Walmart is limiting the number of customers who can be in a store at the same time beginning Saturday. In a press release Friday, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith said company leaders have been concerned at some in-store behavior that “put undue risk on our people.”
Stores will now allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time. That’s roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity.
According to the release, associates at a store will mark a queue at a single-entry door, which will be the grocery entrance in most instances. Associates will count and admit customers one-by-one. Once a store reaches capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a “one-in-one-out” basis.
The release also detailed one-way movement through aisles in “a number of our stores,” using floor markers and direction from associates to guide customers.
“We expect this to help more customers avoid coming into close contact with others as they shop.”
Once customers check out, they will be directed to an exit different from the door in which they entered. According to the release, this should help lessen the instances of people closely passing each other. Walmart will continue to present signage reminding customers to maintain social distancing.
“We look forward to the time when that is again the case; however, we now want to prioritize health and safety by encouraging customers to do their shopping at a distance from others, then head home,” the release stated.
