It’s December 1st – Welcome to 24 hour Wal-Mart!

Other / Canada

Just in time for the holiday shopping crunch time, December 1st marks the first day of 24 hour Wal-Mart shopping at many of the stores in our country.  While many stores will be choosing to keep these late hours it’s not an every store thing.  Make sure you call your local Wal-Mart before making that 4am trek.

Am I crazy, or is it kind of nice to be able to get some holiday shopping done in the off hours when you’re not fighting your way through the crowds?


27 responses to “It’s December 1st – Welcome to 24 hour Wal-Mart!”

  1. Lyn says:

    The main question I have is….

    Do you feel it would be easier to use coupons in the middle of the night (cashiers more easy-going with less people) or do you feel it would be harder to use coupons during odd hours (cashiers are more grumpy and nitpicking)???

  2. mycatsnameisziggy says:

    I LOVE shopping at 3am at walmart, its wonderful because i work a late shirt and pretty much sleep during the day, so its incredible convenient! It always seems pretty busy however, even at 3am!

  3. vibrantflame says:

    Is this mainly due to the holidays? I know the North Bay Wal-Mart is a 24 hour store all the time. I’ve never been there other then during the day, but I think it’s a great idea for shift workers and such. The way everything works now, it’s practically a necessity for some people to be able to shop at 2 or 3 in the morning.

  4. kekes says:

    Selkirk Manitoba – Walmart 24 hr for Christmas

  5. lilad says:

    We have a 24hour Sobeys here and it’s wonderful going shopping in the middle of the night with no one around.

    I hate crowds.

    Luckily I’m almost done Christmas shopping, since I don’t think out Wal-mart is oepning 24hrs.

  6. nsangel says:

    JIM: your crazy but it is nice to wander in at 3am when you’ve just finished a grueling overtime shift at a call center..

    thankgod those days are gone, i can just wander in at 3am because i feel like it now.

  7. AL says:

    I SAW aLEX CHEERING THE CROWDS AT 24 HRS WM. 🙂

  8. Adam says:

    It definitely is nice not to have to contend with the crowds!

    Most Real Canadian Superstores are going to be open 24 hours starting December 5th.

  9. LC says:

    All the Wal-Mart’s in St. John’s have been open 24/7 pretty much since last Christmas. It’s great that you can go there whenever you need anything, however they are still pretty busy, even at 2 or 3 in the morning.

  10. Missy says:

    I don’t think Quebec labor laws allow stores to be open 24 hours anymore.

  11. Sui says:

    Hmm i’m not familiar with quebec laws but don’t the workers just take shifts? As long as they don’t exceed 8 hours a day/40 hours a week? (and after that it’ll just be overtime…?)

  12. Alex says:

    http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1227320711250800.xml&coll=7
    Employee in Oregon sues Wal-Mart
    Demotion – An ex-assistant manager says the company retaliated after emergency surgerySaturday, November 22, 2008 ANNE SAKERThe Oregonian Staff
    A Wal-Mart employee in Oregon has accused the mega-store chain in federal court of demoting her because she took time off during the Christmas shopping season to undergo an emergency hysterectomy.

    Lynda deBarros filed suit Tuesday against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in U.S. District Court. She joined the chain in 2000 as a photo technician in Eugene. In 2002, she became an assistant manager of Wal-Mart’s store in McMinnville. In 2005, she was sent to Lebanon to oversee the construction of a store. In August 2007, she was made assistant manager of the Springfield store.

    On Nov. 14, 2007, deBarros went to her gynecologist because of excessive menstrual bleeding, documents show. DeBarros “had a strong family history of cancer and was very worried that cancer was the cause of her excessive vaginal bleeding.”

    On Dec. 3, 2007, her doctor recommended an emergency hysterectomy, which was scheduled for Dec. 10. When deBarros notified her boss, Kenneth Hutchison, about her medical condition, the suit said, he scolded her and told her to go to the doctor on her time, not his.

    The suit also alleged that Hutchison berated her about the timing of the operation because it “is our busiest time of year” and noted that two other assistant managers were out. He also asked, “Are you sure that you can’t take it later?” the suit said.

    DeBarros went ahead with the procedure, taking time under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. She returned to work Jan. 21.

    Two weeks later, deBarros was demoted from assistant manager, a salaried position paying $46,000 a year, to associate, a job paying $12.50 an hour. She also was moved to the Cottage Grove store.

    DeBarros accused Wal-Mart of retaliating against her for taking time under the federal leave law. She seeks reinstatement to her management job and back pay.

    Wal-Mart officials at the company headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., did not return a phone call seeking comment on the lawsuit.

    Anne Saker: 503-294-7656; [email protected]

  13. babybreau says:

    I absolutely LOVE shopping at 4am!! I took my niece, my friend, and her son last year and we had a blast!! A whole Walmart to ourselves and about 5 other people!
    We had so much fun singing to the carols playing overhead and having cart races and no fighting with crowds of people. My niece, who was 9, LOVED all the attention she got cuz she was up so late (little did they know she went to bed at 8pm and got woken up at 3:30am, lol)
    When we were all done we headed over to the local 24hr McDonalds and had ourselves an ice cream cone even tho is was about -20C!! LOL!!!

    I work late shifts this year and can’t wait to go again!

  14. ndncl subscriber says:

    walmar canada’s site is so busy i can’t even check which stores are doing the 24h thing

  15. JeLLo says:

    Orangeville Wal-Mart is 24hrs since Dec 1

  16. natalka says:

    So glad they are doing this again! I do not ever shop there, but am hoping everyone else does in our city, leaving the other malls, plazas and downtown stores with that many fewer customers to battle me whilst I shop.
    (and I know I’m getting old, but typing in this tiny font with my nose so close to the screen is just crazy – and some letters just look all smudgy… I’m on FF.)

  17. Faye says:

    About 3 years ago my hubby and I went to a Walmart in Mississauga at midnight on a Saturday, about a week before Christmas and it was CRAZY! They had their restocking staff working extra tills to keep up with the amount of people. I asked the guy when was a good time to come, and he said it was like that 24-7. He said it MAY be a little less busy around 5 a.m. but still had lots of people. I’d like to have no one around while shopping there….not going to happen though I don’t think. I’m looking forward to Superstore being open though, grocery shopping with no one there is nice!

  18. Tiki says:

    I’m lucky my Walmrt is always open 24/7 mind you around 1am it gets a little difficult to get around due to all the skids every where… I always go at midnight…

  19. Missy says:

    I checked today at my local Walmart and no stores in Quebec will be open 24 hours.

  20. ottawagurl20 says:

    right now the walmart here isn’t so packed at night hubby said theres about a total of approx 20 people at night (he works night security for walmart) but when it gets closer to Xmas its going to be packed 24/7.

  21. ex0ticb3lla says:

    Our walmart in Barrie, ON has been open 24 hours for the last year LOL i find it more of a hassle at night because the stocking people take up soooooo much room you can barely get around. But it’s nice and quiet to be able to go and use coupons 🙂

  22. Roxy says:

    24/7 is great for the consumer. But a neighbour of mine who works for Wal-Mart is not so thrilled; it seems to put even more demands on the time and schedules of the staff. Personally, we rarely go anymore. Since we are trying to simplify our lives, we try not to buy things we don’t need and Wal-Mart has a lot of things we don’t need.

  23. alice says:

    I will have to fine out if the one in my area is open 24/7

    Its so busy in the daytime/evening I would rather go in the middle of the night.

  24. Alex says:

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iDXtETwP7G17BQsO07DecwxuziLgD94RC3D80

    Victim’s kin file suit in Wal-Mart stampede death
    By FRANK ELTMAN – 9 hours ago

    GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) — The family of a New York man who was trampled to death the day after Thanksgiving by a stampede of bargain hunting Wal-Mart shoppers has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

    The family also filed notice that Nassau County, on Long Island, and its police department will be sued.

    The lawsuit against Wal-Mart and the Long Island mall where it is located was filed Wednesday in state Supreme Court in the Bronx on behalf of Elsie Damour Phillipe. Phillipe is the sister of victim Jdimytai Damour (DHMEE’-tree Di-MOHR’), and is the court-appointed administrator of his estate.

    Damour, a temporary worker hired for the holiday season, was crushed to death when some 2,000 customers stormed into the Valley Stream store.

    None of the defendants in the lawsuit immediately responded to requests for comment.
    .

  25. Alex says:

    This may be of interest.
    http://www.walmartnation.com/

  26. Alex says:

    http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Ufcw-Canada-931602.html

    Dec 18, 2008 09:44 ETAnother Wal-Mart unionized in Quebec
    After three-and-a-half years of legal wrangling, over 150 Wal-Mart workers in Hull, Que., have become the latest Canadian “associates” to join the union.

    Attention: Assignment Editor, Business/Financial Editor, City Editor, News Editor, Government/Political Affairs Editor

    HULL, QUE., NEWS RELEASE–(Marketwire – Dec. 18, 2008) –

    Over 150 Wal-Mart workers in Hull, Que., have become the ninth group of Canadian “associates” to join the country’s largest private-sector union after a Dec. 17 decision by the Quebec Labour Board awarded bargaining rights for the Hull location to the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW Canada).

    “After nine times, the message coming from Wal-Mart workers in Canada to Wal-Mart executives in Bentonville, Arkansas, couldn’t be louder or clearer: Canadian Wal-Mart workers want to be union members,” says UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley.

    “Hopefully, this decision will help Wal-Mart to understand that Canada is a place where labour rights are human rights, and where people take their rights very seriously. Hopefully, Wal-Mart won’t squander another chance to prove its critics wrong, and it will take this opportunity to show the world that it believes in human rights by sitting down with these Hull workers to negotiate a contract in good faith,” said Hanley, making reference to Wal-Mart’s past practice of closing stores or departments shortly after becoming unionized.

    The Dec. 17 decision affects the Hull main store, and comes three-and-a-half years after the union originally made an application for certification. The store’s adjoining Tire & Lube Express was certified as a separate bargaining unit in 2005. The labour relations process for the main store was drawn-out by several legal challenges put forward by the company.

    According to Louis Bolduc, executive assistant to the UFCW Canada National President, negotiations for the two Hull Wal-Mart units will commence as soon as possible, but bargaining dates have yet to be scheduled.

    UFCW Canada is Canada’s largest private-sector union with over 250,000 members coast to coast.

    /For further information: Guy Chenier, President UFCW Canada Local 486 (819) 777 – 8822 /

    IN: ECONOMY, JUSTICE, LABOUR, RETAIL

  27. Alex says:

    http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1367840

    Wal-Mart cutting hours of operation
    Posted By Nugget Staff

    Wal-Mart North Bay will no longer offer its customers the convenience of shopping 24-hours a day

    As of Monday, the store will operate from 7 a.m. to midnight.

    The city was one of 30 stores across the country involved in a year-long trial. Of those stores, 15 will close their doors for seven hours every day.

    Felicia Fefer, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart Canada, said the franchise was looking at ways to improve, however it proved to be insignificant to add a few extra staff.

    “We didn’t see perhaps enough customer response,” she said Tuesday.

    The store kept its doors open around the clock beginning Jan. 4 because customers were demanding more flexible shopping hours.

    The change in operating hours is not expected to affect the workforce.

    “There will be no staff reductions,” Fefer said.

    “Shifts will have to be rescheduled.”

    Wal-Mart Canada has traditionally opened certain stores

    24 hours a day during busy retail periods, such as back-to-school in September and Christmas holidays in December.

    The idea originated after the company opened a 24-hour store in Winnipeg. The results supported the company’s decision to expand hours at certain stores.


















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