Three major chains with stores in The Villages and the surrounding tri-county area have altered their business hours in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak to accommodate seniors and those who suffer from underlying medical conditions.
Publix announced Wednesday that beginning Tuesday, March 24, its grocery stores will designate special hours for older customers and those more susceptible to the COVID-19 virus. Those customers 65 or older will be allowed to shop at the stores and their pharmacies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7-8 a.m. – an hour before the stores regularly open for business.
The Publix stores in The Villages are located in Spanish Springs, Spanish Plaines, Southern Trace, Colony Cottage, Mulberry Grove, Lake Deaton and Grand Traverse Plaza.
Winn-Dixie is offering seniors and high-risk customers the opportunity to shop from 8-9 a.m. Monday through Friday in all of its stores and pharmacies. The three Winn-Dixie stores located in The Villages are in the La Plaza Grande shopping center near Spanish Springs Town Square, Lake Sumter Landing and the Pinellas Plaza in Wildwood.
Wal-Mart also has followed suit with special hours for seniors and those who are medically challenged. On every Tuesday beginning March 28 and lasting through April 28, stores will open for customers 60 and older at 8 a.m. They will have access to the regular store, pharmacies and vision centers for one hour before regular business hours begin.
The Wal-Mart Supercenters located in and around Florida’s Friendliest Hometown are located at 4085 Wedgewood Lane, 17961 U.S. Hwy. 27/441 in Summerfield and 2501 Citrus Blvd. in Leesburg. A Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market also is located in The Villages at the Sarasota Plaza off County Road 466 near the Colony Cottage Shopping Center.
