Walmart and Other Retailers Are Closing Stores and Limiting Hours Amid Surging COVID-19 Cases
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Before you head out on your next shopping trip, make sure to check the store's hours first.
Retailers like Walmart and Macy's are closing stores or adjusting hours due to surging COVID-19 cases.
Macy's changed its store hours to 11 a.m. to 8 p.m Monday through Thursday for the remainder of January, Karina Frayter, senior director of corporate communications at Macy's told Money via a written statement. Hours vary by location but most stores were originally open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The store hours for Friday to Sunday were not changed.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the CDC and jurisdictional guidelines as well as keep enhanced safety and wellness procedures in place," Frayter added.
In December, nearly 60 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs were closed — each for a day and a half — for cleaning, Ashley Nolan, Walmart's global communications senior manager, told Money in a written statement. The company plans to continue the program for as long as needed, Nolan said. Local news outlets have reported Walmart closures in January in states like Texas and Missouri.
Other retailers and chain restaurants, like Chipotle and Nike, have had to close locations because they don't have enough people to keep them open, CNBC reported Friday. (Chipotle and Nike did not immediately respond to Money's request for comment.) Also, when a Starbucks store is experiencing a temporary staff shortage, stores reduce hours on a store-by-store basis, according to a Starbucks spokesperson.
COVID-19 cases are once again surging in the U.S. But on top of concerns around employees contracting the virus, companies have been dealing with a labor shortage for months that has caused them to eliminate drug tests, speed up the hiring process and increase pay to attract workers.
Meanwhile, some stores, like Costco and BJ's, are still offering special extended hours for shoppers age 60 and older, as well as health care workers and first responders, as part of an initiative that many retailers began offering earlier in the pandemic.
You may see your local stores adjusting their hours as well.
Businesses in downtown Colorado Springs are being forced to change hours as they face staff shortages and supply chain issues, Colorado Springs' KRDO reported. Liquor stores in North Carolina are also changing hours due to labor shortages amid rising COVID-19 cases, according to the Charlotte Observer and CBS 17.
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