BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — I got a behind-the-scenes look at how Walmart employees are handling the holiday shopping rush and gathered some last-minute shopping tips for you.
At the Bakersfield Walmart, fulfillment lead Ana Guerra showed me how the store operates during one of its busiest times of the year. While holiday shoppers are certainly keeping the store busy, Guerra explained that much of their time is now spent picking items for online orders and deliveries.
“So, California, they’ve had a 14% increase when it comes to using the express delivery. And then in Bakersfield, we’ve seen a 10% growth when it comes to online orders.” Guerra said.
The process is highly organized. Employees receive digital lists that guide them to specific locations throughout the store to collect items for customer orders.
"These came in from the morning, so we start picking for customer orders as early as 4 am," Guerra said.
If you're hunting for the hottest gifts for kids this year, Guerra says the classic UNO game has become surprisingly popular. There's also a new plush toy trend taking over.
"The Fugglers are a very big thing, specifically for Bakersfield; they have gone viral," Guerra said.
Unsurprisingly, anything Wicked-themed is in high demand, from LEGOs and dolls to costumes.
"Just pretty much anything you can think of, we even have a Wicked-themed UNO," Guerra said.
Guerra says the only item that has been hard to keep in stock is LEGO.
“As you can see, there are a few empty spaces. We get shipments every night, but sometimes they take a little longer to get here.” Guerra said.
For procrastinators, Walmart will be open until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will fulfill online orders if placed by 5 p.m.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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