Walmart to start closing at night

Published 9:48 pm Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Clanton Walmart Supercenter plans to adjust its daily business hours starting Saturday, Dec. 26.

From that date forward, the store will close at 11 p.m. and open at 6 a.m. each regular business day, Store Manager Tyson Elrod said.

“It boils down to the sales do not warrant keeping the store open 24 hours,” Elrod said Thursday.

The decision was based on an analysis of sales conducted by Walmart’s regional office. The study looked at an average of the store’s sales between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. A public notice was first posted the week of Thanksgiving.

The change is not entirely unique to Clanton. In 2008, Montgomery area Walmart stores cut back their business hours permanently.

Elrod emphasized that shoppers will still have the majority of each day to visit the store.

“There’s still 17 hours worth of shopping,” he said. “We appreciate everybody’s business.”

Walmart will close at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve, which is a two-hour extension from past years. The store will close for Christmas Day.