Is Walmart closing on November 1st? Many people are curious — and increasingly concerned — as the government shutdown continues with no clear end in sight.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in a notice on its website that the shutdown will cause Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to stop being issued starting Nov. 1, 2025.

According to Newsweek, this could lead to a major drop in consumer spending for Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01,” the USDA wrote on its website.

The department attributed the continued shutdown to Senate Democrats’ failure to act.

“We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats,” the notice adds.

“They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance,” it continues.

Government Shutdown: What It Means For Grocers And SNAP Beneficiaries

As AFROTECH™ previously reported, USDA confirmed that SNAP has exhausted its November budget and cannot legally draw from emergency disaster funds to cover regular monthly benefits. Even if such funds were available, they could only supplement — not fully cover — standard payments.

The department added that no benefits would be issued if the shutdown continued and warned that states would not be reimbursed if they used their own funds to keep payments flowing.

While Medicare and Social Security benefits continue, suspending SNAP payments is expected to majorly impact more than 40 million Americans who rely on the program, AFROTECH™ noted.

Based on behavioral data from more than 31,600 verified recipients and survey responses from over 1,250 participants, a June report from market research firm Numerator found that Walmart accounts for 24% of total spending among SNAP shoppers, reports Newsweek.

Kroger follows with 8% of SNAP shoppers’ spending, trailed by Costco at 6%, Amazon at 5%, and Sam’s Club — Walmart’s bulk-goods subsidiary — at 4%.

With the government spending an estimated $100 billion on SNAP each year — about $8.3 billion per month — Newsweek estimates that Walmart could lose roughly $2 billion in sales if benefits aren’t disbursed in November.

Ismael Martinez, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, told Newsweek that even a brief pause in payments could cause widespread “economic pain,” as SNAP plays a crucial role in supporting economically vulnerable families, children, and the broader economy.

“SNAP benefits make up about 8 percent of all retail spending on groceries–even a short interruption of this spending could lead to layoffs or other painful adjustments in this sector,” Martinez said, per Newsweek.

“Walmart alone accounts for almost one quarter of SNAP spending (about $25 billion), and SNAP spending accounts for more than 8 percent of their grocery sales … We should be doing everything we can to ensure that families have this vital source of support as the threat of food and economic insecurity continues to rise,” he added.

Why The Government Shutdown Is Happening

The government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, 2025, after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, has become the second-longest in U.S. history, AFROTECH™ noted. The congressional impasse has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed and just as many others working without pay.

On Oct. 14 and 15, 2025, the Senate rejected a House-passed, Republican-backed stopgap bill that would have funded the government through Nov. 21, AFROTECH™ noted.

Republicans argue that Democrats should approve the short-term measure to reopen the government and resolve policy disputes later. However, Democrats insist any funding bill must include healthcare provisions.

CBS News reports that the Senate was scheduled to vote for the 13th time on Tuesday, Oct. 28. That vote, once again, failed.