Walmart announced Saturday evening it would be adjusting store hours at its 24-hour locations, starting Sunday, March 15, amid concerns of the coronavirus, according to WTVR.com.
Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Stores that are already operating under reduced hours outside of that frame will keep operating as such. “This will help ensure associates are able to stock the products our customers are looking for and to perform cleaning and sanitizing,” the company said in a statement.
Starting on Monday, America’s largest supermarket chain, Kroger, is also shifting its hours. According to Kroger spokesperson Erin Rolfe, all stores will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. until further notice.
Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen told employees and customers the grocer is determined to keep stores open, stocked and clean amid the coronavirus outbreak. “We believe that everyone deserves to have access to fresh, affordable food and essentials, especially in times of uncertainty. That’s why our teams are working so hard,” McMullen said in an undated letter sent to employees and customers.
Other grocery store chains including Florida-based Publix, New York-based Wegmans and H-E-B are among retailers closing earlier. Changes at more regional and national retailers are expected in the coming days. Publix, a supermarket chain based in the southeast U.S., will close at 8 p.m until further notice.
Coronavirus concerns
There are a number of reasons for the shift in store hours. Primarily, this will gives retailers a chance to deep-clean areas in their stores accessible to customers, and it will also give employees the time needed to restock the shelves.
Many stores, including Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and other retailers, large and small have literally had their shelves stripped bare of everything from toilet paper to hand cleaners and canned goods – all due to panic buying.
In other news over closures, Apple announced it will close all its retail stores outside Greater China until March 27 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The athletic apparel company, Nike announced U.S. store closures from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. Customers can continue to shop on Nike.com and on Nike apps.
