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Walmart confirmed changes to the carts its employees use to prepare online orders and announced the remodeling of more than 650 stores in the United States during 2026.

The new instructions, distributed in an internal memo, reduce the maximum container load per cart and establish clear rules for when to push and when to pull them.

The measure comes amid the chain’s boom in e-commerce, which grew 27% in the last quarter—the eighth straight with expansion above 20%. Walmart processes hundreds of online orders per day at each of its more than 4,600 stores, which operate as distribution centers for delivery and in-store pickup.

What changes in Walmart carts and why

The new guideline sets a maximum of six blue containers per fulfillment cart, down from eight previously. Employees must push the cart when they have clear visibility and pull it only when their vision is limited.

The change partially reverses a policy adopted days earlier that required carts to be pulled in all cases. Workers complained en masse in forums and Facebook groups: they reported repeated hits to their heels.

The company has legal precedent on the issue: in 2024, it paid US$1.2 million for a customer injured by a cart in 2020. Reducing the load by 25% per cart could slow order-picking speed, although Walmart seeks to offset this with digital shelf labels—already installed in half of its network—that guide employees with LED lights.

Everything is included in the remodeling of Walmart’s 650 stores

The renovation covers more than 650 Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets nationwide. In Pennsylvania, 32 stores are confirmed, four of them in the Philadelphia region, in Montgomery and Berks counties.

The changes aim to modernize the shopping experience with new layouts, updated technology, and more personalized service at checkout, with reduced self-checkout in several locations.

The improvements planned for the remodeled stores

  • Redesign of the sales floor and new layouts.
  • Updated technology to speed up shopping and deliveries.
  • One-hour delivery for some customers.
  • Free pharmacy delivery for Walmart+ members.
  • In-store app to navigate aisles and book appointments at the auto center.