Walmart will temporarily close its main sales floors at select Neighborhood Market stores in six states for four weeks starting in April, in an effort to speed up renovations as part of a "rapid" remodel test.
The partial closures will affect stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Pharmacies and fuel stations at affected stores will stay open during the four-week sales floor closures, so customers can still access prescriptions and fuel, the company said.
The company said the remodels aim to improve store layouts and customer experience.
“When the remodeled stores reopen, customers will walk into a brighter, more inviting space designed around how they shop today,” Walmart said in a statement.
Planned updates include expanded aisles, reconfigured floor plans, and upgraded checkout areas.
Stores will also feature new digital price signage, also called digital shelf labels (DSLs), and a remodeled online grocery pickup and delivery infrastructure.
According to Walmart, “DSLs operate on a closed system and do not interact with shoppers or collect any information about them,” adding that “there’s nothing like a camera or microphone in them, they just display prices.”
The retailer framed the effort as part of its broader push to modernize stores and adapt to changing shopping habits, including what the company says is an increased demand from customers for digital ordering and faster service.
Walmart also described the initiative as a test to refine future remodel strategies. “This is an opportunity to test, learn, and refine our remodel process to identify best practices for the future,” the company said.
The temporary closures are limited to select Neighborhood Market locations, a smaller grocery-focused format that is different from Walmart’s larger Supercenters.
Walmart said the selected stores were chosen in part because other nearby locations can serve customers during the temporary closures.
The retailer also emphasized that online ordering, pickup, and delivery services will remain available.
Store associates will remain employed during the closures and will assist with the renovation work, including setting up fixtures and organizing products, according to the company.