Walmart Will Now Let Shoppers Do This in Stores After Mass Closures
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Millions of consumers in the U.S. count on their local Walmart store to pick up weekly essentials—whether that’s food, clothes, or other household supplies. But recently, a significant portion of those shoppers were locked out of their go-to locations as the big-box retailer underwent mass closures across several states. Now that most of these Walmart stores have reopened, the company is making another big change for shoppers. Read on to find out what the retailer will now let you do in stores.
READ THIS NEXT: Walmart Is Banning Shoppers From Doing This in 4 States, as of Next Year .
Walmart recently had to close hundreds of stores.
As last month came to a close, Walmart was forced to shutter hundreds of locations temporarily due to a major natural disaster. Hurricane Ian made its first landfall in the U.S. on Sept. 28 on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane before hitting South Carolina two days later on Sept. 30 as a Category 1 storm, according to ABC News.
Over the course of several days, Walmart temporarily shuttered hundreds of stores in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. It’s unclear exactly how many stores had to be closed, but on the morning of Sept. 29, the retailer’s real-time closure map indicated that at least 244 locations throughout the four states were temporarily closed, The Miami Herald reported.
Most of these locations have since reopened.
Natural disasters are unpredictable, so Walmart gave no clear timeline as to when stores would be back in business. Some locations, however, started reopening as early as Sept. 28. “Regarding the loss of power and reopening after the storm’s passing, we’re actively taking steps now to give us the best opportunity to resume operations once it’s safe to do so,” Walmart Director of Corporate Communication Charles Crowson told The Miami Herald .
As of Oct. 3, Walmart’s real-time map indicates that there are just two stores still closed throughout the four states. And only one appears to be related to the hurricane: a Walmart in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, is still listed as temporarily closed (a separate Walmart Supercenter in Peachtree City, Georgia, has been “closed temporarily until further notice ” since late August due to a fire).
“Your Fort Myers Beach Walmart is down but we are far from out! We hear you Fort Myers Beach! Stay tuned for updates while we work to open! Stay strong and stay safe,” the local Walmart’s Facebook page posted on Oct. 2. The same account had written on Sept. 27 that it would be closing temporarily for the hurricane and would “reopen as soon as is safe for our associates and the community.”
But Walmart is making a change in stores as they reopen.
As stores reopen after the mass closures from Hurricane Ian, Walmart isn’t stopping its efforts to take care of impacted customers and associates. On Sept. 29, the big-box retailer released a press release to announce that it was “ moving quickly to help ” these communities, which includes a new donation initiative for shoppers in all states.
“Many of our associates, customers and members in the communities we serve across Florida are feeling the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian,” Walmart said in its statement, adding in a separate Sept. 30 statement that, “As our stores in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are now being impacted, we’re standing by to support those communities” as well.
Walmart announced that it would be accepting donations from customers at the registers of its stores. And that’s not all. The retailer said it “will help maximize their impact by matching contributions” when a customer donates at its register or through its associate giving program by up to $2.5 million.
“Our customers, members and associates are the most generous people we know,” Walmart said, also noting that that “Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation are committing up to $6 million to recovery and relief efforts.” The company explained, “This support will include donations of essential supplies and grants to organizations providing relief on the ground.”
Walmart is not the only company stepping up.
Walmart is not alone in its efforts to help those recently affected by the deadly Hurricane Ian. Target, Home Depot, and Lowe’s have all also committed to donating to the cause , according to Fox Business. Alongside Walmart, these retailers have collectively pledged up to $14 million to help provide emergency shelter, food, and other supplies to those affected by the storm.
“While we know recovery will take many months, we’re here to help these communities return to some form of normalcy as soon as possible,” Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison told the news outlet. Other companies donating to relief efforts include Duke Energy, Publix, Tractor Supply, and Wells Fargo, per Fox Business.
Walmart Is Banning Shoppers From Doing This in 4 States, as of Next Year
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The shopping experience at Walmart is nothing if not consistent. The megaretailer has changed with the times to keep giving customers what they want, from a convenient shopping experience to maintaining their low prices despite soaring inflation. Typically, this involves adding features or perks that endear fans to the store even more. But even as the world’s second-largest retailer, some changes are inevitable for the company—including ones that could affect the shopping experience. Read on to see what Walmart is banning shoppers from doing in four states as of next year.
READ THIS NEXT: Walmart Shoppers Can Now Buy This “Award-Winning” Product in Stores .
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There’s no question that the pace of change in the retail industry has quickened in recent years. But unlike some other once-iconic stores that have all but disappeared , Walmart has managed to keep customers coming back by embracing new technology and fine-tuning its customer experience.
In July, the store unveiled a new augmented reality (AR) feature built into its app that allows customers to see how a piece of furniture or décor will look in their home before they decide to buy it. The company also announced it had updated its website to optimize the experience for Spanish speakers shopping on its website. And the retailer also kicked off a partnership with streaming platform Roku that allows customers to shop for items using their TVs.
Devoted Walmart customers have also likely found more reasons to return to the store lately. Earlier this summer, the retailer announced that it was updating its Walmart+ subscription service, allowing members to bundle their package with InHome Delivery for an extra $40 annually. The service provides customers with the convenience of having the items they ordered brought straight to their doorstep, garage, or fridge. But despite these recent additions, there’s one thing Walmart shoppers in some areas won’t see in stores for much longer.
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Originally, signage had announced that the changes would take effect beginning Sept. 15. However, those notices have since been removed from the store, with representatives telling KRDO that the new policy will go into effect at a later date in the coming months.
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News of the major change comes after the state government passed Colorado House Bill 1162 last year, KRDO reports. Even though the new legislation will ban stores and restaurants from giving out single-use plastics such as shopping bags beginning in 2024, the company said it would be getting a head start on the changes—and has even instituted similar policies in other states.
“Walmart has been exploring alternatives to single-use carryout bags from our stores since 2021 while prioritizing our customers’ convenience and product safety, including through the Beyond the Bag Consortium. In the U.S., we have transitioned from plastic bags in Vermont, Maine, and New Jersey, and, starting early 2023, we expect to eliminate single-use carryout bags in Colorado as well—with reusable bags available for purchase at multiple prices,” a corporate spokesperson for Walmart told KRDO in a statement.
“For in-store and curbside delivery, we will continue to encourage our customers to bring their own bags and/or purchase reusable bags and will be switching to reusable paper bags for delivery. Walmart remains committed to identifying solutions that are scalable, convenient, and sustainable,” the representative explained.
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Despite how convenient they may seem, plastic bags have become a major ecological issue , with less than 10 percent of those put into use ending up recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a result, state and municipal governments around the U.S. have begun to institute their own local ordinances similar to Colorado’s that limit or outright ban retailers and other businesses from furnishing plastic bags. As of February 2021, eight states had enacted bans on single-use plastic bags , including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon, and Vermont, per the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Other areas, such as Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., have also required businesses to charge a five or 10-cent fee per bag used by a customer.
But it’s not just plastic bags: Walmart’s latest decision aligns with the company’s commitment to becoming a zero waste operation in the U.S. in Canada by 2025. After announcing the initiative last year, the retailer says it aims to switch to “100 percent recyclable, reusable, or industrially compostable packaging” for its own brands by 2025 while also “aiming to label 100 percent of that packaging with recycling instructions to educate our customers and eliminate non-recyclable packaging by the same time frame.”
