(WSVN) - Publix is looking to hire thousands of associates in an effort to keep up with a surge in shoppers heading to its stores to stock up for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Angel Coelho, a Publix shopper said, “A lot of my friends are college students so they’re struggling right now because they’re not getting paid and then their jobs got shut down so it may be a good opportunity for them.”

The supermarket chain with over 1,200 locations throughout the South announced it wants to hire thousands of employees to meet demand.

“We take pride in serving our communities during times of need, and with the unprecedented demand we are experiencing, we’re in need of more associates to help across our operating area,” said Marcy Benton, Vice President of Human Resources.

Coelho added, “I honestly expected that they were going to shut down in the next few days, so it’s pretty shocking.”

Walmart plans to hire 150,000 temporary workers by the end of May.

DollarTree, McDonald’s, and Domino’s say they need to hire thousands as well.

Amazon has seen a surge in online shopping and is adding 100,000 full time and part time workers.

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