AT 8 a.m., people line up at La Nueva Supermart at Magallanes St. in downtown Cebu City to buy noodles and other commodities.
This scene is repeated in retail stores in Cebu where more people are stocking up on goods used for donations and relief packs for families affected by Nov. 8’s supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
Shelves of basic items are quickly emptied by noon.
Metro Cebu was spared damage but the storm devastated towns and cities in northern Cebu and Leyte.
Nelson Uy of La Nueva Supermarket said the daily demand has increased, leaving shelves empty by midday.
La Nueva is known for low-priced wholesale items and has been operating years before malls and retails chains opened in Cebu.
The same trend of selected stocks thinning out by noon is noted in Prince Warehouse store across the street.
The good news is that prices of commodities remain the same.
Sardines, a staple in relief packs, sell for P13.50 to P14.00 a can. A 150-gram Ligo Sardines in tomato sauce costs P13.75 while 555 Sardines of the same size cost P14.
Lucky Me Beef Noodles cost P7.20 each at Prince Warehouse, similar to packs sold in Fooda Saversmart Consolacion and Mabolo branches.
The best price for mineral water is P10 per liter at Nature’s Spring plant near the old Mandaue-Mactan bridge, half the price of bottles sold in malls and supermarkets.
A 150-gram can of Holiday Beef Loaf is priced at P16.50 while the 100-gram can is sold at P12.50 at SM Save More shop at Parkmall in Mandaue.
Detergent products like Champion powder cost P12.95 for a 120-gram sachet while a 65-gram pack of Bonux detergent costs P4.55 and a 140-gram bar costs P8.10.
Fooda Saversmart in Consolacion town still had a big inventory when Cebu Daily News visited yesterday.
Fewer people shop there, said merchandiser Junrie B. Lao, because most shoppers go downtown to stores near the pier area of Cebu City.
“I was at the Gaisano Grand Mall yesterday and there were more people shopping there. Most buy goods by the box,” said Lao. He suggested the consumers start the day early.
“Come as early as you can,” he said, because they replenish stocks on the shelves daily. Most stores run out of stocks by noon.