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I miss 24-Hour Walmart/Walgreens/CVS runs. (self.CasualConversation)

submitted by godiegoben

That’s one of the pre-covid things I miss. I wish I could go out now to the super Walmart but now they close at 8. I miss going at 4-AM when Walmart became a different world. And I want to dye my hair right now but there’s no drugstore open to get the things.

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[–]Human_In_Hope 1119 points1120 points  (35 children)

Yea, I miss midnight runs to Walmart too. It used to be so much different before. You could shop in peace and be able to get in and out, or wander through the store.

[–]spoiledandmistreated 204 points205 points  (19 children)

I’m a retired bartender and I used to go to Walmart after work at close to 3 am and I loved it.. it wasn’t busy, only a few weirdos around and you could actually shop,only thing was the dressing rooms were closed but no big deal.. I miss those days.. now I go when they open at 6 am but you have to deal with all the carts of the Walmart employees who shop for other people now.. their in almost every aisle in the grocery part.. most of them hate it and tell me that they would rather be doing any other job in the store..

[–]johnnydakota 80 points81 points  (1 child)

Former bartender here. I used to love being able to go get groceries or whatever I needed after work so I could enjoy my days off.

[–]spoiledandmistreated 37 points38 points  (0 children)

I know… especially after you get off it’s not like you can go home and go straight to bed.. you have to relax and wind down…

[–]typicalgoatfarmer 23 points24 points  (9 children)

Current bartender. Still miss the ability to live within my normal hours. I despise getting up early and dealing with the crowds and I refuse to go on my days off.

When I lived in atlanta I passed three Walmarts on my way home and could choose my vibe. The closest was still busy as it was more urban, the middle was a PARTY, sort of a come and be seen and social vibe, the furthest and closest to my home was very calm and next to Taco Bell.

The choice was mine.

[–]spoiledandmistreated 9 points10 points  (7 children)

I know once the pandemic hit the world changed and I doubt we’ll ever get it back like it used to be.. I get up every morning now at 4 am and go to an AA meeting at 7 am so my hours have totally changed since retirement.. LOL…

[–]takingphotosmakingdo 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Once more companies buy into facial recognition using visual + lidar, and have a paid route to send data directly to the police (dystopian nightmare) we'll see more places have 24/7 again.

Because after all, who's going to rob a store if it means being banned from everywhere forever?

(You know which country does this already, it's going to happen here soon too unfortunately)

[–]typicalgoatfarmer 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Can you speak more to what you’re talking about?

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    [–]typicalgoatfarmer 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Congrats on your sobriety. I’m looking forward to stepping away from the industry soon. I’m too old for this shit.

    [–]spoiledandmistreated 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Thank you… yeah I was a bartender from the age of 18 till I was 63 and that’s a lot of years of being around my share of drunks.. now I’m still around them, they just happen to be sober..😊

    [–]typicalgoatfarmer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I’m 38, been in since 21 and trying to find my way above and beyond the daily grind. Will likely open my own cocktail lounge but won’t have the frustrations of service, I’d much rather be on the leadership/owner side of things. Paperwork is relaxing comparatively.

    [–]Longjumping-Aide-543 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    This sounds flipping amazing

    [–]andsoupsalad 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    I would go on midnight wanders around Walmart when I was in college and needed study breaks. The locked dressing rooms were the bane of my existence, so I eventually started dropping to the floor and army crawling under the doors. Surprised no one ever called me out on it.

    [–]spoiledandmistreated 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    There was no one paying attention.. hell you are lucky if you can even find an employee after midnight.. I always went to self checkout and there wasn’t even anyone around there…

    [–]MsLambo2 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    I stopped going to Walmart because of the personal shoppers.. our local store has been remodeled to accommodate them, and it's awful.

    [–]Pipmaster26 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Now imagine that those weirdos you referred to are the other people in this thread who like to make late night Walmart runs

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      [–]godiegoben[S] 161 points162 points  (3 children)

      And see r/peopleofwalmart

      [–]BisexualSlutPuppy 136 points137 points  (2 children)

      Where I'm from, if you haven't been on of the Walmart Creatures at some point you just haven't been through enough crap yet.

      Now that I can only go there at Respectable People times I fear that time has passed.

      [–]paperpenises 17 points18 points  (0 children)

      I say to people that it's difficult to find just one attractive person in Walmart, and no I do not count myself when I go there.

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        [–]Lung_doc 16 points17 points  (4 children)

        Just checked my local Walmart and it closes at 11! Didn't realize that.

        [–]Human_In_Hope 23 points24 points  (3 children)

        Yup, all of them started closing during covid, some around me close at nine.

        [–]Kulladar 9 points10 points  (1 child)

        It's also now it's a giant pain to shop at any Walmart because the isles are crowded with employees shopping for pickup/delivery orders and others restocking with giant piles of shit everywhere.

        [–]Porcupineemu 8 points9 points  (0 children)

        I used to work nights and would do my grocery shopping at like 1AM at a Kroger. I got used to it and when I went to day shift it was honestly kind of unsettling to have so many other people around while I shopped.

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          [–]Mirrorflute88 429 points430 points  (14 children)

          I used to do my grocery shopping late at night to avoid crowds. I miss the nice empty stores

          [–]ShadowlessKat 59 points60 points  (11 children)

          If you go early it's pretty empty.

          [–]chaoraceThis space left intentionally grey -1 points0 points  (0 children)

          That's illegal

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            [–]LadyLoki5 5 points6 points  (0 children)

            Me too. Usually between 3 and 4 were when all the shelves were being restocked so they were rarely out of anything.

            I live in a rural city and it was always so quiet and peaceful. I loved driving home slowly on the backroads with the windows down in the middle of summer.

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              [–]drocha94 178 points179 points  (1 child)

              I work C shift and I used to be able to run to the Walmart down the road whenever I wanted to kill some time on a slow shift, or even to just help restock the office when needed. Gone are those days. Now I have to drive across town to the 24 hour CVS, which thankfully is still operating as such.

              When everything shut down and restructured after COVID, it was like everyone defaulted to only catering to the 9-5 schedule. It’s as if the night shifters were completely forgotten.

              [–]CounterSensitive776 79 points80 points  (0 children)

              Can confirm I work third shift and if you don't bring food you're fucked, there's nothing open aside from an MTO style gas station that you'd be lucky to walk out of alive. I work in a major city too, night life is nonexistent these days.

              [–]revgodless 160 points161 points  (5 children)

              I work midnights and have done for years. I miss when Meijers were 24hrs because I could shop on my night off.

              Now I have to go after work when I smell and am tired. Sorry not sorry. I ain't going home to shower and come out for shopping if I pass the store on the way home.

              [–]Skyblacker 49 points50 points  (3 children)

              Back in my freewheeling college nights, my friend and I would walk around Meijers after Last Call.

              [–]sunward_Lily 23 points24 points  (0 children)

              Chaotic neutral IRL right here.

              [–]revgodless 18 points19 points  (0 children)

              I'm sure various Meijers across the state have seen me under the influence of various things 15-20 some years ago. There were times when I bought all the sweet things.

              Shout-out to the Kalamazoo street Meijer glass bottle return that used to shoot out to the side for disposal. When I was really broke I would catch the bottle return before it shot out to the bin and keep returning the same bottle until I could afford some groceries.

              [–]brightyoungthings 1 point2 points  (0 children)

              Same, my friend and I would get off our serving jobs and head to the store with a wad of cash and buy random crap we didn’t need lol

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                [–]IncomingZangarang 94 points95 points  (1 child)

                Covid killed late night diners for my area too. 24 hour diners became close at midnight, then close at 9.

                [–]jxl180 39 points40 points  (0 children)

                Yep. My 24-hour diners are now 7:30-10. I no longer consider them diners. If I can’t get breakfast before an early shift, or dinner after a late shift, it’s not a diner to me.

                [–]Crisis-Counselor 286 points287 points  (26 children)

                Where I live there’s still a few Walgreens and CVS stores that are open 24/7. All the Walmarts close at 11 though which is pure weaksauce. Covid fucked up everything

                [–]godiegoben[S] 70 points71 points  (20 children)

                Yeah I’ve been out west and saw a lot of that. Jealous. I live in central Florida and everyone’s asleep.

                [–]_Citizen_Erased_ 8 points9 points  (1 child)

                This makes me think they crunched the numbers for Florida and it's cheaper to close. It's always about money, unless the local government is forcing their hand

                [–]Safe-Lie955 0 points1 point  (0 children)

                Makes you wonder why all the stores closed early now they keep saying people don’t t want to work for minimum wage hmmm any job is better than none isn’t it? we have to eat and not all get government money 8 pm seems to be the magic hour everywhere to close I’m in Canada and minimum wage is $15.50 and rising to $16.65 even that’s not enough to get a apartment here I think something is going on underneath what the everyday citizens know HMMM no idea but something or someone maybe at some point will spill the beans 🫘

                [–]SsjAndromeda 24 points25 points  (14 children)

                Ooof. It’s Florida. Get out before it’s too late. Maybe Oregon?

                [–]godiegoben[S] 71 points72 points  (7 children)

                Breaking news: Florida man is stuck in Florida.

                [–]SsjAndromeda 11 points12 points  (6 children)

                Noooo. Wait. You still have Waffle House right? There’s a small upside. (None in my state)

                [–]godiegoben[S] 17 points18 points  (5 children)

                Yeah I live in one of the major cities in Florida. I just don’t like Waffle House food at all because of their lack of hot sauce selections. Have definitely gone in for somewhere to be late at night though. Everyone seems so at ease.

                [–]sunward_Lily 16 points17 points  (3 children)

                Are you in Jacksonville? If so I want to recommend "the good place" on Netflix. It makes fun of Jacksonville every chance it gets, but in a loving way.

                [–]abx99 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                Go Jaguars!

                [–]scattertheashes01We’re all stories in the end, just make it a good one 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                Bortles!

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                  [–]SecretSession7303 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                  Blasphemy. Who tf puts hot sauce on waffles anyways. Byohs I suppose fam. Or actually order waffles since it's the Waffle house. They're at ease bc they're either drunk and eating some waffles is awesome drunk food. Or they're happy cuz the plug just left and they got their fix

                  [–]VerySlump 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                  Just flew from Florida to Oregon. They’re permanently closing the only Walmart here this week lol.

                  [–]sunward_Lily 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                  It's already too late

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                    [–]algorithmae 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                    There's totally 24 hour pharmacies in Central Florida. My local CVS is still 24hr

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                      [–]niktemadur 19 points20 points  (1 child)

                      And in typically idiotic corporate "WE don't know what we're doing, YOU follow our mindless rules for an illusion of safety or whatever, we don't care" fashion, getting rid of the night hours forced more people to be in the same place at the same time.

                      [–]Advanced_Double_42 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                      That's the funniest thing. The store gets super packed at opening, closing, and peak hours now, because people know they can't go as they please.

                      There is no way that helped slow the spread of anything.

                      [–]yolo-yoshi 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                      Word is they were actually looking to do it anyway, because so much theft happening around that time. Covid just gave them the perfect excuse. So it always going to go away regrdless. I too miss it.

                      [–]heywheremyIQgo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                      Dang walmarts in USA used to never close? All the shops here close at 8pm max. Human rights is good, i guess we just dont have that big a workforce to constantly switch shifts

                      [–]Itsnotsane 31 points32 points  (5 children)

                      I work night shift and the fact my 24 hour Safeway is no longer open 24 hours has really affected my ability/will to cook more than grilled cheese.

                      [–]CaptainRogers1226 28 points29 points  (0 children)

                      As a 3rd shift worker, I RELATE. Especially when I was getting out of work at 0530 it was like an hour and a half minimum before anything was open

                      [–]DisasterPeace7 76 points77 points  (1 child)

                      Same here, I miss those midnight Walmart journeys as well, it was peaceful, therapeutic in its own way, especially when I was younger and I was just like yeah let's have some cheese sticks or whatever at 2:00 in the morning lol, but that damn pandemic

                      [–]No_Information_8973 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                      Damn, now I want cheese sticks but it's nearly 2 am.

                      [–]shorty6049 16 points17 points  (1 child)

                      Same... I rarely actually went to those stores late at night, but I liked that the option existed... I miss a lot from pre-covid, but I think its just one more milestone in the neverending progress of time... Before that I was saying that I missed how things were pre-2008 financial crash and recession.... before that it was pre-9/11, and maybe before that you could say Columbine... . Every time this country goes through another crisis/tragedy/pandemic (never really thought I'd see that in my lifetime) things change, and it rarely feels like its for the better.

                      ​

                      After Columbine we started to feel unsafe in school, and with every mass shooting since then we've gotten more and more nervous about more and more places.

                      ​

                      With 9/11 people became suspicious of their neighbors and fellow Americans. It put us in a war that lasted years and years. Businesses and individuals became more protective of their money . We were taught to be fearful and always looking over our shoulder for signs of terrorism. Before this, most of our experience with terrorists and highjackings was limited to movies and TV shows.

                      ​

                      2008 we fell into a collective slump as a country. Our moods were down, our bank accounts were down. Many of us millennials graduated from college or high school around this time and had a harder time finding gainful employment . Many of us are still suffering from the side effects of that (I for example, took a job making FAR less than the market rate for my degree thinking I'd be able to quickly work my way up to a better salary, but due to the economic climate combined with some personal flaws, I've struggled ever since then to climb the economic ladder) . The seemingly never-ending progress of new building developments, new housing, etc. all but stopped during this time and feels like it took forever to recover. There was a new housing development which had been started in my city just before 2008. The curbs were all poured but no roads were paved or homes started. It sat empty for years and years until it was finally purchased and redeveloped as a warehouse park. For me, this was the kind of a time of seeing this world I was born into full of unique things and fun being transformed into a world where decisions were driven by dollars and safe bets.

                      ​

                      Fast forward to the pandemic and all the remaining nice things in life felt like they were stripped from us. Conveniences like 24 hour stores, affordable and plentiful goods and services, unique business concepts and leisure-based businesses etc. kind of felt like they disappeared overnight. Things closed because they couldn't afford to stay open. Closed because they were forced to due to safety concerns from the ongoing pandemic, closed because the owners decided to take off in a camper van driving around the country. We all got ultra-political and some of the most basic concepts such as personal hygiene and germ theory became debatable topics . The country grew more and more divided on every issue.

                      Now we all just feel isolated and lonely but don't even want to spend time with our fellow humans anymore. The news is constantly negative and feels like its just baiting us into hating each other more and more. Businesses aren't open regular hours anymore, many of the smaller ones straight-up closing for the day when they don't have enough people to work. service has suffered, product quality has gone down. Everything costs way more than the "8% inflation" figures would suggest (hell, dollar tree increased the price on basically every item in their stores by 25% and got away with it ) , We're all still nervous going in public places with lots of people. Will I get shot? Can I even afford these groceries? can I afford my meds this month? Why is this shit so expensive?? I hope nobody here has covid... I've been vaccinated though so I should be okay... right? Do I need to get a booster? I wish that store I like was still open... Why is it a 6 month wait to get a therapist?

                      ​

                      I'm so exhausted.

                      [–]hannahc9 38 points39 points  (0 children)

                      As a previous employee who used to work at Walmart night shift I loved not having customers around except for my first and last hours but as a customer I fuckin hate it lol

                      [–]C_WEST88 24 points25 points  (0 children)

                      I’ve noticed not just Walmart but even some other grocery stores in my area that used to be 24hr close at like 1:30-2:00am now. Also, one of the Dennys by me used to always be 24/7 and now they close at like 2:00am it’s bizarre. And it really sucks since I work nights and always liked to do my shopping late into the morning after work.

                      [–]Moorehead125 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                      The Walmart near me opens at 6am so we’ve been going 6am on Sunday’s. Not a lot of people then and we then make breakfast once we get home.

                      [–]Ivybridge294 9 points10 points  (3 children)

                      Over in the UK we have a store called Tesco (very similar to Walmart) I used to love doing all my grocery shopping at 1am on Sunday when it was a totally different place, all the staff would be putting out the new produce and it was so nice and quiet. It used to be 24hrs but after covid they’ve gone to ‘normal’ hours which means closing at 10pm

                      [–]roses369 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                      Right?! I’m so upset it’s become a permanently change. Shops saw they were making more money closing, ironically, unfortunately.

                      [–]starsky1357Mmm. Yellow. Good design. 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                      There are still 24h Asda and Tesco stores, though they are hard to find.

                      [–]Ivybridge294 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                      Asda yes (personally I much prefer Tesco and the nearest Asda to me closes at midnight) iirc the big Tesco extra stores stopped being open 24hrs after covid

                      https://i.imgur.com/dWiQvIF.jpg

                      [–]WritPositWrit 9 points10 points  (1 child)

                      I miss it too. And I miss the food places being open later.

                      I don’t understand why grocery stores can’t go back to being 24 hours. It’s one of the things I loved about this era that was significantly better than the past: 24 hour shopping, 24 hour gas stations, and ATMs. At least they didn’t do away with ATMs.

                      [–]funguy202 35 points36 points  (1 child)

                      I love going to Waffle House at 4 am while I’m really drunk but unfortunately I don’t have anyone to do it with anymore. Probably for the best for my health

                      [–]godiegoben[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                      The world really changes after a certain hour. Stay healthy, but keep going to the Waffle House when you please:)

                      [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (2 children)

                      Miss it too. I think Amazon took over everything 🤮

                      [–]SecretSession7303 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                      Agreed. Get your shit in peace. Still be entertained by the tweakers too.

                      [–]Silver_Strawberry572 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                      I feel like it’s the theft (potentially violent) that happens now after 10pm which was stoked by the pandemic that has caused all 24 hour stores to close. I miss it a ton.

                      [–]CherishSlan 26 points27 points  (6 children)

                      Just talked to my husband about this yesterday. He gets off work and almost everything is closed. We have one car and everything is closing down now time to hardly do anything. I miss going out later.

                      [–]Blenderx06 4 points5 points  (2 children)

                      Same. Mine gets off work at 2 am and there's a WinCo open but no pharmacy. No diners open late anymore either.

                      [–]CherishSlan 9 points10 points  (1 child)

                      It just sucks Because night life is a real thing there are day people and night people. We night people just get screwed to be frank about it. It shouldn’t be that way. I think there should be an effort to change that again.

                      Take back the night to use an old campaign that had a totally different meaning.

                      I support that fully BTW.

                      [–]Blenderx06 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                      Amen to that!

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                        [–]ReverseMillionaire 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                        I think winco opens 24hrs, but they don’t sell every that Walmart does. I mostly miss late night restaurants

                        [–]CacknBullz 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                        Now they are always stocking during store hours and I feel like I’m in the way.

                        [–]ima-bigdeal 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                        It was nice to shop for groceries and, anything else, at 1 AM when the store wasn't crowded. All I had to do was work around the people stocking shelves.

                        We do have a 24 hour grocery store, but that is all they sell - and they are a low end store. Yes, a long ways below Walmart.

                        [–]vampireinamirrormaze 28 points29 points  (0 children)

                        I loved midnight runs to walmart when I was in college. I conveniently graduated a couple years before covid so I was already phasing that out and working towards an actual sleep schedule, but yeah I still miss it sometimes. T'was very serene.

                        [–]flowergirl0720 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                        This was one of the simple pleasures of life that i truly enjoyed. My best friend and i miss it so much. It was a great time, being night owls, to just mentally check out (no pun intended) and drift around am almost empty Walmart. We started this when our kids were small and continued to right before lockdown, when all our kids were grown. And now it's gone.

                        [–]Simps4Satan 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                        A friend of mine posted the other day that this is why people are so angry all the time now is because we can't go shopping at 2 AM for groceries high as f in our pajamas anymore lol.

                        [–]godiegoben[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                        Lol true. I found that shopping late at night led to some “creative” shopping. More inclined to get things we don’t need like holographic stickers and yarn to pickup a new hobby lol.

                        [–]Petroldactyl34 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                        I miss Walmart night trips because day trips give me terrible anxiety. I can't deal with that many low hum smoothbrains at once.

                        [–]jesusgrandpa 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                        I do too. I googled it and apparently Walmart has no current plans to reopen 24h stores

                        [–]SinnerInRuins 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                        i get it, i mean if i had to work overnight 🤢 i am OUT of my job right at 8 lmao. but god do i miss the 24/7 life. i’m still holding hope we’ll go back at some point but i feel like stores won’t.

                        [–]No_Information_8973 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                        I miss that too! I get off work at 11:30pm and there's a Walmart right across the highway. Unfortunately the close at 10 (or maybe 9, not sure).

                        [–]FuckM3TendrWalking Pop Culture/WW2 Encyclopedia 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                        I have a newborn and part of the reason we live where we live is because there is still a 24-Hr pharmacy near us!

                        Different reasons lol but I also enjoy late night wandering

                        [–]flux_capacitor3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        Ha! I know you are old because you called it a “super” Walmart. I am too, and I said the same thing the other day. Lol.

                        [–]Acceptable_Banana_13 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                        Oh I miss it so much. My childhood was filled with late night runs, hanging out in a Walmart for hours just browsing, wegmans treats at 2am at a sleepover, telling mom you were at a friends house but really out dying in a ditch somewhere two towns over, then eventually waking up and wandering into a cvs for some Gatorade at 5am. As an adult, I worked second shift at a hospital. Payday hit and I would head to wegmans to do my shopping in peace. No one was there. No overstimulated Banana walking down crowded aisles with noisy humans being rude and inconsiderate. There was always an open lane. Getting the urge the dye my hair purple at 2am after some drinking with girlfriends. It’s still purple to this day and I have to plan that shit out now? Awful. I want to bleach my hair during a mental breakdown, not while I’m cool, calm and collected.

                        Covid changed the world. Most for the better. Wfh, the excuse “I’m sick” actually works now, humans keep their distance. But there are a few negatives. Inflation and my loss of a 24 hour shop I can visit whenever the mood strikes.

                        [–]shteepadatea 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                        I miss this too! I don't understand why nobody has returned to their pre-covid hours.

                        [–]EtherSecAgent 28 points29 points  (6 children)

                        This is what I hate so much about living in America, everything just straight up closes at night, I was shocked by the lack of 24 coffee shops and things to do after like 8 pm on a weekday.

                        As a night owl it's just so damn saddening

                        [–]fknlowlife 18 points19 points  (1 child)

                        Where are you from if you think that US-American stores have limited opening hours? Here in Germany, shops tend to close at 6:30 to 8 pm max. (with supermarkets being open until 9:30-10 pm, and no 24h convenience stores), usually even sooner on Saturday, and with all stores (on top of almost everything else lol) being closed on Sundays.

                        [–]EtherSecAgent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I currently live in SEA where a lot of places are open 24/7.

                        [–]marketinequality 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        Not sure if you've lived outside of America but most shops in other countries close even sooner than in America. Only exceptions are parts of major cities but even that is hit and miss.

                        [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                        Covid messed up all store hours! Especially late night food hours.

                        [–]Cryptic_Hunter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        Yeeessss it was a very good thing damn covid

                        [–]jinntakk 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        l once brought in the new years in a 24 hour walmart with friends lol. Growing up in a small town that was the only thing that was open.

                        [–]altxatu 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        I worked third shift at a gas station for like 3-4 years. I worked like 6 days a week. When I had time off I didn’t change my sleeping schedule. So I got used to running errands between like 1-4am. Grocery shopping at the 24 hour walmart at 3-4am was the best. The folks working were usually just stockers. If they didn’t have something the employees would either know off the top of their head (and some bad knew when the next shipment would come in) or would happily double check. Now if I thought I was going to need help with getting a video game or something, I’d just go to the cashier or front desk and ask them right away. Usually it was no big deal, but often times I’d shop and only see the one cashier the entire time I’d be there. Solve those problems before they start.

                        The Walmart was on the busiest road in my area. The way I had to go to get there has the worst traffic along every road in our area. Sadly there really isn’t an alternative route, part of the reason the roads are almost always stop n go traffic.

                        Sadly, I’ve been ruined. I’d drive somewhere, and just drive there. Turn on my music, relax a little, and just enjoy the drive. There was no traffic. I’d see maybe a half dozen cars total. That awful drive that took me 45 minutes on a good day, was 10-15 minutes without traffic. I’ve been ruined. All the main roads had green lights all the way, you could drive the speed limit and not get stuck at every light! No one doing crazy unexpected shit, no one sitting at a green light looking at their phone. It was perfect.

                        I don’t miss third shift, but I do miss those late night Walmart runs, and driving around town.

                        [–]dan-dan-rdt 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        I miss the late night Walmart too. It was a peaceful and quiet experience that I hope someday returns. There is still a 24 hour Walgreens near my home, but that feels a little scary sometimes.

                        [–]Master-Strawberry-26 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        I forgot that they're no longer 24-hour and left the house to get cold medicine last night, only to drive back home empty-handed with a stuffy nose.

                        [–]Lillianroux19 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        I was just talking to my kids about that. Those 1or 2 in the morning runs to Walmart or Walgreens for ice-cream.

                        [–]simplify9 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                        My shower head broke one night around 11:30 pm, started spraying water all over the place. I was able to run to my local Walmart and pick up a new one, and have a working shower again before going to bed. (This was pre-Covid.)

                        Now that same Walmart has just closed, because someone set one of the clothing displays on fire. "Arson on Aisle 7." They'd already had some looting incidents, so I guess Walmart Corporate decided, "Enough's enough."

                        Life in the big $#itty, ain't what it used to be.

                        [–]seandalyis 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                        I hear you. The world just isn’t the same without 24hr Walmarts. WTF? How did it all go to hell so quickly?

                        [–]Genacyde 6 points7 points  (5 children)

                        I'm very happy for the workers that they don't have to suffer to provide something so unnecessary. For myself I do miss it, but I'm happy to give it up. It never should have been a thing in the first place.

                        [–]TimeEntertainment701 15 points16 points  (4 children)

                        Some people actually like working 3rd shift or might even need to based on their lifestyles.

                        [–]Genacyde -1 points0 points  (3 children)

                        Ive worked many 3rd shifts without needing to go to Walmart in the middle of my shift.

                        [–]TimeEntertainment701 3 points4 points  (2 children)

                        I think there’s a misunderstanding, I’m talking about Walmart employees who lost their shift and maybe jobs due to scheduling conflict once they started closing early. I don’t think they even stock overnight anymore.

                        [–]bigtrumanenergy 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                        They still stock overnight. During Covid, at least the stores I worked in doing distribution for, there was a night shift. The night shift there deep cleaned and stock.

                        Still shitty they aren't open overnight anymore. I'm sure some jobs did get cut and it makes life harder for those who work late nights and overnights.

                        [–]TimeEntertainment701 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        The one near me is always missing so much and employees are constantly blocking isles with boxes while they’re stocking. I know they’re annoyed having to do that with so many people interrupting them.

                        [–]IsThatASigSauer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                        Yeah, It's no longer a thing because people are shitters and steal. That's why a number of Walmarts have shut their doors at night. Sucks.

                        [–]thenewhost 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                        My dog threw up in her bed at like 2am one night. I tried to wash it, but it ended up ripping from end-to-end in the wash, so there I was, re-stuffing and sewing a dog bed in the wee hours.

                        I would have given anything to be able to just go get her a new bed and make her comfortable.

                        Edit to add: never buy pet furniture that doesn't have a removable washable cover. Lesson learned.

                        [–]CapG_13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Me too 😞

                        [–]DumbbellDiva92 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Think the Walgreen’s near me is still 24h, but everything is locked up against shoplifters so it’s not a fun experience to just browse anymore at any time of day. I usually do online order + pick up because it takes way too long to wait for an employee to unlock things.

                        [–]SpookyMoneyGoal 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I miss that feeling where nothing felt real and time didn't exist, between like 2am and 6am at Walmarts where you could lose yourself in the back aisles where the lights look the same day or night, where the music and the hum of the air vents are all you can hear.

                        I spent some time at a K-Mart that was going out of business once. In the final week, they had laid off 90% of staff, the 10% remaining didn't care and were too busy anyway, and there was no one left to enforce any rules. We rode the motorized shopping scooters around, we climbed the ladders, we dove around past moving boxes in the basement.

                        I think "liminal space" is a term that's overused these days, but both of these settings count for me. K-Mart music is the hallmark of good mallwave genre beats too.

                        [–]Middle_Aged_Mayhem 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I'm not sure where you live, but we have 24hr versions of those stores currently.

                        [–]SnowyDeluxe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        All of the stores by me are no longer 24 hours as well. I used to like doing Kate night grocery store runs since no one was there. The check out guys were pretty friendly since I did as much as I could to make it a bit easier for them.

                        [–]RedditSkippy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        We lost our 24-hour supermarket about a year before the pandemic. I still miss it.

                        [–]Feisty-Cloud5880 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        In the late 80's living on my own outside Boston I did all my shopping after hours!! I miss those days. I'm still young and do my own thing I'd shop late night again!!

                        [–]Formal_Ad_3369 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Way back then I was able to go into a Safeway or a winco at like 2 am just for the hell of it. But the later you go out the weirder people get.

                        [–]lady__jane 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I wonder if Walmart saved money by not having those hours? A lot of the places that used to be open until 9 now close at 8, and places that used to be open until 11 now close at 10.

                        [–]Nothing_Impresses_Me 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I think a lot of places were 24hr just because they made it their thing (like Walmart super centers in small towns) , even though they likely lost money in a lot of places. Covid gave them an excuse to stop and they probably my wanted to for a while now in a lot of places that didn’t support it.

                        [–]ZealousidealAd4860 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        There are still some of them just depends on location

                        [–]MommaLokiLovesYou 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Whoa, your Walmart closes at 8? Most should be open until 11 AFAIK, especially supercenters. (Source: am recently former associate)

                        [–]Greb-Grebberson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I did until I worked as an overnight stocker at Walmart during covid. Couldn't imagine doing that while dealing with customers.

                        [–]CorgiKnits 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Covid is when I STARTED doing this. I switched all my prescriptions to a CVS that was slightly farther away but open 24 hours, and then I’d go at 3am on a weeknight. I wasn’t working normal hours anymore, why not? CVS was empty at that point. I did all my grocery shopping the minute the stores opened at 6:30am. Why not? It was empty.

                        Now I’m back at work and I really miss driving the streets at 3am and shopping in empty stores….

                        [–]kelsospade 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        For real 😭 Taking a ‘trip’ when you can’t sleep and simply bored. Miss that.

                        [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        There's a couple Walgreens by me that are still open 24 hours, but it's not the same as it was before. You can tell they're still understafffed somewhat so stock is very low on the shelves even during thd late hours.

                        [–]jayroo210 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Oh man 24hr Walmarts were awesome when you would be kinda fucked up and still awake. Just wander around for a bit.

                        [–]MihalysRevenge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        24-Hour Walmart WAS AWESOME! I did my grocery shopping in the middle of the night in peace with no other people

                        [–]AnaSimulacrum 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I work 2nd shift, if I can't go before work everything is closed after work even now. I was on 3rd shift during the pandemic. Days off, I would just sleep, because nothing was open during my regular hours, and without anything to keep me on schedule I was just up a creek.

                        On days I worked, I'd have to get up hours early, as everything closed at 9p which was when I started work, or stay up hours after work because nothing opened before 8a unless you were a senior, and after 10hours on shift, the last thing I wanted was hanging out in my car for an hour or two waiting on a store to open up, and if I really needed something...The number of times I fell asleep waiting, to be woken up by someone assuming I was an addict nodding off was too damn many.

                        [–]RebelDolan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        My walmart started closing at 12am long before covid hit. I actually was an overnight stocker for a few months.

                        [–]Toastied 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Too bad certain people had to ruin it for the rest

                        [–]canolafly 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I remember back in the olden days, Kmart had an all night supercenter. We didn't have a Walmart yet, this was in 1999. The people I used to see there at 2am... We were there for some stupid project, and we just ended up playing tekken for an hour.

                        It is freaky that so many places are cutting back hours so badly. Walgreens here used to stay open till 11, but they cut it back to 8pm. They were begging for pharmacy assistants (that's what they are called, right??) but no one came a'knockin.

                        [–]boafriend 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Yeah. Target used to close at 11pm, and there used to be a few 24-hr Walmarts. Now everywhere closes at 10pm.

                        [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                        Why are they not non-stop anymore? Did they just decided that it's convenient not to switch back after covid? Asking since there are a bunch of non-stop shops around where I live, at least as many as pre-covid.

                        [–]MOS95B 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Unfortunately too much of the late night traffic is theft rather than sales anymore.

                        [–]godiegoben[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

                        I’ve read it’s just not cost effective anymore but you’d think a behemoth of a retail chain wouldn’t have a problem establishing more pay for employees to work late shifts as well, but I guess not.

                        [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Exactly, Walmart is huge. I would expect any large shop which doesn't have problems with money to focus on making the customer experience better, but oh well.

                        [–]chonklah 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        In some small towns (before covid) Walmarts used to close around 10. But a late night Walmart run would be interesting though

                        [–]Decent-Eggplant2236 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                        Walgreens is 24/7 here, I thought they were everywhere sorry 🥹

                        [–]godiegoben[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                        Yeah we have some 24hr Walgreens and cvs in my city but nowhere near enough that’s worth making the trip:(

                        No Walmarts though that I’ve seen

                        [–]ProcedureMaleficent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I remember when COVID started, the Dunkin Donuts near my house would close at 10 pm instead of the usual 24/7. That really took some getting used to.

                        [–]theboblit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Midnight Walmart runs used to suck here. One register and maybe 20-30 people always in line. Surprised me every time I went. It was nice to chill and walk around though. I always abandoned my items once I got to the line.

                        [–]kingJoffi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Walmart past midnight was always wild where i live lol

                        [–]SnooGoats7133 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I was just thinking about how many jobs opportunities it’d open up, we always need more job opportunities

                        [–]TxGinger587 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Same. I loved doing my shopping late because it was nearly empty and could take my time and not feel rushed because it's always packed full of people during the day.

                        [–]MOS95B 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I used to work 4 10s on the overnight shift, so I loved making those early AM runs to get the stuff I needed from Wall world to BBQ and work on my cars the rest fo the weekend.

                        As a bonus, watching for the people being "sneaky" to try and steal stuff. Like the two late teen girls in the automotive chemicals department

                        [–]Square_Scallion_4473 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        It's a hard life these days if you work late or work nights; especially in the mid-west.

                        [–]Midnight_Moon29 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        As someone who used to really struggle with anxiety/panic attacks at night, those midnight runs were life savers. I think even the mall closes at 7 an weekdays now, but don't quote me.

                        [–]MrLocoLobo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I miss 24hr Hannaford runs..

                        Sincerely, former Wappingers Falls resident

                        [–]el_payaso_mas_chulo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        LMAO I totally forgot about those random late (or early) runs to those stores. Something about it was so fun and weird.

                        [–]RedWizxrd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Walmart is no longer 24h but here in upstate SC Walgreens & CVS both still are

                        [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Walking into a Walmart in the middle of the night was like walking into the Star Wars cantina scene.

                        [–]Strategory 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        They can’t afford to be open, we all get that right?

                        [–]asterierrantry 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        when I was in high school I had a first kiss with someone in one of the makeup aisles of walmart at 2 AM. that was a super surreal experience.

                        i remember when they first started closing at night i was super anxious like "what if i need something at midnight" but i literally havent been in a walmart after like 10 PM since the day of that kiss which was 9 years ago.

                        [–]SaltyFatBoy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I miss it a lot. 2nd shift sucks for shopping now. I used to get off of work, hit Walmart on the way home, unload and done.

                        Now I have to plan, get up early, head in, get stuff, head home and put it all up, then go to work. I live in the country, so it's a fair ride to everything.

                        [–]Flappy-tit 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                        Odd, everything by me is still 24/7

                        [–]CozmicOwl16 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Where is that? Not to be creepy but I also miss 24 hour stores.

                        [–]Azelar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I miss 24 hour diners….. run by a old Greek dude who’s wife makes the best pastries in the world.

                        :’(

                        They still exist but Covid drove a ton into bankers hours.

                        [–]IntroductionPast3342 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I especially miss the 24-hour stores in the week leading up to all the holidays. Could pop out of bed at 4 AM on the Thursday before Easter, get everything for the family dinner, pick up the baskets for the kids/grandkids and be home by 6 AM with everything stored away and not be late for work. Could do the same on weekends and be in the garden soon as the sun came up. Now I'm retired and will wake up at 9 or 10 in the morning, go online and place my order for pickup cause I can't stand for more than 20 minutes without needing to take a break and there is no place to sit at most stores and the check-out line takes longer than that.

                        [–]goodstuff2020 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        I completely understand this on a couple different levels.

                        Sometimes it's just nice to go when it is not crowded at all and you can do your own thing and like you said it's like a totally different place.

                        Then there were the times where the kids were sick in the middle of the night and I had to make emergency runs to the stores to pick up medicines to help them get through the night the best we could.

                        Both are things that I really do miss.

                        But I'm a night owl and don't sleep very much and neither do two of my children (now adults) so we're used to doing stuff in the middle of the night. It stinks that that's not an option anymore.

                        [–]nowayusa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Every single store has seemed to start closing earlier and earlier since COVID.... And it's only getting worse, not better!

                        [–]BruceOfWaynes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Cvs is still open 24 hrs by me.. The ones that were ever 24 hrs anyway. I didn't know this was a thing.

                        [–]Bacterial2021 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        Yes I live next a Walmart and I miss the 24 hours too.

                        My favorite thing about Walmart was going there very late or very early and the store would be fully stocked and nobody else around to get in your way.

                        Now if you come right at 6am they treat you like a criminal bc your the only people not elderly, and if you go after noon it's super busy and low on stock.

                        It's 3 am now , I need to leave at 5 am for work and I would definitely like to buy something real food from Walmart to cook , instead of ordering garbage fast food.

                        [–]CuzImBatmaann 5 points6 points  (4 children)

                        I don’t, let people go home and sleep and not be overworked

                        [–]Hoedoor 5 points6 points  (2 children)

                        What about people who work nightshift?

                        We shouldn't be overworking people to fill spots if that's what was happening but something needs to be open for those folks

                        [–]CuzImBatmaann 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                        Fair enough, I hadn’t considered that, sorry

                        load more comments (1 reply)

                          [–]Babyoftheyearr 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                          For the “let workers go home” folks- you realize the people working at 11 AM aren’t the same people working at midnight? There are shifts people work in 24hr businesses. Late/early shift work is needed by many people to accommodate their schedule. When Covid hit Walmart fired all those late night workers and haven’t rehired those positions. Their labor costs are a fraction of what they were and profits are higher than ever.

                          [–]UBUandIBME 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                          Move to Florida. Our super Walmart is open 24/7 because all the old people down here don't sleep at night anyway and the snowbirds have to restock their pantries and replace their dead shrubs every time they come home to roost.

                          [–]SlightBusiness9922 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                          What part? I'm in Orlando and haven't found any Korean near me.

                          [–]UBUandIBME 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                          ??

                          [–]SlightBusiness9922 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                          *open How auto correct got Korean out of that, I'll never figure out. Lol

                          [–]Reno_Mike 1 point2 points  (5 children)

                          Yeah and cashiers, Walmart used to have those to! WTH Walmart!!!!

                          [–]godiegoben[S] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                          Now they just stand there with their hands clasped behind their backs, watching you scan.

                          [–]Reno_Mike 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                          Then they basically accuse you of stealing at the door when they demand a receipt 😂

                          [–]impiousdrifter 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                          They have test stores that only have self checkout. Why pay multiple employees when you can have just one? Profit!

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                            [–]UsernameTaken-Bitch 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                            I work at a Walgreens. I appreciate closing at a reasonable hour. I don't mind not being able to shop at 4 am because that would mean a whole shift of people who have to work at 4 am.

                            [–]Psychotic_Rainbowz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

                            No other 24/h major supermarkets open? Where I come from every 10 kilometers or less there's a 24/h co-op society grand supermarket, while the scattered mini branches close 11 PM. Most pharmacies are open 24/7 and do deliveries too. Getting groceries around 3 AM just hits different lol

                            [–]plajhakciks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

                            i live in a country where 24/7 never meant 24/7 but usually that they close at 8 instead of 6 which is standard, would be great with a place that was actually open at night but i guess i dont know what im missing

                            [–]steveosek 0 points1 point  (0 children)

                            We still have 24 hour walgreens and cvs here where I am, and winco is 24 hours and kicks the shit out of Walmart for food prices.

                            load more comments (58 replies)