just came from Costco, they had to leave the line is super long.
HEB’s are not much better.
Glad I’ve been stocking for weeks now.
#CoronavirusPandemic pic.twitter.com/fRrJVS6CRj— η⊕εレ (@REVOLUXEON) March 12, 2020
The panic buys follow an Oval Office address from President Trump Wednesday night where he announced new travel restrictions lasting 30 days affecting travelers from Europe.
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