Have you ever wondered how well-prepared big supermarkets and grocery stores are for disasters and unforeseen events? Then you might want to know: does Walmart have backup generators?
Most Walmart stores do have backup generators in case of a power outage, but they are often too small to power the entire building. In fact, a lot of workers and managers have reported that the procedure they have in place is relatively minimal, and things like the refrigeration units will simply be offline until the power comes back.
How Big Is Walmart?
Before we get into the kind of equipment that Walmart has in their stores for when emergencies happen, we should get an idea of just how large the company is and how many different stores they are operating.
Walmart is the largest grocery retailer in the entire United States, and they are best known for their many hypermarkets (also known as “supercenters”), department stores, and grocery stores.
The company began life in 1962 when the founders purchased a branch of the Ben Franklin stores with the aim of making high-volume sales at low prices.
Since then, the company has gone on to become incredibly successful. It now operates more than 10,500 separate stores all over the world, employing more than 2.2 million people and reporting revenue of over $600 billion in 2023.
There are 4 main divisions of the Walmart company:
- Walmart U.S.
- Walmart International
- Sam’s Club (membership-only warehouse clubs)
- Global eCommerce
With such a wide reach, and so much money to play with, you would expect them to have every provision possible in place for any eventuality, but that is not necessarily the case.
Read also >> Will Stores Be Open During a Power Outage? (Here Is Why…)
Read also >> How do Grocery Stores Keep Vegetables Fresh? (Food Tricks)
What If Power Goes Out At Walmart?
So, what actually happens if the power goes out at a Walmart? Well, they do often have some form of backup generator installed, but they are mostly pretty small and cannot produce the kind of power output that one of their stores needs in order to operate.
The majority of Walmart’s stores are massive, and they use a huge amount of power across the different departments.
Heating, air conditioning, lighting, and refrigeration for one of their supercenters is incredibly costly and very difficult to achieve with backup generators alone.
The amount of money that it would take to install generators large enough to keep the stores running at full capacity – and keep them stocked with fresh, usable fuel – is simply more than the amount that Walmart might lose from the occasional emergency.
Instead, the generators typically will only provide power to the emergency lighting, cash registers, and computer servers.
This is designed to keep the core systems, staff, and customers safe while they wait for the power to come back.
Walmart Power Outage Procedure
There is a procedure in place at all Walmart stores for most emergencies, including power outages.
Most of the time, power will return within a pretty short space of time, and therefore nothing needs to be done except keep everyone free from any harm.
If the outage lasts more than thirty minutes, though, then there are a few things that the staff will be expected to do.
- Staff will often be issued headlamps or torches to give extra lighting.
- Customers will be safely guided to the exits.
- The doors will be closed once the customers have evacuated.
- The refrigerators and coolers will be closed and sealed with caution tape.
- Tarpaulin or plastic vinyl is taped over the cases and bunkers to cover all of the chilled or fresh produce.
- Anything left behind by customers is restocked.
- The building is checked and staff carries on with maintenance, cleaning, or stocking as long as it is safe to do so.
Of course, it does depend on what happened to cause the power to go out. Some natural disasters or other emergencies that might result in a loss of power have different procedures that need to be followed, like having all staff and all customers immediately evacuate.
Why Doesn’t Walmart Install Bigger Backup Generators?
If power outages last for a long time, then they can be pretty expensive for any company. Not only do they lose sales while the store is closed, but they also lose a lot of perishable products that are no longer being chilled or kept frozen.
Even short periods without power can mean upwards of $100,000 worth of food items need to be thrown away once the power comes back.
So, why doesn’t Walmart invest in bigger generators to keep the stores running? Well, it’s all a matter of cost. The amount of money that it would take to install big enough generators in every store to keep the refrigeration units running is more than the amount that they lose due to outages in a year.
On top of that, Walmart stores are covered by some pretty extensive insurance, which means that they are often able to recoup their losses after an emergency without investing in more fuel and more powerful generators in the first place.
There are some locations, however, where power outages are more frequent – either due to weather or the electrical infrastructure of the region.
For these stores, where power problems are regular and costly, then Walmart installs bigger generators to keep them running and offset the consistent loss in revenue.
Do All Stores Have Generators?
When it comes to Walmart, some stores do have generators and some don’t – and the generator size can also differ.
Some smaller locations can even have large enough backup generators to keep the store running as normal while the grid is not providing power, unlike the big supercenters.
For other grocery stores around the country, the picture is not always the same. While a company like Walmart can handle individual stores being out of action without it being too much of a problem, due to the sheer number of locations that they operate, other companies are more reliant on keeping their doors open and their lights on.
Many stores will have big standby generators in place so that they do not have to close if there is an outage.
This is much more possible for stores that do not require as much energy as a Walmart to function, such as smaller clothing retailers.
What Is The Average Cost Of A Backup Generator?
The actual cost of a single backup generator can seem pretty daunting, although it can vary significantly as well.
Generators for your home can be as cheap as $2,000, while those large enough to support a grocery store are more likely to cost somewhere in the range of $20,000 – $100,000, depending on the size that you need.
There are also a pretty wide variety of different generators that you could choose from, including:
- Portable Generators. These are small and mobile, designed for camping or simple lights, and they are not able to power whole homes or stores on their own.
- Standby Generators. These are semi-permanent features with a large fuel tank and a commercial-grade engine, designed to power an entire building. They require maintenance to keep them operational, which can be expensive.
- Gasoline Generators. These run on gasoline and are usually smaller and more portable.
- Diesel Generators. Most standby generators run on diesel, which is more fuel efficient and better able to handle temperature changes.
- Natural Gas Generators. These are durable and can last for a long time, also producing lower emissions than gasoline or diesel.
- Solar Generators. These generate power through solar panels, but they are rarely able to provide significant output.
- Inverter Generators. These generators produce electricity in three phases, which is more stable and helps protect equipment from surges.
Which Is Better: Battery Backup Or Generator?
In more recent years, battery backups have appeared as a more eco-friendly alternative to fuel-powered standby generators, but which is actually better?
Battery Backup
Battery backup systems store energy from the electrical grid which can then be used later when the power is no longer working.
They have less of an impact on the environment, and they are cheaper to operate as well. These systems are usually more expensive to purchase, but easier to install, cheaper to maintain, and less expensive to run.
Fuel-Powered Generators
Generators, on the other hand, need to be filled with a fuel source to function – and this can be expensive and produce harmful emissions.
They are, however, cheaper to purchase, on average, can usually produce more energy for a lot longer, and can be topped up. On the other hand, they are costly to run and maintain, and they are trickier to install.
Is Walmart going to install back up generators at all their stores? >> Check out the video below:
Summary
So, does Walmart have backup generators? They often do, but they are generally not big enough to keep the entire store functioning when all the power is out.
Most Walmart stores will only be able to power emergency lighting, cash registers, and computer servers with a backup.
When the power does go out, customers are evacuated and the perishable foods are covered to try and protect them for as long as possible, but the company will usually suffer the cost rather than pay for more expensive systems.