Walmart & Target begin regulating store entry and add new in-store safety measures

In order to help customers stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Walmart and Target have announced new social distancing and safety measures including regulating store entry and one-way movement through store aisles.

Posted 8:24 p.m. Apr 4, 2020 — Updated 11:30 p.m. Apr 8, 2020

Target Announcement

Starting Saturday, April 4, Target will limit the total number of people in their stores based on the square footage of each store. If too many people are trying to come in to the store, an employee will direct customers into a designated waiting area outside the store that will be marked with social distancing markers. Other employees will be directing guests in the store and will keep them moving quickly and conveniently.

In addition, Target will begin providing all all employees in stores and distribution centers with high-quality, disposable face masks and gloves at the beginning of every shift. They will also be providing masks and gloves to Shipt shoppers as they enter Target stores.

"We’re incredibly proud of the commitment our more than 350,000 frontline team members have demonstrated to ensure millions of guests can count on Target, and we’ll continue to focus our efforts on supporting them,” says John Mulligan, Target’s chief operating officer. “The measures we’re announcing today are aimed at ensuring we are creating a safe environment for the guests who continue to turn to Target, while also providing our team with additional resources as they fulfill an essential service in communities across the country.”

See all the details on the Target website.

Grocery stores prepare for tightening social distancing requirements

Walmart Announcement

Starting Saturday, April 4, Walmart will begin limiting the number of customers who can be in a store at the same time,

They will not allow more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, which is roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity.

According to their website, "To manage this restriction, the associates at a store will mark a queue at a single-entry door (in most cases the Grocery entrance) and direct arriving customers there, where they will be admitted one-by-one and counted. Associates and signage will remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they’re waiting to enter a store – especially before it opens in the morning. Once a store reaches its capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a “1-out-1-in” basis."

Walmart is also instituting one-way movement through store aisles starting next week in many stores. They will use floor markers and employees will help to direct the flow of customers.

Once customers have finished checking out, they will be directed to exit through a different door than they entered.

These measures are being implemented to "help lessen the instances of people closely passing each other," their announcement indicates.

"We always want people to feel welcome at Walmart, and we know that in ordinary times a store is a gathering place for members of a community to connect and socialize. 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 company shared on their website.

See all the details at Walmart.com.