"Walmart boosts store hours to open at 6 a.m. every Saturday, while maintaining seniors' exclusive access hours"

For the first time since November, Walmart is increasing its store hours after drastically cutting them due to the coronavirus pandemic. Starting June 5th, stores will open an hour earlier at 6 a.m. each day, except for Tuesday mornings when Walmart continues to hold weekly senior hours for those most vulnerable to COVID-19. Most pharmacies and vision centers will resume pre-COVID hours beginning July 3rd. This increase comes weeks after Walmart dropped mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers and employees following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, masks are still required at stores where a state or local mandate is in effect.

“We believe we can adjust hours once again,” said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. He added that with the number of fully vaccinated Americans increasing every day, Walmart can confidently make this change.

This is Walmart’s third time increasing hours after reducing them twice in March 2020. For five months, most stores were open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. In August, stores added 90 minutes back and delayed closing until 10 p.m. local time. Walmart then pushed back closing once again to 11 p.m. during the holiday shopping season.

In the past few weeks, Walmart has made additional adjustments, including removing the 20% store-mandated capacity restriction, but adjusting to any local or state capacity limits, adding back seating to Auto Care Center waiting areas, and updating the mask policy.

Sam's Club has also announced the return of free samples to clubs nationwide after pausing for COVID, following Costco's lead. Sign up for money tips and advice delivered right to your inbox to save better and spend better.

The fitting rooms at Target are finally reopening after more than a year of closure due to COVID-19. Customers can now try on clothes before making a purchase, but certain health protocols will still be observed. Meanwhile, stores situated in mask mandate-lifted areas are no longer required to assign a health ambassador to the entrance. This role was created by Walmart in July 2020 to remind customers to wear masks. Although the mask mandate has been lifted for fully vaccinated employees in some areas, Walmart will continue to impose strict cleaning and sanitizing measures and maintain social distancing decals and sneeze guards. Employees will sanitize shopping carts, and health checks for employees and suppliers will continue before each shift. Walmart employees in the US will receive a COVID-19 vaccine bonus, and Walmart's COVID-19 emergency leave policy will be extended until September 30. With the easing of restrictions, Walmart's store hours will be expanded from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting this Saturday unless otherwise mandated by state or local government. Most pharmacies will also return to pre-COVID-19 hours starting on July 3, while vision centers will have new schedules. There will be no changes to Walmart's dedicated hour for senior citizens, which occurs every Tuesday from 6 to 7 a.m.

Prepare yourselves for an exciting new arrival - a brand spanking novel home goods manufacturer!

The mammoth partnership of Walmart and Gap are gearing up to launch Gap Home on June 24th, and this highly-anticipated collaborative collection will feature a selection of luxurious and stylish products for every room of your abode - from plush bedding to vibrant home décor and bathroom accessories.

Stay informed with updates provided by talented journalist Kelly Tyko, as she covers this exciting development. Follow her on Twitter:

@KellyTyko.

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Ready to feast your eyes on the Gap Home offerings? Simply click on the link below to view the collection:

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