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Walmart Significantly Shortens Hours in Response to Coronavirus

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Walmart is adapting to the retail world framed by America’s battle against the coronavirus by reducing hours at many stores.

Effective Thursday, many of Walmart’s 4,700 US stores were open from 7 a.m. until 8:30 p.m., according to a Walmart blog post. Stores that currently open after 7 a.m. will continue to do so.

“This will further help associates restock the shelves for customers while continuing to clean and sanitize the store,” Walmart executive vice president and Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith wrote. “While the store hours change for customers, our associates will continue to have access to their regular scheduled shifts and full hours.”

Walmart is following the lead of Dollar General, Target and other stores by offering a special senior citizen shopping time.

“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. Our Pharmacies and Vision Centers will also be open during this time,” Smith wrote.

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A massive spike in demand has cleaned many stores of products that shoppers consider critical.

As a result, Smith said Walmart stories will be imposing limits on how much of key items shoppers can buy.

“Our stores will have limits for customers in certain categories including paper products, milk, eggs, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, water, diapers, wipes, formula and baby food,” Smith wrote.

In Britain, the grocery chain Aldi has imposed an across the-board limit on shoppers.

Did Walmart make the right call here?

Customers are not allowed to buy more than four of any one item.

Walmart, meanwhile, has also shut down its automotive centers for the time being, shifting employees who worked there to help stock and clean stores.

And the chain’s vision centers will be providing “essential services only such as glasses repair and helping customers pick up existing orders,” Smith wrote.

In the post, Smith praised the efforts of Walmart workers in responding to unprecedented demand.

“Our associates have been nothing short of heroic in their commitment to serve customers, stock shelves as quickly as possible and keep their stores clean,” Smith wrote.

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“When their communities needed them the most, our people have been at their best. Their efforts continue to be a tremendous source of pride for everyone at Walmart.”

As the world around Walmart stores changes, so will Walmart’s response, he said.

“I think every one of us has had to adjust our daily routines in some way, and it’s likely that could continue,” Smith wrote. “We are paying very close attention to our stores and communities and will continue making the necessary changes to help make sure our associates are taken care of and that our customers can get what they need.”

Walmart’s stock has risen along with consumer demand, according to CNBC, which reported that the retailer’s shares have risen 2 percent at the same time the S&P 500 has fallen 25 percent.

“The unfortunate spread of the COVID-19 virus has created an unprecedented spike in demand for grocery and household products, as consumers prepare for weeks (maybe months) of school closures, work from home and restaurant closures,” Credit Suisse research analyst Seth Sigman wrote in a note to clients on Wednesday.

Sigman said the weeks ahead will lead to “structural changes in consumer shopping” in which methods such as online grocery shopping or curbside pickup become embraced by shoppers.

“This change should be sticky, and favor WMT, as it’s invested in its infrastructure, technology and people, to evolve its model,” Sigman said, using the company’s Stock Exchange acronym. “Bottom line, WMT is well positioned to serve the consumer through this difficult period as well as on the other side, as the customer acquisition benefits compound.”

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Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
Location
New York City
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Foreign Policy, Military & Defense Issues




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