It happened in the Rockridge neighborhood at 51st and Broadway around 7:30a.m.
The Alameda County Sheriff's Dept. say it turned out to be an electrical conduit that looked very suspicious.
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Shoppers say they did not know why they were being told to leave.
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"They told us to evacuate. I was getting my groceries and I just left. That's all I know. I don't know anything else furthermore," said Richard Hines.
Shoppers say police kept pushing them back further and further. They were stuck because their cars were roped off by police tape in the parking lot. These were the early bird shoppers hoping to score some hard to find items.
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"I had eggs in my cart, that felt like a win. Someone said there was still toilet paper on the shelf, I hadn't gotten that far yet. This is my first trip to the grocery store in like 3 weeks and it was time to stock up. I guess it wasn't going to happen today. Maybe I will have better luck tomorrow," said shopper Joshua Kling.
Shoppers were allowed to return around 9:30. Police gave the all clear. The item in question was in a grocery cart and looked like a pipe bomb. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office says it looks like stolen copper. Officers do not know who left it there but praised the community for being alert and calling it in.