Late-night shoppers should start looking for a new place to get their necessities, as Indianola’s Walmart and Hy-Vee stores end 24-hour services.

Walmart, at 1500 N. Jefferson Way, adjusted its hours on Feb. 1, and is now closed from midnight until 6 a.m. 

Hy-Vee, 910 N. Jefferson Way, adjusted its schedule on Feb. 10 and is now closed from midnight to 5 a.m.

“Based on a recent review of shopping patterns at our Indianola store, we have adjusted hours and reallocated resources to better serve our customers during peak shopping periods,” said Casey Staheli, senior manager and national media relations for Walmart.

Hy-Vee was facing similar challenges in their shopping patterns.

“Just like any other 24-hour retailer there are fewer customers in the store after midnight, so we are constantly evaluating our store operations,” said Christina Gayman, director of public relations for Hy-Vee.

According to both Gayman and Staheli, no jobs will be eliminated due to the new hours.

When the Simpsonian asked Simpson students through a survey how often they shop at Walmart and Hy-Vee after 12 a.m. each week, 20 percent replied they frequently shop during those hours

“I have a super busy schedule and sometimes I cannot make it to the store for groceries until after midnight at times,” sophomore Riley Fagan said.

In addition, 8 percent of students say they strongly disagree with the stores’ decision.

“Personally I go to Walmart after midnight a lot,” sophomore Makayla Gloria said. “If I need something, I knew I could always get it anytime. Now, I won’t be able to. I understand that it is not cost-effective to stay open if you can’t afford it or if you aren’t making enough money.”

As Walmart and Hy-Vee introduce new closing times, student’s options for late-night shopping trips are very limited. 

With Walmart and Hy-Vee closing at midnight, it opens up the opportunity for local 24-hour convenience stores such as Casey’s General Store and Phillips 66 to fulfill the needs of late-night shoppers.