DES MOINES, Iowa — Editor's Note: The video above is from Local 5's "Coronavirus Cause & Effect" special that aired the week of March 8. Read more here.
Iowa grocery stores are still feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic one year after the state shut down.
"Meat tripled in price," said John Brooks, third-generation owner of B&B Grocery.
The pandemic caused basic consumer products, like cleaning products and food, to fly off shelves. Replenishing those shelves couldn't happen fast enough, weakening the supply chain.
“Our phone was just ringing. You’d hang up and it would ring, hang up, ring, hang up," said Brooks. "We just had to say ‘No, no, no, no,’ because we weren’t going to sell hamburger for $10, $12 a pound.”
Michael Crum, a professor at Iowa State University, conducted a study that determined the best way to strengthen the supply chain.
“The only time supply chain enters your vocabulary is when something goes wrong," explained Crum. “The pace of growth caught the supply chains off guard. Now, their channels of distribution have changed radically.”
For example, people bought more meat and toilet paper than they needed. Crum explained the average consumer should only buy what they need to help keep products available for everyone.
Subscribe to Local 5's YouTube channel for stimulus check updates
Download the We Are Iowa app or subscribe to Local 5's "5 Things to Know" email newsletter for the latest on Iowa's COVID-19 recovery.