Walmart Is Closing Its Doors in New Location

(NewsReady.com) – Walmart is the biggest retailer in the world. The company operates more than 10,500 stores and clubs internationally. Even a multi-billion dollar corporation doesn’t have success all the time, as demonstrated in the company’s most recent announcement.

At the end of February, KPTV reported a Walmart spokesperson announced the company’s last two stores within Portland’s city limits would close on Friday, March 24. They explained the company made the decision based on the stores’ performances. According to the spokesperson, Walmart’s focus is now on the associates who the closures will impact.

All Portland Walmart stores to permanently close in late March

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— FOX 12 Oregon (@fox12oregon) March 2, 2023

The company is going to allow the associates the option to move to other nearby stores if that’s what they want to do. There are still more than a dozen stores in the Portland metropolitan area.

Employees at the affected locations are helping customers move their prescriptions to nearby pharmacies. Residents in the area told the local news that the closures will hurt low-income shoppers in the city limits. Amanda Pahl explained there’s a Safeway in the area, “but that’s three times the price” of the Walmart.

The news about the store closures comes just months after CEO Doug McMillon spoke about problems facing the retail chain during an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” He said that theft was increasing across the country, and it was “higher than what it has historically been.”

McMillon stressed how important law enforcement was during the interview, saying keeping departments properly staffed is “a good partner is part of that equation.” Though the company has not pointed to theft issues or law enforcement staffing in Portland as factors in its decision to close the stores, it is the elephant in the room. The city has a known problem with it.

Nike also closed one of its stores because of theft and safety issues. The athletic company recently asked the city to provide off-duty law enforcement to help guard the location in order to reopen it.