Dire photos show empty shelves inside a Wuhan Walmart as coronavirus fears grow

Bethany BironJan 29, 2020, 23:33 IST

Courtesy of @ChinaMidnight via TwitterEmpty displays of food at a Walmart store in Wuhan.

Walmart shoppers in China are sharing images of empty shelves devoid of fresh produce, meat, and dairy as the retailer struggles to keep up with high demand in the face of the coronavirus.
Though several restaurants and retailers have temporarily closed stores to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, all 400 Walmart stores across China remain open, including in the city of Wuhan.
"Things are getting desperate," wrote one Twitter user regarding the lack of food at Walmart.
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Walmart stores in China are struggling to meet the rising demand for food and essential items as fearful shoppers flock to the retailer to stock up while the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the region.

A series of social media posts from the past 24 hours depict empty shelves devoid of staples like produce, dairy, and meat at Walmart locations in the cities of Wuhan and Zhuhai. "Things are getting desperate," wrote Twitter user @ChinaMidnight.

Though several restaurants and retailers have temporarily closed to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, Walmart has kept all Chinese stores open since the outbreak, a Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider on Friday. The company currently operates 400 stores in China across 170 cities, as well as 19 distribution centers.

The spokesperson said the company is cooperating with local officials and health experts to "closely follow" and monitor the situation.

"We are actively reinforcing good hygiene practices in all of our Walmart and Sam's Club locations in China and reminding our teams that the health and safety of our associates and customers is our top priority," the spokesperson told Business Insider.

Still, transportation lockdowns in the country may be preventing suppliers from quickly and efficiently restocking products, according to a source close to the matter. Additionally, the source said that quarantines are inhibiting employees from coming to work in certain areas, contributing to the barren shelves, the source said.

Here's a closer look inside a Walmart in Wuhan on Wednesday afternoon local time.

Do you live in an area impacted by Walmart food shortages and have photos to share? Contact this reporter via email at bbiron@businessinsider.com.

See Dire photos show empty shelves inside a Wuhan Walmart as coronavirus fears grow >>

Upon entering Chinese Walmart stores, shoppers are required to have their temperature taken by an employee to ensure they don't have a fever.

In a direct message to Business Insider, @ChinaMidnight said he was asked a series of questions regarding how he was feeling and how long he had been outside before entering.

"To be honest we are all scared to even get within breathing range of each other," he said.

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Dire photos show empty shelves inside a Wuhan Walmart as coronavirus fears grow

Upon entering Chinese Walmart stores, shoppers are required to have their temperature taken by an employee to ensure they don't have a fever.

In Wuhan, Walmart shoppers on Wednesday walked in to see shelves that were completely empty of fruits and vegetables.

In one part of the store, a shopper was able to find a few remaining items, including a small pile of tomatoes.

Meanwhile, in the dairy section, there were just two lone bottles of milk.

The meat and seafood department was just as scarce.