Is Walmart going out of business?

[Brian Elfert]

Of course Walmart isn't going out of business, but the Walmart store I was at today looked like it was holding a going out of business sale. The fresh and processed meat sections were stripped bare. The frozen section had lots of empty shelves. No eggs at all and a lot of the milk was empty. Potato chip shelves pretty empty. TP and paper towels all gone of course.

[John K Jordan]

Of course Walmart isn't going out of business, but the Walmart store I was at today looked like it was holding a going out of business sale. The fresh and processed meat sections were stripped bare. The frozen section had lots of empty shelves. No eggs at all and a lot of the milk was empty. Potato chip shelves pretty empty. TP and paper towels all gone of course.

What time of day? When we went in the afternoon many shelves were empty. However I have shopped at several stores this week. At 6am and 7am there are few people in the stores. I found plenty of everything I shopped for.

Many stores have special times now for seniors to shop and all shoppers were politely keeping their distance from other shoppers. Most stores are limiting the purchase of certain items to prevent a few people from emptying the shelves.

[Jim Koepke]

When we went in the afternoon many shelves were empty.

This seems to be happening consistantly. People are panicking. All of a sudden the world has fallen out from under them. There is no real relief in sight. Many have no idea when they will get another pay check. They feel like even if the shelves are stocked next week, they will not be able to purchase anything for lack of funds. Other people stocking up on necessities only reenforces the collective uncertainty. It builds on itself.

We will have a rough road ahead of us for the foreseeable future. It will take time but somehow we must find hope that humanity will pull through.

jtk

[John Goodin]

The local grocery chain here, HEB, has looked similar recently but gets pretty well restocked over night — with few exceptions like eggs. What is really impressive is that all employees get a 2 dollars an hour raise for the next four weeks. The company’s way of letting the employees know their extra effort to help the public is appreciated.

[Jim Koepke]

What is really impressive is that all employees get a 2 dollars an hour raise for the next four weeks. The company’s way of letting the employees know their extra effort to help the public is appreciated.

That is a great gesture from an employer.

jtk

[Rick Potter]

Our local supermarket has a sign that says basically:

If you bought too much, don't you dare try to return it after the emergency.

[Adam Grund]

Like a few others have stated, the morning is the best time I’ve found to shop. Still unable to find a few items, but for the most part my list has been checked.
One of the hardest things to come by so far is larger (8-9lb) pork shoulders. If I’m going to have a little more time on my hand I’m going to fire up the smoker more often, but shoulders have eluded me. Going to check sams club and local butchers next.

[Brian Elfert]

Our local supermarket has a sign that says basically:

If you bought too much, don't you dare try to return it after the emergency.

I think elsewhere on the Creek someone posted a picture of a sign at Costco stating returns will not be allowed on TP, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, and other items being hoarded. Stores don't want to be sitting on piles of returned items once people realize they bought all kinds of stuff they'll never use.

[Brian Elfert]

I was at Walmart about 6 pm last night. This was the first time I have ever seen Walmart so empty of food at 6 pm in the evening. I shop Walmart around 6 pm quite often and this is the first time they have been out of more than a few items for me.

[Jim Becker]

The stores are cleaning and restocking at night, so earlier in the day is a better time to shop for things you need right now. That's a good part of why most have changed their hours to being shorter. Many stores also now have early shopping hour for seniors and other folks with specific needs, although in some places, that's resulted in more crowds early due to local demographics. The supply chain has most of the products required, but the run-rate has made more challenges with getting stuff to where it needs to be in the time it needs to be there. I've also found that the smaller, local places that cater to neighborhoods are very well stocked, other than TP, Paper Towels and certain cleaning products like hand sanitizer, which is hard to come by in the supply chain. (some beer makers are rumored to be going to make hand sanitizer)

We did shop yesterday afternoon for some food products and our local Wegman's was much better stocked than it was last Friday night when we normally shop for food. They have restricted hours (normally 24/7), had limits on certain items (wise move) and had a very thorough, albeit lengthy checkout process that kepped reasonable social distancing for the checkout staff for most of the process and disinfection of the conveyor, etc., between every customer. Since Professor Dr. SWMBO is working/teaching from home at this point, we'll be shifting all of our shopping to daytime for the time being and also taking advantage of the small market where our older daughter works for quick pickups. (That market is really embracing their workers, BTW...everyone's getting a raise effective tomorrow, getting increased discounts for their own shopping and getting hot meals when their shift spans a normal meal time)

[Brian Elfert]

I was at a local lumberyard yesterday. They had redone the checkout counters with materials at hand to keep the customers and cashiers six feet apart. They had moved the credit card readers to the edge of the new counters.

Smart move.

[Nathan Johnson]

I went to Walmart yesterday morning and was able to get chicken, beef, turkey, and eggs.
I've got enough to get by for a little while.
Mostly, I don't want to get caught in the initial panic wave of shoppers next week when Trump orders a national lockdown.

[Doug Garson]

Local Walmart is sold out of things like toilet paper and hand sanitizer but no way Walmart is going out of business, Walmart Canada announced they are hiring 10,000 new workers to help stock shelves and sanitize stores.

[Brian Elfert]

Local Walmart is sold out of things like toilet paper and hand sanitizer but no way Walmart is going out of business, Walmart Canada announced they are hiring 10,000 new workers to help stock shelves and sanitize stores.

Notice my first sentence said of course they aren't going out of business, but it sure looks like they are with bare shelves in many sections.

I was at Home Depot today to pick up the (hopefully) final supplies for a basement remodel and the parking lot was fuller than I had ever seen it on a Saturday. I guess everyone was getting supplies to work on home projects.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

I stopped in a Lowes yesterday and they had managers manning the cash registers because so many employees are staying home. My son works at Lowes Foods (totally different than the big box Lowes) and they just hired 10 people because of all the ones that refuse to expose themselves to the virus.