UAE CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – If your pockets are a little lighter these days, you’re not alone. It is an unexpected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic that is changing the country. Literally.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the United States, Americans faced a shortage of toilet paper in supermarkets. Now, they are dealing with another type of supermarket shortage, this is the variety of coins. It is forcing companies to adjust their operations to handle the shortage.
Across the country, stores are asking shoppers to pay with the exact change or card, this is due to a national shortage of coins caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Federal Reserve, there are enough coins in the economy, but many places where the coins are used for payment have been closed for months, causing less circulation. Amy Miller is the manager of the Guest Services department at Festival Foods, which is one of the many stores in the Chippewa Valley that asks people not to pay in cash or to pay with the exact change.
“In the past few weeks, we have heard the national currency shortage, the national currency shortage,” says Miller. “But now it’s really hitting close to home, where we ask for coins and don’t get any of them.”
In supermarkets, gas stations and restaurants, customers see signs asking them to pay by card or with an exact change if possible.
“I’ve never seen a shortage of coins like this before.” Says Miller. “We have always been able to get the coins we need.”
At the Foods Festival, Miller says that the cash option on the automatic payment machines has been disabled, and that he doesn’t allow guests to buy rolls of coins hoping to stretch every penny as much as possible.
“We were unable to obtain the coins we are trying to obtain,” says Miller. “We practically only have enough for about three days, so if we get to where we are not getting any coins, we will run out of pennies, we will run out of pennies.”
While the national shortage of coins is causing problems for some companies, others have discovered a way to avoid it, while helping the local community. Cousin’s Subs CEO Christine Specht says the restaurant is asking cash-paying customers to round their total to the nearest dollar, which is then donated to local boys and girls clubs.
“As a Cousin’s Subs franchise owner or as a store employee, you know this is part of our mantra to engage in the community, help the community, and in this way take a creative way to turn the negative into the positive.” Specht says.
Specht says about 45% of her clients still pay in cash and that the rounding campaign fits with her community engagement model, “The Make it Better Foundation,” which focuses on health and wellness, hunger and youth education. However, the initiative will not yet be in all stores.
“We started communicating with our restaurants earlier in the week,” says Specht. “But not all restaurants are experiencing a shortage of coins.”
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