ROANOKE, Va. – Walmart is the latest market chain to slash the operating hours of its stores in an effort to keep shelves stocked.
Beginning Sunday, March 15, all Walmart stores will operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. until further notice, according to a statement from Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith.
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This excludes stores currently operating under reduced hours. These stores will retain their current hours of operation, Smith said.
“This will help ensure associates are able to stock the products our customers are looking for and to perform cleaning and sanitizing," the statement read.
Earlier this week, Kroger also announced it was adjusting their in-store hours because of the coronavirus.
The change is intended to help keep shelves stocked and ensure customers can secure the products they need.
Some Kroger’s across the country will temporarily open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. Staff answering the phone at a number of stores across Southwest Virginia said they’re not adjusting their hours quite yet.
Kroger’s CEO Rodney McMullen outlined a variety of steps his stores were taking:
• Limited the number of cold, flu and sanitary products per order.
• Cleaning commonly used areas more often, including cashier stations, self-checkouts, credit card terminals, conveyor belts and food service counters, and cleaning shelves when restocking products.
• Adding extra hand sanitizer at cashier stations, food service counters, and all Pharmacy, The Little Clinic and Starbucks locations.
• Wiping down shopping carts, baskets and equipment.