Introduction
Walmart is one of the largest retailers in the world, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the company has been forced to close stores across the country. This has been a difficult decision for Walmart, as it has had to balance the safety of its customers and employees with the need to keep its stores open. In this article, we’ll take a look at why Walmart is still closing stores, the impact it has had on the company, and what customers can do to stay safe while shopping. We’ll also provide some tips on how to eat healthier while shopping at Walmart, so you can make the most of your shopping trips.
Walmart Is Still Closing Stores Across the Country Due to Outbreaks
Walmart is continuing to close stores across the country due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The retail giant has closed more than 1,000 stores since the start of the pandemic, and the closures are expected to continue as the virus continues to spread.
The closures are a result of the company’s efforts to protect its employees and customers from the virus. Walmart has implemented a number of safety measures, including requiring customers to wear masks, limiting the number of customers in stores, and increasing cleaning and sanitization efforts.
Walmart has also implemented a number of other measures to help protect its employees, including providing them with masks, gloves, and other protective equipment. The company has also implemented temperature checks for employees and customers, and has implemented social distancing measures in its stores.
Walmart is also offering its employees additional paid time off if they are exposed to the virus or need to quarantine. The company has also implemented a number of other measures to help its employees, including providing them with mental health resources and offering flexible scheduling.
The closures are a necessary step to help protect the health and safety of Walmart’s employees and customers. While the closures are unfortunate, they are necessary to help prevent the spread of the virus and keep everyone safe.
Walmart is also encouraging customers to shop online or use its curbside pickup service to help reduce the risk of exposure. The company is also offering free delivery on orders over $35.
Walmart is doing its best to keep its employees and customers safe during this difficult time. The company is taking all the necessary steps to help protect its employees and customers, and to help prevent the spread of the virus.
It’s almost 2022, which means that nearly two years have passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of variants like Delta and Omicron, life isn’t exactly “back to normal.” When it comes to grocery shopping, certain safety rules are still in place at chains like Costco.
While many grocers clean their markets overnight after they close, Walmart sometimes takes a more drastic approach. America’s largest retail chain is still closing stores across the country for about 40 hours in order to sanitize them. Here’s everything you need to know.
Related: 10 Biggest Changes Walmart Made This Year
We noticed the trend surface a year ago, when several neighborhood Walmart stores began closing their doors in December 2020 for a little under 48 hours. At the time, loyal shoppers complained about the inconvenience as they expressed shock over sudden closures.
Even as vaccine efforts began to ramp up and other pandemic rules were relaxed, more Walmart locations around the U.S. shut their doors a few months later in the spring of 2021. At the time, Walmart told Eat This, Not That! that it was “making these determinations on a market-by-market basis.” However, the retailer didn’t provide any additional information, such as if any of the closings were tied to COVID-19 outbreaks among employees or residents from the surrounding areas.
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At least three reports of Walmart store closures have surfaced since Dec. 10. One store in Ashland, Ky., shut down at 2 p.m. local time on Dec. 10 and reopened at 6 a.m. on Dec. 12. According to local news station WSAZ, the retail chain attributed this to “a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases” in the area and a desire to “assist health officials working against the pandemic.”
Two other stores, in Jackson, Ohio, and Surprise, Ariz., are currently closed and will reopen at 6 a.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 16. Walmart confirmed that the two stores closed for the same reason—cleaning and sanitizing, according to local news stations WSAZ and KTAR.
Citing privacy concerns, a spokesperson didn’t provide more specifics about the Arizona closure when asked for further details by KTAR. “Know that we are working with any affected associates so they have the time needed to get well,” they said. “We’re taking all implemented measures seriously and will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
Charles Crowson, director of corporate communications for Walmart’s press office, told Eat This, Not That! that the retailer was continuing to evaluate the situation across the country and could not predict any future closures.
“We have a team at the home office that meets daily to evaluate criteria related to stores and the communities we serve. When that data reaches certain thresholds, we make the decision to get ahead of the situation and proactively close the store for cleaning and sanitizing,” Crowson said. “Determining when and where temporary store closures will take place is not something we can forecast in the long-term because the information our team is evaluating continually evolves.”
For more on what’s happening at your neighborhood Walmart, check out: