Walmart has been quietly rolling out changes that are meant to reimagine the shopping experience and one of the biggest updates has been the lighting. Instead of sticking with the older, less efficient options, the company has invested in a new system that is both cost effective and noticeably cooler. The goal isn’t just to save money but also to create a more comfortable environment for shoppers and employees alike. It’s part of Walmart’s broader vision of building the “store of the future” where efficiency and customer experience work hand in hand.

For many shoppers, the difference is subtle at first lights that feel softer, brighter, and more energy conscious but the impact is significant over the company’s push toward sustainability and modern design. Updates like this show how even something as simple as a light bulb can symbolize bigger changes in retail, pointing toward a future where innovation is woven into the everyday shopping trip. But of course, with the good there is also the concerns on the wattage and difference in colors where it caused concern how it would affect COS students and their families.

To make sure to reassure the worries it was best to ask one of the Walmart Employees these questions. When and if the new updates will be coming to the central valley.

Interview with Genisis Olalde and Mia Gomez-Navarro

Mia Gomez-Navarro: Would it be harder for you to work under the conditions of the new wattage?

Genisis Olalde: Oh, yeah for sure. I already don’t like the lighting in there.

M.G-N: Yeah, right?

G.O: I think for sure lighting can affect the way you’re working especially with what I do, I’m constantly running around the store because I do the online pickup orders. So yeah, so I’m constantly all over the store and I don’t think I’d want to be under the sliding’s for eight hours a day.

M.G-N: And you work eight hours a day. That’s crazy. Oh, my gosh. And then do you think there will be updated safety measures if the lights become a hazard?

G.O: Yeah, I for sure think that. They already make sure we’re very safe with everything we do, especially for the customers’ safety at most. So when they do change it there will be a lot of things like safety, and stuff like that.

M.G-N: Do you think it’s coming soon?

G.O: It is a possibility, but I hope not

End of Interview

Walmart’s new updated lights have not made a grand appearance in store as of September 2025, yet it is rumored that it seems to be in Madera or Fresno but not confirmed.