Walmart just had their biggest sales increase in years. It was led by cheaper food prices than the other stores. They still have lower sales on hard goods but even it that they lead the others.

employees are a real issue

not just Walmart
Walgreens used to be 24 hours a day or at least till 10pm or midnight if you needed meds late
now they close at 8pm
8am to 8pm that is it and a few times enough people called in sick and they closed the whole store. they call the hospital and the radio stations announce it.

Dollar generals around the area have and interesting combination either they are being sent much more than they sell for stock or the employees don't haev time to put it away so several times in area towns the fire department comes through and closes them down. they can open again when they have the isles clear to fire exits again and get inspected.
you would think that corporate would get those storage units for outside like many other stores are using but they don't.

a lot of places just close now , short staffed plan to be open again Thursday

The 2-3 associates always standing near the exit every time I leave don't appear overworked.

They actually can't, even many on the payrole won't work! Most of the stores look like a homeless camp!

Big box stores, like Walmart, made mom and pop stores close.
Now internet sales are making big box stores close. Now fuel prices
and international politics are going to make it go in another direction.
The only constant is change

The younger working generations order much more stuff on line. They are also more inclined to have curb side pick up so they don't wander through the large stores. Adding to that fact is that many of the older shoppers are finding it hard or difficult to shop in these huge stores they just don't have the engergy and or desire to be walking miles to get things they need. Some of the stores lately are actually being constructed in a smaller foot print to mee those needs. Much of that stopped when COVID hit and we weill see where this goes in the future. We still have another decade of more persons retiring per year then going into the work force so there will be a continued decline in those who want to spend a lot of time pushing carts when they can pay someone else to do it for them. One way to keep labor costs lower is to hire a lot more part time and or seasonal help, it is just a real circus to manage that.

Bryce

This...."companies can't find workers" was being discussed this morning in the shop.

Maybe this group can answer the big question no one seemed to be able to this morning. Where did all the workers go in the last 2 years?????
This wasn't a big issue just a couple years ago. Restaurants had waitresses, stores were open all day, ect, ect.

I just saw a news story where Target plans to start building stores some 20K SQ ft larger than their current stores.? I assume there will be hoverounds for all at the store entrances..

an attempt at loss prevention

they are trying for a balancing act does it cost more per order to hire a cashier or to let people check their own and "miss" a couple things

Must be eyeing everyone covertly while standing there talking.

From what I've seen, they don't want to work. What I wonder is how they are supporting themselves.

everyone who could retire did any one 62+ and a bunch in their 50s

A LOT of parents with kids decided that one of them would not go back to work after covid because daycare was such an issue and they valued the time with the kids

100% of the baby boomers are >65 now

anyone who had a low level job moved up or over to another company for more pay , better benefits and more time off.

the younger workers value their time off , they are more likely to have room mates or keep living with mom and dad so they can work one job and take every minute of time off they can.
both the company I work for and the company the wife works for added more vacation time this year

I was max at 200 hours and now I will have 240 if everyone gets another week off work then you need more people to do their jobs when they are not there.

I bet you can think of someone who earned but hardly ever took vacation time or did it a few hours here or a day there , now people want long weekends and weeks off.

all of that added up

the largest age demographic leaving the work force
lots of parents leaving the work force
more vacations to cover

we were already running record low unemployment under trump 2.9% basically anyone who was employable and wanted to work had a job
then a bunch retired people I never thought were going to retire at work , they did we have 100 people and had 5 retire
and a bunch stayed home with kids
if 5% retired and 5% stayed home and you were at 2.9 now it would be more like -7.1 but since the same 2.9% are still un-hireable nor want to work it is like -10%
now you have a a worker deficit

That is a good explanation, greencountypete.

When visiting my son in Salt Lake City it’s a daily thing multiple times…. He hits his phone buttons and next day usually or the day after things are on his doorstep. Non stop it seems, he goes tramping thru stores for very little.

Osky