NASHUA – As the coronavirus pandemic spreads, Nashuans have taken to smaller stores to clear out shelves of hand sanitizer, canned goods, and paper products – and namely panic-buying toilet paper.

The neighborhood convenience stores – the “Mom and Pop” markets – are trying to restock as products fly off the shelves.

Many rely on the big-box store such as BJs, Sam’s Club and Costco, for restocking products, but register lines there are long – from the register to the back of the stores and like most other places, the big stores are finding it difficult to keep mainstay items – from meat to paper products – in stock.

Aligning with other stores, such as Walmart, Sam’s Club in Hudson has reduced its hours, closing at 8PM now. BJ’s Wholesale is remains open until 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, some Nashuans have opted not to brave grocery store crowds or the wholesale clubs, putting them at greater risk of getting sick, or infecting others. Thus, area shoppers are hitting the smaller stores.

At Jeannotte’s Market, 2 Courtland St., a longtime staple in Nashua, a manager said they’ve been experiencing an uptake in sales.

“Toilet paper, which we have been able to get from our paper distributors, we really haven’t sold out of,” he said. “We might have been low for twelve hour periods, but mostly we’ve had it in stock.”

Eggs are one thing that the market can’t keep in stock.

“We got a two more cases in this morning, and we’re already out,” he added. “It’s the bare essentials, like milk, that are difficult to keep on our shelves.”

Jeannotte’s doesn’t stock hand sanitizer but did run out of hand soap. And in their popular deli department, the manager said that burger has been a big seller.

“We went through two weeks-worth of burger in about three days,” he said.

The neighborhood market hasn’t reduced its hours but did issue a letter to its staff, stating that if an employee didn’t feel comfortable working, they would be forced to come in.

“If it comes to the point that we don’t have enough people to work, then we might consider abbreviate hours,” the manager said.

At the A&P Corner Market, 147 Lake St., a clerk said that people with kids have been stocking up on baby items while others are just trying to gather hard-to-find items.

“They’re spending somewhere around $100 when they come in,” the clerk said. “They’re buying baby wipes and diapers because they are afraid that the situation will get worse.”

A&P did have a few rolls of toilet paper and household cleaners still on their shelves.

Down the block at the Lake Convenience market, 49 Lake St., the owner said that he can’t keep paper products or cleansers in stock.

“We are trying to restock these items, he said. “It’s hard to meet the demand. But what we are selling is milk, bread and eggs — staple food items like that.”

As for the toilet paper conundrum, it’s estimated that Americans use less than half a roll per week on average. According to others, the average is a little over one. Even at that upper limit, it would take a household of 15 to rip through just one Costco-sized 30-pack of Kirkland Signature two-ply over the course of a 14-day quarantine. For a couple, one pack should last for nearly four months.

At the Captain’s Corner Market, 727 Manhattan Ave., they received a new delivery of paper product, including toilet tissue on Tuesday afternoon.

“We just got a shipment but it’s selling very fast,” said the clerk. “It’s the one thing we can’t stock enough of.”

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