Walmart has announced several changes to their stores to help combat the spread of COVID-19 where they will limit the number of customers inside the store.

 

 

Dacona Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Walmart released an announcement on Friday regarding changes to their stores in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the statement released Dacona Smith explains, "While many of our customers have been following the advice of the medical community regarding social distancing and safety, we have been concerned to still see some behaviors in our stores that put undue risk on our people. We want to encourage customers to bring the fewest number of people per family necessary to shop, allow for space with other customers while shopping, and practice social distancing while waiting in lines. We’re also seeing states and municipalities set varying policies regarding crowd control – which has created some confusion regarding shopping."

Starting Saturday April 4th U.S Walmart stores will now be taking these further steps:

"We will limit the number of customers who can be in a store at once. Stores will now allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity.

To manage this restriction, the associates at a store will mark a queue at a single-entry door (in most cases the Grocery entrance) and direct arriving customers there, where they will be admitted one-by-one and counted. Associates and signage will remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they’re waiting to enter a store – especially before it opens in the morning.

Once a store reaches its capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a “1-out-1-in” basis."

Also while customers are shopping inside the store Walmart is taking precautions to prevent from customers coming in contact with each other insuring "one-way movement" through the aisles using floor markers along with direction from associates, and signage to remind customers to maintain social distancing.

Once customers are done shopping, and complete their check out they will be directed to exit through a different door then what they entered which will help prevent instances of shoppers passing closely by each other.

"As the COVID-19 situation continues to develop, our leaders and operations teams will continue to listen to advice from medical experts, associates and customers, and consider how we can best serve people while helping slow the spread of the virus. The health and safety of our associates and customers is what matters the most," Dacona Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Walmart.