- The New York Times reporter Kevin Roose took to
Twitter to share a photo of a nearly bare Ben & Jerry's freezer at his local grocery store on Monday. - People responded with similar stories of seeing empty
ice cream shelves and long lines at liquor stores leading up to election night. - Others joined the conversation by sharing their comfort foods and drinks of choice.
- Liquor stores in Manhattan and Chicago told Insider that they've seen an increase in customers this week.
On Monday night, Kevin Roose, a technology reporter at The New York Times, shared a photo of a nearly bare Ben & Jerry's section at his grocery store. He captioned the Twitter photo, "Anxiety index: the entire Ben and Jerry's freezer at the grocery store is empty."
His post prompted a flood of responses from Twitter users. Some said they've seen the same at their own local grocery stores, while others showed off their own personal stockpiles of the beloved ice-cream brand.
—Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) November 3, 2020
—Karrie Riggi (@kriggi622) November 3, 2020
—Sarah etc. (@Handserifed) November 3, 2020
—Ayslinn (@AystheAce) November 3, 2020
—Dave Williams (@ThefakeDaveW) November 3, 2020
And it's not just a run on ice-cream. Twitter users also replied to Roose saying that they've seen other sections of stores emptying out as well.
One person said the Aldi near them was almost as empty as they'd seen it earlier in the pandemic when shoppers around the country were reporting shortages of canned goods and household items.
—mizzy (@mizzynutz) November 3, 2020
—SuGaR JoNeS (@UrFavPeruvian) November 3, 2020
—Elizabeth Martinez (@martinezec76) November 3, 2020
—Amie Delisa (@AmieDelisa) November 3, 2020
—DAlliFLA (@DAlliFLA) November 3, 2020
—Lisa Frame (she/her) (@Daily_Pinch) November 3, 2020
In addition to comfort
One user said they'd seen an unusually long line this afternoon outside their local liquor store.
—Jazerai Allen-Lord (@jazzyrae) November 3, 2020
Liquor stores confirm to Insider they saw an uptick in business ahead of Election Day
The Wine Hut in Manhattan's West Village and a Binny's liquor store in Downtown Chicago both told Insider that they've seen an increase in sales throughout the past week. A representative of The Wine Hut said he has seen a significant increase in customers over the past two to three days, while a Binny's employee said he had noticed an uptick of in-store traffic for the past week.
—Allison Bouget (@Allison52Bouget) November 3, 2020
The long lines and rush on essential items are reminiscent of the empty grocery shelves we saw across the country back in March and April when Americans prepped to remain indoors for quarantine and stay-at-home orders.
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