Many grocery stores are implementing new policies to protect high-risk and immunocompromised shoppers and seniors, and to reward healthcare workers and first responders for their hard work fighting COVID-19. But Walmart is now the first to institute special pickup hours due to the pandemic.
While Walmart previously had instituted seniors-only hours every Tuesday, Yahoo! News reports that the supermarket is now adding a special pickup hour — and it’s not just for seniors.
Each day between 7 and 8 a.m., curbside pickup orders will be reserved exclusively for Walmart customers who are over age 60, have a disability, work as a first responder, or belong to a group classified as high-risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA Today reports.
The new policy prioritizes getting pickup and delivery slots to those who are most in need, as Business Insider reports that in many areas under stay-at-home orders people are struggling to order their groceries online because all the time slots are filled.
Walmart’s grocery pickup process follows social distancing guidelines and is contactless, MarketWatch reports, eliminating much of the risks that can come with grocery shopping in a store.
Eligible customers can go to Walmart.com/grocery, and select a pickup slot with an “At Risk Only” label, which will include a prompt clarifying who is able to use the new service, Alabama Local News reports. If a time slot is open but doesn’t say “At Risk Only,” it is available to anyone wanting to order groceries online.