Walmart Adjusts Order-Picking Policy to Improve Safety
Walmart has reduced the maximum number of bins on a picking cart from eight to six, citing a need to improve visibility for employees.
Key Policy Change: Employees are now instructed to push the cart when visibility is clear and pull it when visibility is limited. This revision partially reverses an earlier policy that required employees to always pull carts—a rule that workers previously criticized on social media for causing heel injuries.
Background and Legal Context
Walmart faces multiple lawsuits from customers injured by carts pushed by employees, including a $1.2 million judgment in 2024 stemming from a 2020 incident.
The company relies on its network of over 4,600 stores for online order fulfillment, handling several hundred orders per day. Walmart's e-commerce business grew 27% in the most recent quarter, marking the eighth consecutive quarter with over 20% growth.
Company Response
According to a Walmart spokesperson: "Employee and customer safety is a top priority, and policies are adjusted as needed to maintain a safe shopping experience."
The company declined to comment further due to a quiet period before quarterly earnings.
Broader Operational Adjustments
- Reducing bins per cart may lower the volume of orders fulfilled in a single pick run.
- Walmart is rolling out digital shelf labels with flashing LEDs to help employees identify items for orders. These labels have been installed in about half of its stores.
The combination of cart policy changes and new shelf-label technology signals a broader effort to improve both safety and efficiency in online order fulfillment.