Alabama Could Have Automated Walmart Stores By 2026

Am I the only one that gets irritated when I go to Walmart and see 24 registers but only 4 open?

The worst part is that out of the 4 lanes that are open, 3 are self checkout and the one manned by an actual person is the speedy checkout lane.

While I'm already in my feelings, it really grinds my gears when the self checkout lines only take cards or just cash.

If you're like me and get easily irritated at the fact that there are almost no real people working registers at Walmart stores, or you're worried about machines forcing people out of the workforce, this won't be great news.

According to one of the largest news agencies in the world, Walmart is aiming to have over half of their stores automated across the country.

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The most shocking part is that this news comes after Walmart shared plans to lay off more than 2,000 people at facilities that specifically fulfill online orders.

Can you imagine walking into Walmart on game day in Alabama and not even speaking to a human being that's employed at the store?

Would this be efficient?

Would this take away money from people that could use the wages as opposed to having a machine do the job?

According to Reuters, Walmart operates more than 5,000 stores across the country and the move to have close to 65% of its stores serviced by automation by the end of its fiscal year 2026 will reduce the need for lower paid roles in stores.

Maybe this isn't such a bad thing and I'm looking at it all wrong. So often we become the "old person" who doesn't like change just because it's something new and different that what we're used to seeing.

Only time will tell.

You can read more about Walmart's automation plans for their stores here.