Millions of Americans are choosing to order their essentials online, with the grocery delivery company Instacart reporting that its order volume is currently up more than 400% when compared to April 2019. Of course, there are times when you can’t wait for a delivery order to be fulfilled, and you have to head out to your local stores in-person.
When this happens, you might feel anxious or concerned about the amount of risk you are taking in regards to exposing yourself to the coronavirus. That is why Walmart has just mandated one-way aisles in all of its locations. The purpose of this decision is to help create more distance between shoppers, as the current recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to keep 6 feet between yourself and those not in your immediate family or household.
These one-way aisles at Walmart stores went into effect on April 23. With these new guidelines, Walmart shoppers will hopefully further limit their exposure to one another, which creates a healthier, safer environment for everyone.
The Walmart location in Center, Texas showed what the new one-way aisles look like on Facebook, complete with easy-to-read, color-coded arrows on the ground.
As explained in that post, shoppers will follow green decals that say “Shop This Way.” If you come across across a red decal that says “Do Not Shop This Way,” you should simply turn your cart and make your way to the other end of the aisle. The signs are designed to be easily seen for shoppers of all ages, and the flow should be intuitive and simple to comprehend.
Walmart CEO John Furner explained all the measures the company has taken so far to help improve customer safety in a video on the company’s Twitter page.
We’ve taken several steps to protect our associates and customers. John Furner, CEO of Walmart U.S., shows what you can expect to see in stores the next time you shop with us! pic.twitter.com/aEIV6wLGrF
— Walmart (@Walmart) April 19, 2020
Walmart isn’t the first retailer to direct shoppers down one-way aisles, as Publix has implemented a similar process. That Florida-based grocery store giant started its program in early April.
In addition to one-way aisles, some stores have been limiting the amount of customers inside their stores. Chains like Giant, Hy-Vee, Kroger and Walmart have pledged to keep their stores to 20% capacity or less, asking customers to wait outside if necessary, in order to prevent the aisles from becoming over-crowded.
In addition, some stores have designated separate entrances and exits to limit the risk of shoppers passing close by each other as they enter and leave.
Kudos to these companies for helping keep food in our pantries and for trying to ease the anxiety that goes along with shopping these days.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
