This Is the Absolute Worst Time to Shop at Walmart, Employees Say
Benjamin Ward
Updated on February 23, 2026
With budgets tighter than ever, you're hardly the only one on the hunt for good deals at Walmart. But if you want to head to the store when you won't run into crowds of fellow customers—to avoid both a headache and coronavirus—then there's a certain time of day you'll want to stay away from the store at all costs. According to employees, the best time to shop at Walmart is anytime before noon on a weekday and the worst is anytime after lunch.
"The earlier in the day you can shop, the better your experience will be," Abigail Milby, a sales associate at Walmart, wrote on Quora. "The highest traffic is in the early to late afternoon, so getting in there before noon is going to give you the best shopping experience on a weekday. Saturdays and Sundays are not so easily predicted. Weekday mornings are your best bet."
Amy Reyna, a supervisor at Walmart, echoed Milby's suggestion. "If you're looking to shop without a large crowd, I would say anytime before lunch is the best," she wrote.
Another fellow Walmart employee, E. Clayton Rowe, said that if you're specifically hitting up Walmart for in-demand products right now, the best time of day to go is right when the doors open. "If you are shopping for consumables like non-perishable food and toilet paper, it's best to be there as soon as the store opens," he wrote on Quora.
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That suggestion aligns with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends in terms of your shopping visits. The CDC says it's best to go earlier in the morning or later in the day to avoid the larger crowds of shoppers that make social distancing guidelines nearly impossible to follow. Seeing as person-to-person contact is the primary way COVID-19 spreads, making your shopping trips when Walmart is emptiest is a great way to minimize your risk of contracting the virus. And for more on how to make the most of your Walmart trip, check out The Incredible Walmart Price Tag Secret You'll Kick Yourself for Not Knowing.
Jaimie Etkin Jaimie is the Editor-in-Chief of Best Life. Read moreFiled UnderShoppingRead This Next20 Best Generic Products From Walmart
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