At a time when people are being told to stay inside due to COVID-19, many in Saskatchewan are turning to online shopping to order essential services such as groceries.

However, many large grocery chains are having trouble keeping up with demand.

Regina resident Amanda Evans says she’s had to wait an upwards of a week before receiving orders, saying that on one occasion she had her order cancelled altogether.

“I have a child who is high risk, so I have been instructed to not take him into the grocery store. I’m a single mom, and for my son’s safety, I should not enter the store…I also have asthma,” Evans said.

“It is quite stressful, knowing I may not be able to get the things we need, and that we have to wait a week, or plan that far in advance.”

Evans said she understands the actions people are taking during the pandemic, but still worries about feeding her family.

“I think it’s great that people are taking advantage of this service to keep safe, but it is quite a long wait for essential items,” Evans said.

“I get what I can, and then I have to rely on family to go get the rest.”

Global News reached out to Loblaw Companies Ltd. about the “week-long” wait times at Saskatchewan Real Canadian Superstores in regards to their online pick-up services.

“Our PC Express business has more than doubled in recent weeks as the numbers of Canadians shopping from home continues to spike. This is driven in part by the encouragement to social distance, but also because we’ve dropped fees and prices to make sure those who need the service don’t face cost barriers,” Loblaw Companies Limited replied via email.

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“As demand grows, we’re finding new ways to serve more people, faster. That means more equipment, more capacity in pick-up windows, and more staff.”

Save-On-Foods is facing similar challenges, and is asking people to stop worrying about supply and put an end to hoarding food.

“There is enough food for everyone and it is our job to make sure, that together, we can feed as many Western Canadians as possible. Panic buying is happening everywhere, and we are doing our best to manage it,” Save-On-Foods replied to Global News in an email.

“We have implemented measures to mitigate this behavior, including reinforcing limits on high-demand items. Overbuying puts a strain on our ability to get our shelves re-stocked as quickly as we would like.”

Experiencing “extremely” high web traffic and demand for online shopping, so Save-On-Foods encourages customers who can to shop in-store.

“Leave our online delivery options available for those who are not able to get to the store — including seniors, people with disabilities and of course, those who are ill.”

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