Wegmans is temporarily shutting down several stores today to celebrate a historic event. The supermarket chain has announced that some of its locations will close for 30 minutes.
Wegmans to Close for Solar Eclipse View
Wegmans, a popular supermarket chain, will temporarily close 48 stores to celebrate a rare astronomical event. This short break will let shoppers and staff experience the solar eclipse on April 8.
During the solar eclipse, the moon will completely block the sun's light along a specific path across the United States. However, not everyone in the country will see the total eclipse.
Stores in the eclipse's path of totality will shut their doors from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM.
As stated in a company press release, the closure will affect several locations in upstate New York and Pennsylvania.
All services, including the pharmacy and grocery pickup, will pause during this half-hour period.
Patrick Bourcy, a Wegmans regional manager, expressed the event's importance. "The opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse comes once in a lifetime, and we don't want our employees to miss out," he said.
Bourcy added, "We appreciate all our employees do for our customers, especially during special events like this. We're excited to allow them to enjoy and remember this day."
Wegmans will close 46 stores in upstate New York and two in Erie, Pennsylvania, to allow employees to observe the solar eclipse on April 8.
A total solar eclipse will sweep across North America, visible in parts of 15 U.S. states. According to PBS, these states include Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
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Wegmans, a regional supermarket chain, reported that it operates numerous stores in areas where the eclipse will be visible. The company has 17 stores in the greater Rochester area, 11 in and around Buffalo and the Lake Erie shore, 10 in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier, and eight in greater Syracuse.
Additionally, Wegmans runs two stores in Erie, Pennsylvania. These locations will be where people can experience the eclipse firsthand.
Destiny USA Also Closes for Eclipse Viewing
However, Wegmans isn't the only business taking a break for the event. The U.S. Sun reported that Destiny USA, a large shopping mall in Syracuse, New York, will also close from 3:00 to 3:30 PM.
Alannah Gallagher, the mall's marketing director, stated that the closure is meant to give their staff a chance to witness the rare solar event. "This closure will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our dedicated employees to enjoy the rare celestial event," Gallagher explained.
While the entire country will witness some degree of solar coverage, only a specific swath - known as the Path of Totality - will experience a total solar eclipse, where the moon completely covers the sun. This path stretches from sections of Maine to the southwest corner of Texas, covering fifteen states.
Major cities within this path include San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and Montreal, promising a dramatic view of this rare celestial event.
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