Effective today, Walmart is again temporarily cutting back on its store hours. The retail giant is also offering special shopping hours for older adults.
Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Walmart U.S. Dacona Smith announced the changes in a blog post.
Beginning March 19, Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets will be open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Stores that open later than 7 a.m. will continue their regular starting hours.
Smith says further reducing store hours will “help associates restock the shelves for customers while continuing to clean and sanitize the store.” She says employees will continue to have access to their regular scheduled shifts and full hours.
Senior shopping hours
Because older adults are more vulnerable to the coronavirus, Walmart is offering special shopping hours for them.
From March 24 through April 28, Walmart stores will host an hour-long senior shopping event every Tuesday for customers aged 60 and older. This will start one hour before the store opens.
For the traditionally 24-hour stores such as the ones located in Habersham, Rabun, Hall, and surrounding communities, stores will be open for senior shopping from 6-7 a.m. on Tuesdays through the end of April.
Walmart Pharmacies and Vision Centers will also be open during this time.
Limited items, services
The nation’s largest retailer also is placing limits on the number of items customers may buy in certain categories including paper products, milk, eggs, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, water, diapers, wipes, formula, and baby food. Smith says imposing these limits will help Walmart “serve the broadest number of customers and ensure they have access to the key items they are looking for.”
Walmart also is temporarily closing its Auto Care Centers to allow those associates to focus on stocking and cleaning in the rest of the store.
Vision Centers will operate on their normal schedule, providing only essential services such as glasses repair and helping customers pick up existing orders.
Sam’s Club store hours
Sam’s Club, a subsidiary of Walmart, also cut its hours in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of March 17, clubs are now open from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Sunday hours remain 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Prescheduled Club Pickup orders will still be available for pickup starting at 7 a.m.
Read the full Walmart corporate statement in the blog post here.
