WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Grocery stores are seeing a last-minute rush Wednesday as people grab Thanksgiving treats. This increase in customers doesn’t just affect stores in the city.

Grocery stores in more rural areas are seeing a similar influx. Local grocery stores are catering to customers in demand for specialty foods and are seeing significantly more customers this week.

“When November came, things took off for us,” said Pat Baalmann, owner of B’s ​​Hometown Market in La Crosse. “We had a lot of people buying turkeys early.”

“Thanksgiving is the Super Bowl for grocery shopping because we spend so little time together and it involves food,” said Jenny Osner of Hired Man’s Grocery in Conway Springs.

Local grocers benefit from a larger number of shoppers.

“Probably a third to a half more people are coming than normal,” Osner said.

“We probably average 250 to 300 customers a day,” Baalmann said. “If you look back over the last month, on average it will probably be closer to the 220 to 215 range.”

Both grocers are constantly adapting to the holidays, adding more items that people want every year. It’s a chance to see new faces and show them what they stand for.

“We just like to promote local. I mean, our slogan here is “local.” We like to say we are ‘local,’ we live and work here,” Osner said. “Any time we can buy from local vendors and local producers, those dollars go back into the community.”