ST. MARTIN PARISH — Grocery stores across St. Martinville saw a steady flow of shoppers Wednesday as residents made their final push to prepare for Thanksgiving. At Joyces Supermarket, employees worked quickly to keep checkout lines moving as customers searched for turkeys, sides, and other last-minute essentials.
“It’s busy, it’s busy. Everyone’s coming for the turkeys and everything,” said Ashton Barras, an employee at Joyces Supermarket. Barras said staff went into the day knowing what to expect. “I knew it was gonna be busy so I told my co-worker Ms. Michele we gotta keep it positive,” he said.
Shoppers at other local stores reported a similar pace. At Cade’s Market, Mozella Cade said she headed straight to the store after getting off work early Wednesday morning. “Man I’m doing some last minute shopping I got off at 8 this morning and the stores are packed,” she said.
Despite rising grocery prices, Cade said families are still committed to putting together a full holiday meal. “People are gonna put that money out because they want to let their family have a special and festive Thanksgiving,” she said. Cade listed rice dressing, greens, and two types of gumbo among the dishes she planned to cook.
Some shoppers noted that this year’s pre-holiday rush feels different. “Since the government shut down. People haven't been shopping this year as much as they usually do, last year it was kind of a rush around this time for Thanksgiving,” said Kelly Nash, who was also shopping at Cade’s Market.
But at both stores, employees continued working to keep customers moving. “Cause everyone’s gonna come in and if they come in they’re gonna get a big basket so we try to get a lot of baggers out here try to get some good customer service to make sure they getting out,” Barras said.
As Thanksgiving approaches, workers say they expect a steady stream of shoppers through closing time as families across St. Martinville wrap up their holiday preparations.
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