The Wal-Mart Super Supercenter, located at 1330 N. Eisenhower Dr. in Beckley, is once again open for business. The retail giant closed its doors to the public at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10. The temporary closure was part of a company-initiated program to allow more time for deep-cleaning and store restocking. The store reopened as scheduled at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11. Originally it had been reported by various outlets that the store would not re-open until 7 a.m. on Thursday, November 12. However, the error was due to an incorrectly-dated statement released by Wal-Mart officials.
Wal-Mart’s statement reads, “As an essential business and member of the Beckley Community, we understand the role we play in providing our customers with food, medicine and other essential items. Especially at this time. We also understand this community has been hit especially hard by COVID-19.
Health officials are working to curb the impact of this pandemic, and we want to be a part of the solution. In support of this effort, we chose to temporarily close our Beckley Supercenter location at 1330 N. Eisenhower Dr. Tuesday at 2 p.m. as part of a company-initiated program. This will allow extra time for a third party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock the shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community. We plan to reopen the store to customers at 7 a.m. on Thursday, November 12.”
It was that statement which led to confusion as to the store’s reopening date.
However, in a statement posted on social media around noon on Wednesday, November 12, Beckley Wal-Mart wrote, “Our store is open for normal business hours. To our customers, we know your health is top of mind, and we continue to work closely with health officials and experts to ensure our stores are cleaned and sanitized regularly. Additionally, associates have been encouraged to prioritize their health and stay home if feeling sick. I’m incredibly proud of our associates who are working hard to provide you with the best shopping experience possible. Thank you for your continued patience during this time.”
The West Virginia Daily News contacted the Beckley Wal-Mart to confirm their current status. A store associate confirmed that the store is, in fact, open for business as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, November 11.
“There was some misinformation out there, but we’re open until 10 p.m.,” the associate said.
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