McCaffrey's To Open An Hour Early For Senior Citizens

McCaffrey's Food Market will begin opening an hour earlier starting Wednesday, with the first hour exclusively open to customers 60 and older.

The move, announced Tuesday by the local supermarket chain, is intended to help protect older shoppers from the spread of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19.

Older shoppers only will be allowed from 6-7 a.m., McCaffrey's announced in a letter to customers. Owners Jim McCaffrey III and Jim McCaffrey IV said the change came in response to requests from the community.

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"We hear you – your emails, FB posts and Google reviews," the letter said. "We agree that we need to protect our most vulnerable neighbors from the COVID-19 virus."

In Bucks County, McCaffrey's has locations in Yardley, Newtown, Doylestown and New Hope.

The stores will not be asking to see ID, but ask shoppers to honor the 60-and-older restriction during that first hour. Store associates reserve the right to ask customers to leave if they are not in that age group, the letter said.

Seniors also get a 5 percent discount during the opening hour, McCaffrey's said.

As it negotiates the coronavirus outbreak, McCaffrey's says that, in addition to its usual cleaning, store employees are sanitizing high-touch areas like carts, baskets, checkout areas, self-service food stations, conveyor belts and credit card keypads.

It has suspended in-store food sampling, is stressing healthy employee workplace habits and emphasizing that employees should stay home if they are feeling sick.

For customers, McCaffrey's is providing cart wipes and extra hand sanitizer at multiple locations through its stores. Hot, salad, soup and olive bars were closed on Friday.

The local chain also has put purchase limits on some high-demand products, while working with vendors to keep those items on the shelves.

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