KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, several Walmart locations in East Tennessee were open 24 hours a day. However, on March 14, 2020, when the full impact of the pandemic began to be realized across the country, Walmart posted a notice that most of its stores' schedules would change.
It said Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets would be open from 7 a.m. through 8:30 p.m. until further notice. The retailer also began implementing special shopping hours, another change in the usual schedule designed to give vulnerable people a chance to safely shop.
In the years since then, most stores across East Tennessee still close their doors at nighttime. Hours have been extended to near midnight, but the Walmart Supercenter in Turkey Creek closes at 11 p.m. every day, and so does the location on Clinton Highway. The Maryville Supercenter also closes at 11 p.m.
Walmart did not give any indication that its hours of operation would change anytime soon, despite recent social media posts falsely claiming the retailer would be resuming 24-hour operations.
One post on Facebook that was shared thousands of times claims to show a screenshot of another post from Walmart. In the false screenshot, the Walmart account claims it plans to return to 24-hour operations.
A full statement from a Walmart spokesperson, Alicia Anger, is available below.
"We received your media inquiry regarding hours of operation. There are no current plans to return our stores to 24 hours of operations."
