Maybe you’ve already waited in line to shop, but expect to see that more often starting this weekend.

Beginning Saturday, Walmart will limit the number of people in its stores, create one-way aisles and designate entrance and exit doors. The world’s largest retailer is also asking people to leave their families at home as it puts in place new rules to emphasize social distancing.

Walmart stores will allow no more than five customers in a store for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, or roughly 20% of the store’s capacity. Most of Walmart’s Supercenters in Texas are more than 100,000 square feet, so that means 500 people in at a time. Its Neighborhood Markets are about 40,000 square feet.

“While many of our customers have been following the advice of the medical community regarding social distancing and safety, we have been concerned to still see some behaviors in our stores that put undue risk on our people,” said Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Walmart U.S.

To help manage the flow of customers, there will be one entrance, in most cases on the grocery side, and one exit. Customers will be admitted one by one and counted, Walmart said. When the store reaches capacity, customers will be let in one at a time as people exit.

One-way aisles will be identified with floor markers and by staff directing shoppers. “We expect this to help more customers avoid coming into close contact with others as they shop,” Smith said in a blog posting on Friday on Walmart’s website.

Home Depot

This week, Home Depot also said it will limit the number of customers in each store and will allow them in one at a time. Its stores have started closing at 6 p.m. It also canceled all its spring selling events. And don’t expect to find N95 masks in stores or online. Home Depot is donating the masks to hospitals, health care providers and first responders.

The company said that its full-time workers who are 65 years and up and considered high risk by the CDC will be getting an additional 160 hours of paid time off, and those who are part time will receive an additional 80 hours of paid time off. That time can be used anytime in 2020 and will be paid out at year’s end if it’s not used.

Target

Target is also limiting the number of people in stores depending on the size of the store. Expect to see store employees wearing masks and gloves. It’s not mandatory, but the store said protective gear is going to be “strongly encouraged” during work hours.

Twitter: @MariaHalkias

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