Walmart is making it easier for at-risk shoppers to access groceries without ever having to enter a store
- Walmart stores will reserve a one-hour time slot for grocery pickup daily for first responders, people with disabilities, and anyone at high risk of contracting severe illness from COVID-19.
- Some shoppers have complained that they can't order groceries online, with pickup and delivery services facing a surge in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Walmart is giving at-risk shoppers special access to online grocery services, as demand for those services soars amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The retailer is reserving a one-hour time slot for grocery pickup daily - from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. - for first responders, people with disabilities, and people over the age of 60, as well as anyone designated as high-risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the company said Tuesday.
Amid widespread stay-at-home orders, many shoppers have complained that they can't order groceries online because few or no time slots are available for delivery or pickup.
This is particularly problematic for at-risk populations and people with disabilities, some of whom may have relied on online grocery services before the pandemic.
"Now more than ever, families are relying on our pickup service to help get quality, fresh groceries to their homes as safely as possible," Tom Ward, Walmart senior vice president of customer product, said in a statement. "These are extraordinary times, and we are constantly looking for ways we can help deliver that same peace of mind to all our customers, particularly those who are most at-risk."
As part of the new policy, customers will now see a new prompt on Walmart's grocery website that displays the qualifications for selecting the slot listed as "At Risk Only" and allows those who are eligible to opt in.
At-risk populations are free to shop during any other available time slots, as well.
