Walmart is reducing hours at its U.S. stores to allow more time to replenish shelves and clean and sanitize stores, the retailer announced Saturday in a letter on its website.
The national retailer said its stores will be open from 6 am to 11 pm until further notice. The new hours take effect Sunday.
The retailer has more than 4,700 Walmart and Neighborhood Market locations in the U.S. The shortened hours affect about 2,200 stores across the country that are open 24 hours a day.
Walmart is the largest grocer in the U.S. and has been dealing with a significant increase in sales as customers flock to stores to stock up on food, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and other items. Some grocers, including H-E-B, have adapted to the surge of shopping by limiting customers’ purchases of food and cleaning supplies. Others like Kroger are advertising immediate job openings to keep up with heightened demand.
Stop & Shop, which is owned by Ahold Delhaize, also announced changes to store hours on Saturday. It said most stores will be open 7:30 am to 8 pm starting Monday. The company said it was suspending its online pickup service due to “unprecedented demand as well as product shortages in some areas.”
Walmart has given its store managers the discretion to limit purchases of items that are in high demand.
