Walmart adds a pickup senior hour

Many retailers have been offering a dedicated hour, often first thing in the morning, for seniors and at-risk shoppers to do their shopping in a safer setting. To add to that, Walmart has announced a dedicated hour for those shoppers and first responders for pickup service.

At Walmart, the pickup hour will be 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., everyday, an even safer controlled setting than shopping in-store. The customers who ordered online and schedule the pickup, simply pop a trunk and have groceries loaded in.

“Now more than ever, families are relying on our pickup service to help get quality, fresh groceries to their homes as safely as possible,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president, customer product. “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.”

Before shopping online, shoppers receive a prompt online for them to confirm their eligibility for the dedicated hour. Then they select a pickup time and begin shopping.

Another unique move by a retailer recently comes from Hy-Vee, who is operating free full-service fueling at its more than 165 c-store locations, enabling shoppers to avoid pumping the gas themselves. Customers press a “Fuel Help” button or a call a special phone number that alerts an employee to come handle the full-service order, including the transaction.

Lastly, Publix announced it would be dedicating a special shopping hour for first responders and medical staff from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays, and from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., Fridays. To follow more policies set by retailers, see the retailer roundup.