Walmart announced Friday they are closing 269 stores and clubs, including 102 Walmart Express locations.
WTSB News has confirmed Walmart Express locations in Benson, Coats, Four Oaks, Pikeville, and Princeton will be closing by the end of this month.
Walmart has more than 11,600 stores worldwide.
In a press release, Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. said a review of the stores began last October. “We conducted a thorough review of our stores and clubs worldwide that took into account a number of factors, including financial performance as well as strategic alignment with long-term plans. In total, the impacted stores represent less than 1% of both global square footage and revenue.”
The large majority of U.S. stores closing are Walmart Express stores, which began as a pilot in 2011. “While we have learned a lot from this pilot, including a deeper understanding of the everyday needs of our customers, we have decided not to proceed with this offering. We feel we can better serve our customers by focusing on Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets and by investing in e-commerce and services like Pickup.”
Walmart said about 16,000 workers would be impacted by the closings including 10,000 in the United States. “Decisions like this one are difficult and we care deeply about the associates who will be impacted,” McMillion said. “We spent considerable time assessing our stores and clubs and don’t take this lightly. Our goal is to help these associates and we will take all appropriate steps to ensure they are treated well.”
Ninety-five percent of the stores closing in the U.S. are within 10 miles of another Walmart. All affected Walmart associates in the US will receive 60 days’ pay and, if eligible, severance. Walmart will also help associates find their next job opportunity, with a goal of placing as many associates as possible, who would like to continue with the company, at other nearby locations. On the international level, the largest impact from the closings will be in Brazil.
Impacted employees will be given priority for open positions at other nearby stores.
Among the Express stores closing January 28th, 2016 include:
#3211: 509 Dr. Donnie H. Jones Blvd W, Princeton, NC
#3249: 511 N Mckinley St., Coats, NC
#5024: 6043 US Hwy 301 S, Four Oaks, NC
#3257: 112 N Main St., Broadway, NC
#5015: 908 E. 4th Ave., Red Springs, NC
#5017: 7670 Clinton Rd., Stedman, NC
#7207: 1400 B Broad St., Oriental, NC
#5138: 702 S. Wall St., Benson, NC
#2500: 945 Monroe St., Carthage, NC
#2573: 303 S. Goldsboro St., Pikeville, NC
#6997: 632 W Swannanoa Ave., Liberty, NC
#3007: 139 N Hwy 49, Richfield, NC
#3036: 1593 NC Hwy 86 N, Yanceyville, NC
#3037: 905 SE 2nd St., Snow Hill, NC
#3080: 182 NC 102 W, Ayden, NC
#3121: 189 Hickory Tree Rd., Midway, NC
One Walmart Supercenter in the area will also close January 28th. The Walmart SuperCenter located at 1010 Martin Luther King Parkway in Durham, NC will be shut down.
Despite the store closings, Walmart plans to open 50 to 60 Supercenters in the US in 2016, 85 to 95 Neighborhood Markets, and 7 to 10 Sam’s Clubs.
Chris Johnson, Director of the Johnston County Economic Office, told WTSB News Friday afternoon, “Johnston County sees the value of all levels of economic development. Whether it is Industrial, pharmaceutical or in this case retail. Obviously this will impact the our smaller communities that these locations serve. Although the Walmart Corporation has not reached out to us directly, the Johnston County EDC office is committed to assisting them in whatever capacity.”
