Every Bay Area Grocery Store with a “Senior Hour”
Since our seniors are our most vulnerable community members these days, many grocery stores have stepped up and created “seniors only” shopping hours in the morning.
Here’s the current list with many thanks to SF Gate, Eater, and USA Today for their initial research and many help from our followers on Facebook who helped fill in the blanks.
Please note that these hours/promotions may change at any time
Recent updates
– Costco updated hours (9-10a, M-F) starting May 4 (Previously was 8-9a, Tue, Wed, Thu)
– Berkeley Bowl updated hours Tues and Fri 8-9am (Previously was M, W, F (8-10a)
– Walmart senior hour (typically 6-7am Tuesdays) extended to end of May
Stores with Senior Hours / Promotions
Nob Hill & Raleys: Starting March 21st offering a discounted bag of grocery essentials for seniors every day for $20 (plus a $35 option with ready-to-eat meal). The bags are available for pick-up curbside, or you can send a text to have the bag delivered right to your car.
Trader Joe’s – Effective Monday March 23rd Trader Joe’s will implement senior hours every day between 9am and 10am (store hours will remain 9am to 7pm). Crew Members will maintain an additional line outside the front door for our senior customers. This will ensure that those customers in need will have an expedited entrance to the store. What’s a “senior” according to Trader Joe’s? They’ve left this vague.
Walgreens – Starting Tuesday, March 24 and every Tuesday for the near future, Walgreens stores will open at 8 a.m., with the full hour from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. dedicated to senior citizens. This hour is also available to their caregivers and immediate families may also visit the store during this time. Additionally, we will offer our senior day discount all day on Tuesdays during this time. Customers age 55 and older will receive 30 percent off regularly priced Walgreens brands and 20 percent off regularly priced national brands.
Zanottos: Willow Glen, Rose Garden and Sunnyvale have senior hours from 8-9am.
Bi-Rite Market – Starting Monday, March 23rd 8:30 to 9am Monday through Friday is dedicted time for senior and other at-risk guests. They will limit guests in store at any one time to 10 at the 18th St. and Divisidero stores.
Albertsons: Two hours from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m on Tuesdays and Thursdays for senior customers and at-risk guests that include pregnant women and immunocompromised persons.
Piedmont Grocery: (Oakland) Beginning March 22, customers 65 and older will be able to shop between 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. every morning.
Rainbow Grocery: Starting March 19 will adjust its store hours to let persons 60 years of age and older shop between 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day. The store will also be closing at 7 p.m.
Foods Co. – Exclusive Shopping for Seniors 60+ and Higher-Risk Individuals: 6am – 7am Daily. Store Hours for general public: 7am – 10pm. Locations in SF (Mission & Bayview), Oakland, Richmond and Pittsburg. Store Locator
Costco – Most Costco warehouses are open from 9-10am, Monday through Friday for members ages 60 and older, and people with disabilities. Only members who meet this criteria will be able to shop during these hours. Guests will not be admitted. The pharmacy will be open, but the Costco Food Court will be closed during these hours. Find a Costco warehouse near you.
Cal-Mart – Senior hours Thursdays 9-10am and Satudays 8-9am (as of 3/21 at 2:14p – this isn’t listed on their website, so please call for updates) – plus you can call in to make an order for pickup. Laurel Village Shopping Center, 3585 California St. 415-751-3516
Draeger’s Markets – Senior hours Mondays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. for seniors, people with pre-existing conditions, immuno-compromised people, and pregnant women. Locations include San Mateo, Danville (Blackhawk), Los Altos and Menlo Park
Safeway: Senior customers and at-risk guests will have special shopping hours at Safeway stores between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Find your local store here.)
Lunardi’s: Senior citizens (65 & Older) and those with disabilities are welcome to shop on TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS between the hours of 7am-8am which will go into effect Tuesday March 24th until further notice. We will continue to honor the 5% senior discount on these 2 days. All stores will close at 7pm daily.
Canyon Market: Glen Park local market where Seniors 65 and older only are invited to shop from 7am-8am every day. They will be open to the general public from 8am-8pm every day.
Luke’s Local – 960 Cole St. in SF – 9am to 10am reserved for seniors 60+. They are temporarily operating cash-free (credit card and debit card only)
Mollie Stone’s Markets – Senior and immunocompromised hours are 7am to 8am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until further notice with most stores open to the general public 8am to 8pm. Find your local store.
Other Avenues Food Store Coop: Outer Sunset market at 3930 Judah with first hour (9am to 10am) reserved for seniors
Andronico’s: Senior customers and at-risk guests will have special shopping hours at Safeway stores between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Smart & Final: – Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8am will be reserved for seniors, expectant women, people with disabilities and those in the first responder field. Most stores returning to regular 6am to 10pm hours.
99 Ranch Market: Asian foods supermarket with first hour of business (store hours vary) reserved for 60+, expectant mothers, people with disabilities and those with compromised immune systems (Find a store near you). Seniors only shop 8-9 am daily in South Bay area, except Milpitas 8:30-9:30 am. – Also Daly City, Richmond, Concord, Foster City, Pleasanton, San Jose and many more locations.
Gus’s Community Market: Haight Street Market, Noriega Produce, Mission Bay and 17th & Harrison open for those 60+ from 7:00 – 8:00 am daily beginning today. Now closing at 8:00 pm for cleaning & re-stocking.
Target: Senior citizens and people with underlying health concerns can shop at Target stores nationwide every Wednesday starting at 8 a.m. All Target stores across the country will close at 9 p.m. to restock their shelves. (Find your local store here.)
Whole Foods: Starting March 18, customers 60 years of age or older can shop at Whole Foods at 8 a.m. – one hour early. Some stores will close up to two hours earlier. (Find your local store here.)
Berkeley Bowl Marketplace: – Updated April 5 – Senior Hours three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8am to 10am.
Walmart: Through the end of May, Walmart’s 5,000-plus U.S. stores will host an hour-long senior shopping event every Tuesday for customers 60 and older, which will start one hour before stores open (typically 6-7a). Stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. local time. Stores that open later than 7 a.m. will continue their regular starting hours. Please note that we don’t see any up
Dollar General: Dollar General designated the first hour at its more than 16,000 stores in 44 states as open daily to senior shoppers including Bay Area stores in Vallejo, Concord, Brentwood, Antioch (Find your local store here)
Oliver’s Markets: Sonoma County local market are opening from 6:00a to 7:00a just for seniors 7 days a week, plus they are extending their 10% senior discount (normally only Thursdays) to be every day. Stores in Windsor, Cotati, Santa Rosa
Lucky – Save Mart, FoodMaxx and Lucky stores have set aside every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 am to 9 a.m. for higher risk populations to shop. The company is asking other guests to allow seniors and vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems, primary access to our stores during these times.
Big Lots – The first hour of each day is reserved for senior citizens and those most vulnerable to the virus. Also offering curbside pickup to help with social distancing. Find you local Big Lots
BONUS: Free Pizza for Seniors – While not a super market, Tony & Alba’s pizza in San Jose deserves a special shout-out free with a free delivery of pizza and salad, enough to serve 2, to seniors (age 70 or older) within their delivery zone.
No Known Senior Hours
Grocery Outlet: Some stores in SoCal have started senior hours, but we haven’t heard any reports of any Bay Area GrossOuts creating senior hours yet – updated 3/22/20
CVS: No known updates on any senior hours as of 3/23/20
Sprouts: No known updates on any senior hours as of 3/22/10.
Farmer Joe’s – Oakland market has no updates on any senior hours as of 3/22/20.
