The Harris Teeter at Cotswold looked like a Charlotte snow day: The milk section was half empty, and all the water shelves were wiped out.
A worker at the Trader Joe’s in Midtown said the store received 72 cases of spring water the night before, and that they sold out in 30 minutes.
Charlotte’s most popular grocery store, Harris Teeter, has increased deliveries of water and other supplies to its stores in the storm’s path, spokeswoman Danna Robinson said.
No one covers what is happening in our community better than we do.
3 grocer, is sending additional shipments of water, food, batteries and other items to its stores that are in the hurricane’s path.
By NOAA Publix has also seen an increase in foot traffic this week as customers prepare, but stores are still stocked with essentials, spokeswoman Kimberley Reynolds said.
“Items such as water, ice, snacks, bread, soup, batteries and flashlights are selling the most.
Aside from grocery stores, other retailers are making sure they’re ready for customers preparing for the storm.
Lowe’s activated its 24/7 emergency command center in Wilkesboro to track the storm, and shipped more than 325 truckloads of product to the North and South Carolina coast in anticipation of the storm.
Experts say the frenzy over buying bottled water, however, may be overblown.

Why is Trader Joe’s Wine Cheaper Than Bottled Water?.
Shoppers have tried to guess whether their store brand mac and cheese is actually made by a major food label going incognito.
But the biggest mystery of Trader Joe’s may be in their liquor section, where their store-endorsed line of Charles Shaw wine sells for as little as $1.99 a bottle in some markets.
The Charles Shaw label came to represent quality among wine aficionados, and his business grew to include 115 acres by the late 1980s.
With his business bankrupt, Shaw submitted to an auction of the winery’s assets.
The trade name was purchased by Fred Fanzia, owner of the Bronco Wine Company.
Bronco sells more than 80 different wine labels at varying price points.
His line of Charles Shaw wines debuted in Trader Joe’s stores in 2002 and sold for $1.99 a bottle in many markets, which quickly earned it the nickname “Two Buck Chuck.” Wine connoisseurs debated the practicality of offering quality wine at such a low price; college students filled up grocery carts with them.
Most importantly, the grapes are machine-harvested, which keeps costs down but might result in a more sugar-laden wine.
Bronco also keeps shipping costs low by using lightweight bottles.