Thanksgiving is just one week away, and grocery stores like Smith's are preparing for a busy weekend. The busiest day is expected to be Wednesday, as people get their last-day Thanksgiving shopping done.
"We have every day deliveries, just to make sure that we go ahead and keep everything in stock," Asbel Carcache, Store Manager of the South Meadows Smith's said. "We have extra stock in the back. Our back rooms are full right now with extra product."
Smith's has central areas where people can find many Thanksgiving items in one place like stuffing, broth, cranberries and green beans. The freezers are full of turkeys and the produce section doesn't have any shortage of potatoes and sweet potatoes. With large crowds expected, many shoppers are getting their Thanksgiving food shopping done early.
"Most people wait until the last minute, and I was in retail for years and you just don't want to wait. It's just too much," Linda Dorman, Fernley resident said.
"Just side items, mostly," Christine Reves, Reno resident said. "My fiancé got the turkey and that's kind of his thing but I have everything else."
Others are waiting to buy the turkey until a few days before Thanksgiving to make it easier to store and thaw.
"Don't want to take up all the space in the refrigerator for a week or so," Ed Ritz said. "So, it's better just to go three days before."
Alcohol sales are also on the rise. Rebecca Davidson is the Wine Supervisor at Total Wine & More. She says Thanksgiving is one of the five busiest times of the year for the store. She says many people buy beer and spirits but that the most popular beverage is wine. The store has wine-tasting seven days a week from noon to 6:00 p.m. She says that helps people decide which variety to buy.
"We have many, many choices at the wine bar the next week-and-a-half that are specially chosen to pair with Thanksgiving meals and celebrations," Davidson said.
Davidson says Christmas and New Years bring an increased amount of sales, and that Burning Man is another big event for the Reno store.
