The Best Days To Shop At Walmart If You Want Full Shelves And Fewer Crowds

There is nothing worse than pulling in to your local Walmart and realizing that practically your entire town is inside clogging the aisles. Grocery shopping is already a logistical challenge due to everything from the shopping list to how many stores you'll have to visit to how you're going to get those groceries home. The last thing you need is to fight a crowd. 

Finding the best time to pick up a Great Value frozen meal unperturbed by crowds is a hot topic debated by regulars and employees, but a general consensus is that the middle of the week (Tuesday and Wednesday) tends to be a good bet. Weekends tend to be packed, as one may guess, although some shoppers have found crowds to be sparse on Sunday evenings. Thursday and Friday can also be a bit crowded as people try to avoid the weekend rush, while Mondays are often slammed as people try to do an entire week's worth of shopping. Some Redditors also recommend avoiding the store on the first of the month since payday is a very popular day to stock up on groceries.

One of the main factors to consider before making your shopping trip is the day and time that shelves are restocked. For starters, it can be frustrating to navigate past employees stocking the shelves, especially if you're timing the trip specifically to avoid crowds. But, more importantly, if you're searching for your favorite flavor of Great Value ice cream, it really helps if it's actually in stock. Most Walmart locations restock certain items daily during the late night and overnight hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., so it isn't about picking a day to find freshly stocked items but picking a time. Stocking times and days will also vary by location, so it never hurts to check availability online if you have your heart set on a specific Great Value cereal, for example.

While a corporate behemoth like Walmart has a lot of similarities between locations, it also never hurts to strike up a conversation with an employee to ask them when the store is most empty or when a certain item tends to be restocked. 

With all of these factors in mind, it's safe to say that Tuesday and Wednesday mornings may be the best time to go shopping at Walmart. Crowd sizes may vary, but we're confident that a midweek shopping trip at Walmart won't be the madhouse you find on Saturdays.