A number of big retailers have run into problems this year. Now, Walmart is cutting the hours at some of its stores.
About 200 of the store’s 4,500 stores will open for fewer hours each day, a Walmart spokesman told the Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, La., last week.
There wasn’t a company-wide announcement, but affected stores have begun posting the shorter hours on their doors.
Instead of being open 24 hours, the stores will be open for 18 hours, from 6 am to midnight. The change begins later this month.
The Advertiser found that five stores in Louisiana would be affected. “We analyzed shopping patterns and made the decision to reduce hours at some locations to get our stores in good shape for customers the following day,” the spokesman, Brian Nick, said Thursday.
In some parts of the U.S., Walmarts are the only stores that are open 24 hours a day. The world’s largest retailer operates 11,000 stores worldwide, and employs 1.3 million people in the U.S.
The Walmart move comes amid sluggish retail sales across the U.S.
It also comes after Walmart announced it would raise minimum wages for some store workers. New workers began earning $9 an hour in April, and will earn $10 an hour in January, according to Bloomberg.
For story ideas, see if Walmarts in your area are cutting hours. Is Walmart still announcing new construction where you are? What difference has your local Walmart made to the area’s retail environment?
