Former Walmart Shoppers Reveal Why They Abandoned the Store for Good
Sophia Sparks
Updated on February 22, 2026
At one point or another, we've all had the frustrated thought, "This is the last time I'm shopping at Walmart." Whether it was over the prices, long lines, or empty shelves, we've gotten fed up—and then gone right back to the big-box retailer. But some customers have reached their breaking point, and now they're sharing what pushed them over the edge in a new Reddit thread. Read on to find out four reasons former Walmart shoppers have abandoned the store for good.
RELATED: Shoppers Are Turning Away From Walmart—And Ozempic May Be to Blame.
1 Changed hours
Once upon a time, many Walmart stores would stay open all day and all night. But the retailer put an end to its 24-hour locations during the COVID pandemic, and has since confirmed that it has no plans to bring these extended hours back at any point. For some shoppers, that was the final nail in the coffin.
In a Dec. 18 Reddit thread that asked, "Why did you stop shopping at Walmart?" one former customer revealed that they abandoned the retailer for good when Walmart "quit staying open 24 hours."
"The only reason to go to Walmart was because it was the only place open late at night," the Reddit user responded. "Now, I have to go to Walgreens instead."
RELATED: Walmart Is Changing Store Hours Across the Country.
2 Long lines and crowds
For others, it's the experience they have once inside a Walmart store that has kept them away from the retailer. One Reddit user said "it's just too much" and "overstimulating" to shop there because of the "long lines and crowds."
When another shopper suggested they try going at night to avoid this, the Reddit user explained why this wasn't an option for their nearby Walmart locations.
"My stores close at 8 p.m. and the crowd never seems to thin out. I've just found smaller grocery alternatives," they responded. "I do miss when Walmart used to be open 24 hours. Never had to wait 30 minutes+ in line for self checkout at 2 a.m."
3 Self-checkout
But many shoppers shared the same central issue with Walmart, and it's not an uncommon complaint: self-checkout. One Reddit user said that it was the "vicious and aggressive" workers manning the self-checkout kiosks that they couldn't deal with.
"They will violate your personal space and demand you empty all your bags to prove you scanned everything," the user wrote. "They are mean and make everyone stressed out."
Another said it was simply Walmart's choice to use that technology at all that made them abandon its stores.
"Self-checkout was the final straw for me," they responded. "I've always hated that dump and only went when I 'had' to. Now that I've quit going all together, I've realized that I never need to."
RELATED: Walmart Worker Issues Warning to Shoppers About Self-Checkout.
4 Better options elsewhere
If Walmart wants to win back these customers, it might have to do some real work to convince them to come back. Several of the shoppers in the Reddit thread said they actually stopped shopping at the big-box retailer when they realized they had better options elsewhere.
"Most places have the same prices and better deals," one user replied.
Another wrote, Walmart "went from 'low prices always' to 'low prices never.'"
Many shoppers even said that they're willing to pay a bit extra to shop somewhere other than Walmart these days.
"Meijer, Kroger, and Aldi are cleaner and usually have better deals," one user explained. "I might spend a little more in the long run, but the quality of the products and shopping experience are worth the switch."
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Kali Coleman Kali Coleman is a Senior Editor at Best Life. Her primary focus is covering news, where she often keeps readers informed on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and up-to-date on the latest retail closures.Read moreFiled UnderBoycott • News • Retail • ShoppingRead This NextHow to Avoid Self-Checkout "Hassle"
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